White Paper

Oracle Apps Read Only DFF(Non Editable)

Nov 2014
White Paper Competition, Q4 2014

Table of Contents
Abstract.........................................................................................................................................................................................1
1. Descriptive Flexfield Concepts................................................................................................................................................3
2. How to enable DFF in Oracle apps..........................................................................................................................................4
3. Navigation for DFF Screen.......................................................................................................................................................5
4. Conclusion/Summing Up/In Summary....................................................................................................................................5
5. References................................................................................................................................................................................5
6. About the Authors...................................................................................................................................................................6
White Paper Competition, Q4 2014

Abstract
In Oracle Apps Descriptive flexfields provide customizable "expansion space" on your forms.
You can use descriptive flexfields to track additional information, important and unique to
your business, that would not otherwise be captured by the form. Descriptive flexfields can be
context sensitive, where the information your application stores depends on other values your
users enter in other parts of the form.

Here we are going to discuss the steps for :- how to make DFF Read only(Non Editable) so
that it cannot changed by end users, but derived based on other fields.

1. Descriptive Flexfields Concepts:

Descriptive flexfields have two different types of segments, global and context–sensitive.

A global segment is a segment that always appears in the descriptive flexfields pop–up

window. A context–sensitive segment is a segment that may or may not appear depending

upon what other information is present in your form. A descriptive flexfields can get context

information from either a field somewhere on the form, or from a special field (a context field)

inside the descriptive flexfields pop–up window. If the descriptive flexfields derives the

context information from a form field (either displayed or hidden from users), that field is

called a reference field for the descriptive flexfield.A descriptive flexfield uses columns that

are added on to a database table. A descriptive flexfield requires one column for each possible

segment and one additional column in which to store structure information (that is, the context

value). The descriptive flexfield columns are usually named ATTRIBUTE n where n is a

number.

For example, if you have a descriptive flexfield on an Order Entry (Header) form, it populates

the Structure column with the context field and the columns Attribute with the flexfield

segments of the table OE_ORDER_HEADERS_ALL.

Confidential 1
White Paper Competition, Q2 2014

2. How to enable DFF in Oracle apps

We had a requirement to add additional fields in Oracle Order management screen,with read
only access for users

Goal: Enable DFF in Negotiation Quote form in Order Management

Navigation: Go to “Order management super User, Vision Operations” responsibility

> Negotiation Quotes >> Quotes

Enable the DFF at right bottom screen.

To know the name of the DFF in a particular form do the following

Navigation: Help Menu >> Diagnostics >> Examine

Select Block Name as $DESCRIPTIVE_FLEXFIELD$

Field as ORDER.DF

Value will be populated and it will be the title of your DFF.

Title: Additional Header Information (Order Management)

Order management in the brackets represent the Application in which this DFF is registered.

3. Navigation for DFF Screen

To enable this
Navigation: Go to Application Developer >> Flexfield >> Descriptive >> Segments
Query the DFF
Press F11 and enter
Title: Additional Header Information
Application: Order Management
White Paper Competition, Q2 2014

Select the Attribute field which you want to make Read only DFF (Non editable) & attach the
below Special Value set against that field.
White Paper Competition, Q2 2014

Validation Completion Date is blank and non-editable when quote is created.

4. Conclusion/Summing Up/In Summary

By using above steps we achieved the Oracle Apps Read Only DFF (Non Editable)

5. How will your use case bring value to IGATE business/vertical

We got the same requirement in Our implementation project which previously achieved
through creating custom tables / personalization messages which was not robust as well as
partially achieved as per the requirement, so we achieved this with above solution and that
can be reuse in all applicable areas related to oracle forms DFF

6. References
http://docs.oracle.com/cd/A60725_05/html/comnls/us/fnd/ogenff04.htm

7. About the Authors

Gaurav Tiwari, SSE, IGATE (gt825766)
Gaurav.gtiwari@igate.com