Oracle® Applications
Flexfields Guide
Release 12
Part No. B31456-01
December 2006
Oracle Applications Flexfields Guide, Release 12
Part No. B31456-01
Copyright © 1994, 2006, Oracle. All rights reserved.
Primary Author: Sara Woodhull, Mildred Wang
Contributing Author: Gursat Olgun
Contributor: Gregory Ashford, Anne Carlson, Steven Carter, Hani Georgi, Rajesh Ghosh, Cliff Godwin,
Molly McLouth, Vikas Soolapani, Susan Stratton, Senthilnathan Vedi
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Contents
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Preface
1 Flexfield Concepts
Overview of Flexfield Concepts
............................................................................................... 1-1
Key Flexfields.......................................................................................................................1-2
Descriptive Flexfields........................................................................................................... 1-3
Benefits of Flexfields............................................................................................................ 1-4
Basic Flexfields Concepts..................................................................................................... 1-5
Overview of Setting Up Flexfields........................................................................................... 1-8
Planning............................................................................................................................... 1-8
Defining............................................................................................................................. 1-11
Data Entry and Ongoing Maintenance.............................................................................. 1-12
Reporting........................................................................................................................... 1-13
Warning About Changing Data
.............................................................................................. 1-13
Types of Flexfields Information
............................................................................................. 1-14
2 Planning and Defining Key Flexfields
Additional Terms and Concepts for Key Flexfields
................................................................ 2-1
Intelligent Key
......................................................................................................................2-1
Combination
........................................................................................................................ 2-3
Combinations Table
............................................................................................................. 2-4
Qualifiers
............................................................................................................................. 2-5
Types of Key Flexfield Forms...............................................................................................2-7
Dynamic Insertion
.............................................................................................................2-11
iv
Other Key Flexfield Features............................................................................................. 2-12
Planning Your Key Flexfield................................................................................................... 2-13
Key Flexfield Segments Window............................................................................................2-14
Defining Key Flexfields...................................................................................................... 2-15
Defining Key Flexfield Structures...................................................................................... 2-16
Defining Segments ............................................................................................................ 2-20
Choosing Your Value Set................................................................................................... 2-23
Defaulting Segment Values................................................................................................ 2-24
Segment Prompts and Display Lengths............................................................................. 2-28
Flexfield Qualifiers ............................................................................................................ 2-30
Reporting Attributes.......................................................................................................... 2-30
Reporting Attributes Zone ................................................................................................ 2-30
3 Planning and Defining Descriptive Flexfields
Descriptive Flexfield Concepts................................................................................................. 3-1
How Segments Use Underlying Columns........................................................................... 3-4
Context Fields and Reference Fields
......................................................................................... 3-6
Context Fields
...................................................................................................................... 3-6
Using Value Sets With Context Fields
..................................................................................3-6
Reference Fields................................................................................................................. 3-10
Synchronizing the Context Field Value with the Reference Field Value............................3-11
Different Arrangements of Segments..................................................................................... 3-13
Planning Your Descriptive Flexfield...................................................................................... 3-22
Descriptive Flexfield Segments Window .............................................................................. 3-24
Defining Descriptive Flexfields.......................................................................................... 3-24
Defining Descriptive Flexfield Structures.......................................................................... 3-25
Context Field Values.......................................................................................................... 3-28
Identifying Descriptive Flexfields in Oracle Applications
.................................................... 3-30
4 Values and Value Sets
Overview of Values and Value Sets
......................................................................................... 4-1
Planning Values and Value Sets
...........................................................................................4-2
Choosing Value Formats
...................................................................................................... 4-2
Value Formats
...................................................................................................................... 4-6
Decide What Your User Needs
.......................................................................................... 4-13
Choosing a Validation Type for Your Value Set
................................................................ 4-15
Plan Values to Use Range Features ................................................................................... 4-20
Value Set Naming Conventions
......................................................................................... 4-21
Predefined Value Sets........................................................................................................ 4-21
Defining Values and Value Sets
......................................................................................... 4-22
v
Relationship Between Independent and Dependent Values ............................................. 4-23
Parent and Child Values and Rollup Groups ....................................................................4-25
Overview of Implementing Table-Validated Value Sets.......................................................4-26
Using Validation Tables..................................................................................................... 4-27
Defining Your Validation Table ........................................................................................ 4-29
Creating Grants and Synonyms for Your Table ................................................................ 4-30
WHERE Clauses and Bind Variables for Validation Tables............................................... 4-30
Bind Variables.................................................................................................................... 4-32
Example of $FLEX$ Syntax................................................................................................ 4-35
Using Translatable Independent and Translatable Dependent Value Sets.......................... 4-36
Implementation.................................................................................................................. 4-36
Limitations on Translatable Value Sets.............................................................................. 4-37
Converting Independent/Dependent Value Sets to Translatable Independent/Dependent
Value Sets
........................................................................................................................... 4-37
Using Special and Pair Value Sets
.......................................................................................... 4-38
Defaulting Flexfield Values.................................................................................................... 4-39
Precedence of Default Values, Shorthand Entry Values, and COPY Values in Key Flexfields
........................................................................................................................................... 4-39
Changing the Value Set of an Existing Flexfield Segment ................................................... 4-40
Value Set Windows ................................................................................................................ 4-43
Overview of Value Set Windows....................................................................................... 4-43
Defining Value Sets............................................................................................................ 4-45
Dependent Value Set Information Window
...................................................................... 4-47
Validation Table Information Window
............................................................................. 4-50
Special Validation Routines Window
................................................................................4-56
Value Set Usages................................................................................................................ 4-57
Segment Values Window ....................................................................................................... 4-58
Segment Values Block........................................................................................................ 4-60
Defining Segment Values................................................................................................... 4-61
Defining Hierarchy and Qualifiers Information
................................................................ 4-62
Qualifiers........................................................................................................................... 4-63
Hierarchy Details Buttons
.................................................................................................. 4-65
Define Child Ranges ......................................................................................................... 4-66
View Hierarchies
...............................................................................................................4-68
Move Child Ranges
........................................................................................................... 4-71
Rollup Groups Window
......................................................................................................... 4-72
Defining Rollup Groups
.....................................................................................................4-73
5 Using Additional Flexfield Features
Overview of Shorthand Flexfield Entry
...................................................................................5-1
Enabling Shorthand Entry
................................................................................................... 5-4
