Oracle Corporation has announced that it is offering the next version of its database management system, Oracle 23c, free to developers.
Oracle Database 23c Free – Developer Release is available as a Docker container image, Oracle VirtualBox virtual machine, or Linux RPM installer file with no user account or login required. A Windows version will also be added soon.
The new Oracle 23c release includes JSON Relational Duality, a functionality that combines relational and document data models into a single schema. Relational duality allows developers to create both relational and JSON constructs with access to both types of data repositories.
According to Gerald Venzl, senior director of product management at Oracle, this relational duality “ends the debate between relational and document databases to provide the best of both worlds.”
Remove roadblocks for developers
By making Oracle 23c available to developers free of charge, Oracle wants to remove as many obstacles as possible to start using the software.
Therefore, users don’t need to create an account to download the software, and the free version has storage, memory, and processor limitations that allow building small applications. Oracle support is not included.
What can you do with the new Oracle 23c?
New features in the upcoming Oracle 23c release include the ability for developers to validate JSON document structures, create property graph applications, and add annotations for better consistency and accessibility.
The new version also supports running Apache Kafka applications with minimal code changes and introduces a new SQL domain construct that can act as lightweight type modifiers to centrally document intended data usage.