How I finally simplified nested JSON reporting in Oracle APEX 24.2

Anyone else feel like they spend 80% of their reporting time just flattening JSON?

I recently upgraded a project to APEX 24.2, and while the native data export is great for simple tables, I hit a wall with a client who needed heavily branded, multi-level reports. I was staring at a massive PL/SQL package just to handle the data mapping when I decided to try a different approach.

The Problem
Mapping nested JSON to a specific layout usually means:

1. Writing complex SQL/JSON logic.
2. Manually defining every single column and header.
3. Redoing half the work if the layout changes by two pixels.

The "Low-Code" Fix
Instead of coding the mapping, I used the MaxPrint designer. Here’s the quick workflow I used:

1. Grab the JSON: I pulled a sample of my nested data directly from the APEX SQL Workshop.
2. Visual Mapping: I pasted that JSON into the designer. It automatically recognized the structure, so I just dragged the fields onto the report canvas. No code required for the binding.
3. The Integration: I used the MaxPrint plug-in to trigger the report from a button in my APEX app.

The Result

I managed to cut down the "data-to-layout" phase from a full afternoon to about 20 minutes. The best part? When the client asked to move a logo or change a font, I just did it in the visual editor without touching a single line of PL/SQL.

Has anyone else moved away from manual template coding in 24.2? I'm curious if there are other tools out there that handle the JSON mapping this smoothly.