Using the Form Personalization you have option to alter Oracle code at runtime bypassing important validation logic.

Form Personalizations allows you to fundamentally alter the behavior of the seeded product forms that Oracle provides you to access data..

Form Personalizations looks very simple and easy things,but sometime this may jeopardize the integrity of your data. Therefore developer and solution provider context , you must have a clarity in architectural understanding.

Many People are bit confuse about the personalization, take a note ... "Personalizations are created Per Function , not per Form "

A function launches a form and passes specific parameters; the same form may be invoked by different functions and to a user could act completely differently.

UNDERSTANDING THE COMPONENTS

Lets take a EBS form , and try to understand various sub-section

What you can see in above form , a Typical Oracle apps form Personalization consist of four major things

• Sequences
• Trigger Events
• Conditions
• Context

these attributes also have link with personalization.

• Action
• Property
• Message

A Oracle Application Form is driven by form Function, therefore all subcomponent are tightly putin together.

Sequences

It manages both Rules and Actions that have in Sequence that must be entered

• It is there in case you need things to be processed in a specific order
• The sequence does not have to be unique

Trigger Events

If you aware with basic frame of Oracle EBS form(template.fmb) , then you must be aware with inbuilts triggers and there sequnce of firing, Some of the triggers can be best understood to handle the events. Here are the some of events:

• WHEN-NEW-FORM-INSTANCE: once, when the form starts up.
• WHEN-NEW-BLOCK-INSTANCE: each time the cursor moves to a new block.
• WHEN-NEW-RECORD-INSTANCE: each time the cursor moves to a new record.
• WHEN-NEW-ITEM-INSTANCE: each time the cursor moves to a new item.
• WHEN-VALIDATE-RECORD: each time the current record has any change that needed to be validated.
• SPECIAL1 through SPECIAL45: each time the user selects a menu entry from the Tools, Actions or Reports menu.

Conditions

The Condition field lets you create an expression in SQL which evaluates the run time action. In case of TRUE at runtime, then the Actions are performed, where as in case of FALSE Actions are skipped. Each time condition is re-evaluated the rule is processed or not.

Context

This handle controls of the personalization and it applies to either a)Level(Site, Responsibility, Industry, or User) or b)Value whiich is specific value when level is Responsibility, Industry, or User

• If you set the Rule has a context of ‘Site’, it will be applied for everyone
• If you set rule with a context of Responsibility that mena it does not ‘override’ Site
• If you set a rule with a context of User does not ‘override’ Site or Responsibility
• If 2 rules have the same Trigger Event, and Actions that change the same property, the rule with the higher sequence number will be performed last.

Actions

Actions determine what personalization does.

TECHICAL DETAILS

Personalizations are stored in tables, separate from the forms they alter:

• FND_FORM_CUSTOM_RULES
• FND_FORM_CUSTOM_ACTIONS
• FND_FORM_CUSTOM_SCOPES
• FND_FORM_CUSTOM_PROP_LIST
• FND_FORM_CUSTOM_PROP_VALUES
• FND_FORM_CUSTOM_PARAMS

AFTER APPLYING A PATCH

There is some confusion , with Form Personalizations and Patch in EBS.

A patch will not change any personalizations that you have created; however, they may no longer be valid. There might be couple of reason that may affect for non-avibality of Personalization in particular form , for example..

• Objects within a form may have been renamed or deleted
• Functionality at the various trigger points may be changed
• Property settings could interfere with your Rules

IF SOMETHING GOES WRING , WHAT CAN YOU DO?

You need to identify the forms affected by a patch , the first things you need to do is to run the personalization screen from any form and select Tools > Administration

This will identify all forms that have Personalizations and have just been patched.

Once you idetified ,run each function, possibly setting Custom Code to ‘Off’ if it fails to open

Then finally run the Personalization screen and select Tools > Validate All

This way you do able to resolve any pop-up issue beacuse of Patch.

Companies to Banking partner connectivity and online information exchange has long been an issue for many reasons for so many years. Driven by tighter regulation and the need for better cash management and effective working capital management prompt Treasures to explore more areas so that they can get better insight into their cash positions and forecasts. As mention in last post globalization, Single instance strategy, global bank model, multi-cash feature provided by banks, centralization and standardization of finance processes that makes finance department to explore more in this area. Integration with any banking partner solutions either interacting with third party netting system or Sending a simple wire payment instructions to bank, you does requires a very tight integration with your accounting system.

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In last couple of years, IT and Internet open the new door not only to IT Finance Managers but also Corporate Treasurers .The role of treasurers is more demanded and expectation with their banking partner have been greatly increased Changing Banking Relationships, Single Bank Model ,globalization , SWIFT corporate access and XML and end to end Integration with In house accounting system are some of the key points that enforce treasury department to look options with usage of Technology by either in building custom online applications or integrated and modified products From commercial vendors of ERP.

Lets start the topic of Treasurer Dilemma for exploring Integration of Oracle ERP with SWIFT Network.Here is one of case where treasurers seeking information with Oracle.

