Overview of Flexfields
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Objectives
After completing this lesson, you should be able to do the following: • Explain flexfields and how they are used by Oracle Applications • Distinguish between key and descriptive flexfields • Identify key and descriptive flexfields used by Oracle Applications • List the benefits provided by flexfields
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Overview
• • • •
How flexfields operate Two types of flexfields Flexfield terminology Flexfield benefits
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Customizing Oracle Applications
Oracle General Ledger Application windows
Oracle Assets
User-defined flexfield windows
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Flexfield Structures and Flexfield Segments
Item Information Flexfield
Segments:
(Category, Item, Color)
__ Item Information _______________
Category
Item Color
COM 876
Computer
Monitor Light tan
LTN
Structure:
(Category Segment + Item Segment + Color Segment)
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Segment Prompts and Value Descriptions
Flexfield segment prompts __ Item Information _______________
Category Item
COM
876 LTN
Computer Monitor
Color
Light tan
Flexfield value descriptions
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Validating Input Using Value Sets
Category value set COM MACH FURN
__ Item Information _______________ Category Item Color 755 COM 876 Computer
Monitor
Light tan 933
LTN
876
Item value set
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Key and Descriptive Flexfields
Key flexfields build unique entity identifiers
__ Item Information _________
Category Item
Color
COM 876
Computer Monitor
Light tan
LTN
Payment Type CC Store 54321 Dept 987 Number 4958-2938-4747 Exp. Dt 12 - 99
Descriptive flexfields gather additional information
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Key Flexfields
__ Sales Information ______________________ Transaction 3987 Customer Jane Doe
Item COM-876-LTN Description Computer - Monitor - Light Tan Key flexfield window
Standard window
Payment Type
[]
__ Item Information _______________ Category
Item
COM
876 LTN
Computer
Monitor
Color
Light tan
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Intelligent Keys
Business A Business B
_____Account Entry __
Corporation 10 283
_____Account Entry __
Company 21 42 502
Subsidiary
Division Department
Division Department
Account
3003 025 203
015
Account
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Intelligent Keys
Asset number
Account number
Serial number
Job grade
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Key Flexfield Example: Accounting Flexfield
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Key Flexfield Example: Asset Category Flexfield
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Oracle Applications Key Flexfields
Asset Category Location
Oracle Assets
Oracle Payroll
Bank Details Cost Allocation People Group
Oracle General Ledger
Accounting
Sales Tax Location Oracle Receivables Territory
Oracle Inventory
Account Aliases Item Catalogs Item Categories Sales Orders Stock Locators System Items
Grade Job Oracle Human Personal Analysis Resources Position Soft Coded
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Descriptive Flexfields
__ Sale Information ____________________ Transaction 3987 Payment Type Customer Jane Doe
Item COM-876-LTN
CC
Description Computer - Monitor - Light Tan [ ]
Payment Store Dept Number Second ID
Type CK 54321 987 1028 MC 4565-3939
Payment Type CC Store 54321 Dept 987 Number 4958-2938-4747 Exp. Dt 12 - 99
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Using Reference Fields
__ Sale Information ____________________
• Transaction 3987 Payment Type Customer Jane Doe • Item COM-876-LTN
CC
Reference field
Description Computer - Monitor - Light Tan [ ]
Payment Store Dept Number Second ID
Type CK 54321 987 1028 MC 4565-3939
Payment Type CC Store 54321 Dept 987 Number 4958-2938-4747 Exp. Dt 12 - 99
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Using Different Contexts: Asset Category Flexfield
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Oracle Applications Descriptive Flexfields (Partial)
Oracle Assets
Bonus Rates Calendar Types Price Indexes
Oracle Payables
Bank Branch Payment Terms Site Address
Oracle General Ledger
Daily Rates
Credit History Oracle Information Receivables
Oracle Bills of Material
Activity Information Item Cost Information
Oracle Work in Progress
Shift Time Information
Employee Labor Rate Shop Floor Status WIP Parameters
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SRS and Flexfields
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Benefits of Flexfields
Flexfields provide the following benefits: • Customize applications to support your own accounting, product, and other codes. • Enable the construction of intelligent keys. • Customize applications to capture additional data. • Use the application to validate values and value combinations entered by the user. • Support multiple field structures depending on data context.
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Storing Flexfield Data Internally
Key flexfield
Descriptive flexfield
... Segment1
Segment2
...
... Attribute1 Attribute2 ...
Oracle Applications base tables
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Implementing a Flexfield Steps
1. Plan flexfield segments, structures, value sets and values. 2. Define value sets and values. 3. Define flexfield. 4. Define security and cross-validation rules if necessary.
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Summary
• • • •
Flexfields are customizable fields. The user defines the content and structure of a flexfield window. Key flexfields create entity identifiers required by Oracle Applications. Descriptive flexfields gather additional information required by the business environment.
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