[July 11, 2008 Update:  Many readers have raised questions about why mod_plsql was removed from Release 12. Others have asked what to do about their mod_plsql-based Apps 11i customizations and extensions when upgrading to R12.

George Buzsaki,our preeminent E-Business Suite architect, has put together an excellent new whitepaper that addresses these topics.  For a pointer to that whitepaper, see this
article.]

[June 4, 2008 Update:  It should be stressed that the Oracle E-Business Suite is distinct from Oracle Application Server.  Oracle E-Business Suite Development chooses to use specific Oracle Application Server components in the E-Business Suite technology stack.  These decisions by E-Business Suite Development should not be interpreted to represent the release policies or plans for Oracle Application Server. 

It must be emphasized that Oracle is fully committed to supporting mod_plsql as part of Oracle Application Server and as part of the Oracle Database distribution into the indefinite future.]

One of my degrees is in psychology — cognitive science, to be exact — so it’s interesting when that world intersects with my present work in the IT industry.  A landmark text in grief counseling is Elizabeth Kubler-Ross’ On Death and Dying, in which she described the general grieving process as proceeding in roughly five stages:
  • Denial and isolation
  • Anger
  • Bargaining
  • Depression
  • Acceptance
Floyd Teter has astutely pointed out that OpenWorld’s news of mod_plsql‘s demise in Oracle E-Business Suite Release 12 may trigger this process for some of you.  So, to help you through the first stage of denial, on behalf of the Applications Technology Group, I’ll officially reiterate that here:
  • Release 12 will not support the use mod_plsql
Switching to Oracle Application Framework in Release 12

If you’re planning on upgrading to R12 and you currently have Release 11i customizations that depend on mod_plsql, you would be well-advised to do the following things immediately:
  1. Inform your management about this upcoming change

  2. Prepare a comprehensive inventory of all of your existing 11i mod_plsql customizations and dependencies

  3. Review R12 capabilities with your business users and stakeholders, to see if your customizations are still needed

  4. If yes, budget time in your R12 upgrade cycle for:
  • A test install of an R12 demonstration environment to support a functional review with your business users, to see if the customizations can be further weeded out by relying on native R12 functionality

  • Training yourself and your developers in the Oracle Application Framework (OAF)

  • Doing the actual conversion from mod_plsql to the OA Framework model
For obvious reasons, the Release 12 Oracle Application Framework documentation is not available publicly yet.  In the meantime, it can’t hurt to review the existing OA Framework
documentation for Release 11i, which will help you get a general sense
of the migration process. 

We plan to release some specific technical guidance on preparing your custom development for R12 soon; watch this space for that announcement.

Related
The above is intended to outline our general product direction.  It is intended for information purposes only, and may not be incorporated into any contract.   It is not a commitment to deliver any material, code, or functionality, and should not be relied upon in making purchasing decision.  The development, release, and timing of any features or functionality described for Oracle’s products remains at the sole discretion of Oracle.