Background

- Currently using Oracle E-Business Suite and planning to generate e-files from AP and Treasury modules and transfer it to SWIFT.
- Came to know that many messages stating that Oracle is developing some applications that would help integrate the e-business suite with SWIFT.
- As Oracle Treasury has the ability to generate MT 100. ( Assume AP has this functionality).

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Read this

• Managing Cash , EBS and SWIFT

Whenever the Bank Intergation is required , the very first term would come in mind is SWIFT , a very similar way as EDI sort of messaging servics that Financial sectors are using .So let explore what is SWIFT and how many of these can be potenially targetted for Integration .

What is a S.W.I.F.T?

S.W.I.F.T. (or SWIFT) stands for Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication. It is a non-profit organization comprised of member financial institutions. It was established in 1973 by European bankers who needed a more efficient and secure system for inter bank communications and transfer of funds and securities. Until then, all inter bank communications were by telephone, telex, courier, or mail.

Swift Messages

SWIFT messages are preset and referred to by category numbers called MT numbers. Through this network (a.k.a. SWIFTnet) information can be exchanged using special crafted messages known as Message-Types (MT).

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Previous Post:

• Are seeking auditing ability in EBS…use ‘AuditTrail’

Steps by step: Enabling audit trial

As per the below example the 'Define An application user' is a user table name for FND_USER,the same steps you can follow for your own tables.

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What is an AuditTrail?

An AuditTrail is one of functionality for retaining a history of changes to data. What ,who and when can be identified on a particular table or column if the functionality is enabled.

When you enter or update data in your forms, you change the database tables underlying those forms. An audit trail tracks which row in the database was updated at what time, and which user was logged in using the associated form(s).

If you are seeking auditing ability to track changes on a particular table of Oracle this post might helpful to you.

Enabling the Functionality of AuditTrail

You can turn AuditTrail on or off (Yes or No). Normally the default setting is No (Off). When you enter or update data in your forms, you change the database tables underlying the forms you see and use. AuditTrail tracks which rows in a database table(s) were updated at what time and which user was logged in using the form(s). Also..

• Several updates can be tracked, establishing a trail of audit data that documents the database table changes.
• AuditTrail is a feature enabled on a form-by-form basis by a developer using Oracle's Application Object Library.
• All the forms that support AuditTrail are referred to as an audit set. You should also note not all forms may be enabled to support AuditTrail.
• To enable or disable AuditTrail for a particular form, you need access to Oracle Application Object Library's Application Developer responsibility.
• Users cannot see nor change this profile option.
• This profile option is visible and updatable at the site and application levels.

 

The internal name for this profile option is AUDITTRAIL:ACTIVATE.

Setting Up AuditTrail(>11i )

You can choose to store and retrieve a history of all changes users make on a given table. Auditing is accomplished using audit groups, which functionally group tables to be audited. For a table to be audited, it must be included in an enabled audit group.

The steps for setting up AuditTrail include:

Yuu need to verify Select Privileges on SYS.DBA_TABLES

Have your database administrator grant SELECT privileges on SYS.DBA_TABLES to the APPLSYS account. Normally, this step would Normally taken care during the installation of Oracle.

Define Audit Groups

This is very very important.These are groups of tables and columns, where you do not necessarily need to include all the columns in a given table. You enable auditing for audit groups rather than for individual tables. You would typically group together those tables that belong to the same business process (for example, purchase order tables see at the end).

A given table can belong to more than one audit group. If so, the table is audited according to the highest "state" of enabling for any of its groups, where Enabled is the highest, followed by Disable Dump Data, Disable No Growth, and Disable Purge Table, in that order.

Navigation: Security -> AuditTrail -> Groups

Define Audit Installations

You choose the registered Oracle IDs at your site that you want to audit. This allows you to audit across multiple application installations. When a table is added to an audit group, auditing will automatically be enabled for all installations of the table for which audit is enabled.

Navigation: Security -> AuditTrail -> Install

Run the Audit Trail Update Tables Report to Enable Auditing

Your AuditTrail definitions (and auditing) do not take effect until you run the Audit Trail Update Tables Report. If you change any of your definitions later, you must rerun this program. You run the Audit Trail Update Tables Report from the standard submission (Submit Reports) form.

Audit Trail Update Tables Report

This program creates database triggers on the tables in your audit groups for your installations. It also creates shadow tables, one for each audited table, to contain the audit information. If you have changed your audit definitions or disabled auditing for an audit group, the program drops or modifies the auditing triggers and shadow tables appropriately.

The program also builds special views you can use to retrieve your audit data for reporting.

You can check SQL*Plus to see if the Shadow Tables have been created or not. Shadow Table name is the same 26 Characters of the Table being audited followed by a suffix of "_A" ,suffix of "_AI" for Insert Triggers, "_AU" for Update triggers , "_AD" for Delete Triggers,suffix of "_AIP" for Insert Procedures "_AUP" for Update Procedures and "_ADP" for Delete Procedures.

