Is my ORACLE Forms solution a "Legacy Software"?

Some days ago, I was reading a post using a hashtag "legacysoftware". The post started with an small story about a man and his daily way to work crossing an old bridge a bit far from his town, used before by his father and even his grandfather; but suddenly someone suggest him to use a new better and closer he didn't knew it. The author was looking for the reader decision about what could be riskier: Keep using an old bridge that was used by some generations before you; or trying a new modern. For sure, everybody would say that still using "old bridge" wouldn't be the best option.?

And also I agree, but some lines after that, the author pointed an specific development framework out as "legacy software" and suggest new modern options to change or replace it.?If we search about examples of legacy software, we will find "old-school solutions" programmed with old tools or programming lenguages, tied to specific hardware or unsupported operating system . If so, I fully agree. This kind of software probably needs to be replaced (some cases), updated (others), or even just changed.

But that post refered specifically a Developer Suite's product (FORMS), to create simple formularies for enter info into a table, usualy part of an custom ER model, taking in care all restrictions involved on it. ORACLE has providing new features and options for integrations with new web platforms improving security in releases since many years ago; but if a Programmer (who use the product) is used to code in same way he has been doing for last 20 or 30 years, for sure he will get same results (on designing, functionalities and capabilities of his solution created) no matter the capabilities of the version is using on.?

Based on the story of the post, I would add if that old bridge never had a proper maintenance with improvements and changes along time, and it only got replacing harmed wood pieces for new ones; due to modernizacion, new car sizes and weights, that bridge for sure will be useless and eventually abandoned. For sure it won't be an option for anyone. Same way, any ERP or customized business solution can become useless or deprecated because of their managers lackdecisions; but IT Platforms or technologies are different because their evolution depends directly of big enterprises supporting them (such as ORACLE, Microsoft, etc), and we would noticed when a products is going to be replaced or unsupported, because of the product absence in future releases or improved versions.

ORACLE has been always improving this tool in all new releases since the beginning, and all aditional web frameworks included as a part of Developer Suite (APEX / ADF) are only options for projects based on a different service architecture, and they can be also integrated with FORMS, in order to extend capabilities and functionalities of an ERP or solution developed with it.

Pointing FORMS out as a deprecated or legacy platform is absolutely?incorrect, even because some of the most important ORACLE ERPs being implemented around the world have FORMS as a core component of them, such as Enterprise Business Suite (EBS) , Oracle Utilities, Oracle Retail, Oracle Insurance, etc. So, why a Company as ORACLE would invest money, time and effort on a product that was already replaced or it will be soon?.. Why ORACLE is still using a "legacy software" as a main core of some important products saled and implemented around the world?

If a Client doesn't know how to expand or evolve his core business solution, then only experienced ORACLE Partners should help on it. ORACLE Statement of Direction also mention it (https://www.oracle.com/a/tech/docs/oracleformssod.pdf).

Instead of listening "news" from an IT salesman, always look for authorized information from ORACLE.

Every time a Client is going to create a customized business solution from scratch, IT platform and framework should be CHOOSEN based on the architecture and services type is going to be offered; but when client already have a solid and stable ERP that already fulfill more than 90% of his needs, the answer will always be EXPANDING (by integrations with new platforms) and EVOLVING (creating microservices, webservices, web portals and apps),in order to reach that 10% extra. All those new functionalities can be created using different platforms and integrated with your current core business, increasing the value and capabilities of your ERP.

If someone would rather to spend some minutes to understand better this, instead of investing thousend dolars on a change, then drop me a message... but always, first of all, check out ORACLE portal and review any official info related to a product of your interest