Oracle Database 23ai: A Game-Changer with JSON Relational Duality Views

Oracle has once again raised the bar in the world of enterprise databases with the release of Oracle Database 23c, also known as the "App Simple" release. Among its powerful new capabilities, one feature that stands out is JSON Relational Duality Views—a forward-thinking innovation that bridges the gap between traditional relational data and modern JSON-based applications.

In this blog post, we’ll explore what JSON Relational Duality Views are, why they matter, and how they could transform how developers and DBAs build and manage applications.

What Are JSON Relational Duality Views?

JSON Relational Duality Views are a unique feature that allows developers to query and update JSON documents directly over relational tables—without having to duplicate data or compromise performance.

This means you can work with data as JSON (which developers love) while still keeping the reliability, scalability, and integrity of relational models (which DBAs and enterprises need).

Unlike traditional JSON support, which stores JSON as-is in columns or uses object-relational mapping layers, duality views provide a two-way mapping:

  • From JSON documents to underlying relational schemas

  • And vice versa, enabling updates on both sides

It’s the best of both worlds.

Why Is This Important?

Modern applications—especially cloud-native and mobile apps—often rely on flexible, JSON-based data models. However, enterprise systems still run on relational databases that require normalized schemas, data integrity, and structured querying.

Here’s how JSON Relational Duality Views solve real-world problems:

  • ✅ Developer-Friendly: Frontend and app developers can work with familiar JSON structures.

  • ✅ No Data Duplication: JSON documents are views over real data—no need for syncing or ETL.

  • ✅ Transactional Consistency: Updates to JSON views reflect in relational tables instantly and are ACID-compliant.

  • ✅ Simplified APIs: RESTful applications can now expose rich data structures without complex joins or transformations.

How It Works

Let’s say you have two relational tables: customers and orders. With a JSON Relational Duality View, you can create a JSON structure like this:

{
  "customerId": 1001,
  "name": "Jane Doe",
  "orders": [
    {
      "orderId": 500,
      "amount": 120.5
    },
    {
      "orderId": 501,
      "amount": 89.9
    }
  ]
}

This entire structure maps back to your normalized schema. And when an application updates the JSON document (e.g., adding an order), Oracle automatically applies those changes to the orders table.

Key Benefits for Developers and DBAs

  • 🔄 Seamless Integration between REST APIs and Oracle Database

  • 🚀 Performance Optimizations built into Oracle's core engine

  • 🛡️ Security and Access Control still enforced at the table level

  • 📉 Reduced Code Complexity—no need for middleware object mapping

Final Thoughts

Oracle Database 23c is setting a new standard in how we think about working with data. The JSON Relational Duality Views feature is not just a technical enhancement—it's a bold step toward unifying structured and semi-structured data access.

Whether you're a backend developer tired of writing boilerplate code, a DBA focused on maintaining integrity, or a data architect designing scalable solutions—this feature is worth a closer look.

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