AuditTrail Limitations

These are limitation of AuditTrail:

• Your table should consist of maximum 240 columns
• You cann't use the column for audit trail whose data type is LONG, RAW, or LONG RAW
• Your audit group must include all columns that make up the primary key for a table; these columns are added to your audit group automatically.
• Once you have added a column to an audit group, you cannot remove it.
• AuditTrail requires two database connections. If your operating platform does not automatically support two database connections
  (e.g., VMS or MPE/XL), then add the environment variable 'FDATDB=<database connect string>' to your environment file.
• Because the structure of the audited table may change between product versions, AuditTrail does NOT support upgrading existing shadow tables or audited data. Before an upgrade, you should archive the shadow tables and perform all necessary reporting on the audited data.
• Oracle recommended Disabling AuditTrail feature Prior to Upgrade to higher version.
• If your plan is to use some auditTrail on table which name is bit longer(> 26 characters), you can't achieve this. As there is Bug(#3872242
  ) reported by Oracle that restrict you from this, as AuditTrail Update Tables Errors out on audited tables that are > 26 characters.

Sometime back we found while enabling this on these tables.

• PO_REQUISITION_HEADERS_ALL
• PO_REQUISITION_LINES_ALL
• PO_REQ_DISTRIBUTIONS_ALL

What are the primary Auditing Tables?

• FND_AUDIT_COLUMNS
• FND_AUDIT_GROUPS
• FND_AUDIT_SCHEMAS
• FND_AUDIT_TABLES

Client Dilema : HOW TO ENABLE AUDITING AT "FORMS" AND "USER" LEVEL TOGETHER

Customer has set the profile "Sign-on: Audit Level" to FORMS to collect information about the forms sessions at a particular time .
By default the value for this profile was USER. Since he has set the value to Forms can he collect the User related information

Yes you can ...
If the profile "Sign-on: Audit Level" is set to FORMS then it will collect Form sessions information in addition to user session information.
So you will get information related to User session as well as forms session. There is no harm in setting this profile value to FORMS.

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R12, Financial track is one of BEST release Ever. We have already seen some great functionality like:

Here are some of features old post :

Oracle Payable

Few Features like invoice Lines,Line level approvals,Matching to a PO shipment or receipt,Suppliers in TCA makes a complete new look. Read in details:

Read for more details

• Welcome to R12 Account Payable
• R12 : Suppliers & Trading Community Architecture

Legal Entity & Legal Entity Architecture

Read for Details

• Release 12 : Legal Entity uptake

For more from David's blog

• How do I define my Legal Entities?

Multi-Org Access Controls

Multi-Org Access Control feature allows you to enter, process data and generate reports from a single responsibility.

Read for More:

• MOAC : From Multi-Org To Multi-Access

AP-AR netting

This is used to offset Payable & Receivables and other functionlity like trading Partner Approval.

Read for More:

• R12 : Setting up for AP/AR Netting
• Contra Charging to R12 AP/AR Netting

General Ledger

New Features like :

Eliminate Accounting Errors by providing Alternate Accounts Replace Disabled Accounts,Introduction for Definition Access Sets,Introducing Ledger Sets in place of SOB

Read for More:

• R12 - Oracle General Ledger - New and enhanced features
• R12 : Sequence in GL made Legal Compliance Easy

R12 Ledger

Read as partly covered

• R12 - Oracle General Ledger - New and enhanced features

Subledger Accounting

Rule based accounting engine, toolset & repository supporting ALL Oracle E-Business Suite modules.

Read for More:

• R12 SLA: From Product Accounting to Subledger Accounting
• R12 SLA: Analyzing Subledger Accounting
• R12 SLA vis-a -vis AX of 11i

Intercompany

New featues centralized processing, a tight integration with Receivables & Payables along with nicly coupled with flexible approval rules makes a brand new A(advanced)GIS .New Reconciliation Tools is yet another that makes settlement progress easy.

Read for More details

• R12 AGIS : What makes Advanced
• R12 AGIS : What makes Advanced - Part II

Cash Managment
As bank Data Model has been changed and moved at a centralized place which get associated with legal entity association. Bank statement reconciliation become easier by more user friendly parameter.Other Features like centralized Balances & Interest,Interest Calculator,Bank Account Transfers makes a complete different look.

Read for More details

• R12 : Bank & Trading Community Architecture(TCA)
• R12 : EBS Banking Model in demanding and Changing World

Payment

Central Engine for Payment Disbursement and Funds Capture,Secure Repository for Credit Cards and Customer/Supplier Bank Accounts

Read for more details for technical coverage:

• Know the Changes because of R12 Oracle Payment Module (Fund Disbursement) in EBS

Balancing

To Support Intercompany & Intracompany Transaction, the difference can be best understood as:

11i:

• Balancing Journal Entries generated at posting time by the General Ledger Posting routine

In R12, the Balancing Routine:

• Generates balancing accounting entries for subledger journal entries at time accounting is created
• Generates balancing journal entries at posting time for all other journals Centralized Balancing Routine

Check out details from David's blog

• Defining Intracompany Balancing Rules
• Intercompany Vs Intracompany
• BSV's Simplified from Oracle Financials Strategy

Oracle Receivables

• Release 12 : What's New in Oracle Receivables

Fixed Assets

• Release 12: 6 New and Changed Feature in Oracle Assets