How to Setup Descriptive Flexfields for Purchasing Orders forms on Buyer Work Center and Core Purchasing

This article will help to understand how to setup Descriptive FlexFields (DFF) for the Orders form in the Core Purchasing and Buyer Work Center (BWC).

Here we uses the Purchasing Orders form and specifically the header structure. The same procedure will be applicable for Lines, Shipments and Distributions also.

A. Descriptive Flex Field definition for Core Purchasing.

A.1 Simple DFF

Simple DFF is used to add segments to the default DFF 'Global Data Elements'.

1. Define the Descriptive FlexField. Navigate to 'System Administrator' responsibility and navigate to:  Setup > Application > Flexfield > Descriptive > Segments.

DFF Form will be open.

2. Query the DFF using the following parameters:

Application: Purchasing
Title: PO Headers

3. In order to work with the DFF definition, will be needed to unfreeze the flexfield. Click on "Freeze Flexfield Definition" checkbox.



4. Select the 'Global Data Elements' from the 'Context Field Values' block and click on 'Segments' button.



5. Create the fields to display and setup them as needed. In this case, two fields, one with a value set and the second a textfield entry field.



6. In order to set the characteristics of each segment click on the open button, and will see something like the following picture.



7. Go back to the DFF Segments block, save the changes and mark "Freeze Flexfield Definition" checkbox in order to freeze the Flexfield.

8. Click on 'Compile' button, a compiling pop-up windows is displayed, click 'OK'



Now, test the new DFF definition. Switch responsibility to 'Purchasing', open the 'Purchase Orders' form. On the Header block, click on the 'Flexfield' block:



The two fields created must be displayed and the first one will be a list of values.

A.2 Using standard Context DFF

In order to use standard context, define Context values and the application will display a list of values for them, in order to select one and use the segments defined under the option selected.

1. Define the Descriptive FlexField. Navigate to 'System Administrator' responsibility and navigate to: Setup > Application > Flexfield > Descriptive > Segments.

DFF Form will be open.

2. Query the DFF using the following parameters:

Application: Purchasing
Title: PO Headers

3. In order to work with the DFF definition, will be needed to unfreeze the flexfield. Click on "Freeze Flexfield Definition" checkbox.



4. Now, create the Context Field Values. For this testcase, I have created two and added
one segment to each of them.

NOTE: Important to have the Context values and the segments Enabled as shown in the picture.

5. Go back to the 'Descriptive Flexfield Segments' page and click on 'Displayed' in order to enable the context feature, then save, freeze and compile as a Simple DFF.



Now, test the new context DFF definition. Switch responsibility to 'Purchasing', open the 'Purchase Orders' form. On the Header block, click on the 'Flexfield' block:



See now, a context List Of Values is displayed and the values will be the names of the Context Values created on the DFF Definition.


If context is selected, only the segments defined under that particular context definition will be displayed.

A.3 Context DFF using a reference field

For this option will use a reference field for the context, instead of the default LOV from previous numeral A.2. So, the display option for the context is not required.

1. Define the Descriptive FlexField. Navigate to 'System Administrator' responsibility and navigate to: Setup > Application > Flexfield > Descriptive > Segments.

DFF Form will be open.

2. Query the DFF using the following parameters:

Application: Purchasing
Title: PO Headers

3. In order to work with the DFF definition, will be needed to unfreeze the flexfield. Click on "Freeze Flexfield Definition" checkbox.



4. Now, create the Context Field Values. For this testcase, I have created two context values (BLANKET and STANDARD) and added one segment to each of them.

NOTE: Important to have the Context values and the segments Enabled as shown in the picture.
Important to have the Name for the context values in capital, since this option is case sensitive.

For this example will use as a reference field 'TYPE_LOOKUP_CODE', which is the document type of the purchase order, in this case BLANKET or STANDARD, depending on which value is selected from the form, the context will display specific segments tied to each context value.



See in the picture above, there are multiple options that can be used. After the reference field is selected, do the usual, save, freeze and compile the DFF.

Something will occur when compile this time:



See, the reference field will have different behavior in core PO and BWC.

For BWC please refer to section B.3.  Now, testing core PO,  Switch responsibility to 'Purchasing', open the 'Purchase Orders' form. On the Header block, check Type field, this will be the reference field for the context, by default is "Standard Purchase Order":



Now click on the 'Flexfield' block, will see that the application will display the fields defined under context value 'STANDARD':



And if select 'Blanket Purchase Agreement' for the type and then go the the FlexField Block, the application will display the fields defined under context value 'BLANKET':

B. Descriptive Flex Field definition for Buyer Work Center

B.1 Simple DFF

Use the same setup from section A.1.

Now, a second setup needs to be in place for Buyer Work Center, which is enabling the Descriptive FlexField Region 'Details'. By default, this region is hidden.

1.  Enable the personalization links for one user with access to Purchasing, this is executed via a profile option: Personalize Self-Service Defn



Note: ALWAYS set this profile at user level.

2. Switch responsibility to 'Purchasing', open 'Orders' web form from the Buyer Work center.



- Click on 'GO' button, in order to Create an Standard Purchase Order



- In the 'Create Standard Purchase Order' form, click on the 'Personalize Page' link



- Scroll down in the 'Personalize Page: Create Purchase Order' page and look for Region:  "Header: Details" and click on the 'Pencil' icon in order to open it. See, under this region the FlexField 'HeaderRN.DescFlexfields' was added and the region was not displayed by default.



- At site level, for attribute "Rendered" select 'True' and click on 'Apply'



-  Scroll down to the bottom and click on 'Return to Application'



Finally, the Details region will be displayed including the two segments created.

B.2 Using standard Context DFF

Use the same setup from section B.1, including how to enable the 'Details' regions.

In order to test, select 'Purchasing' responsibility, open 'Orders' web form from the Buyer Work center.

- Click on 'GO' button, in order to Create an Standard Purchase Order

- Details Region will be displayed with the context List of Values.



- Now select one context, only the segments defined under that particular context definition will be displayed exactly as core PO.

B.3 Context DFF using a reference field

IMPORTANT !!  This functionality is available starting on R12.0.6
Core forms will throw an error and this is only recommended when the buyer work center is the primary data entry source for purchase orders.

Under Buyer Work Center, the same setup for A.3 won't have any incidence:




An special setup will be needed in order to have a reference field for the context, but, still will use the two context values created on A.3: BLANKET and STANDARD.

- For the reference field enter  ":$PROFILES$.FieldContext" .  The FieldContext is how Flex map will be named under Details Region.



- Switch responsibility to 'Purchasing', open 'Orders' web form from the Buyer Work center.

- Click on 'GO' button, in order to Create an Standard Purchase Order

- In the 'Create Standard Purchase Order' form, click on "Personalize "Details"" link under Details region:



- Click on 'Personalize' button for 'Header: Details'



- Set Rendered to True and click on Apply. This is in order to display the maps.

- Click on 'Create Item' button in order to create a Flex Map:



- In the new page, select Level "Site" and the required fields as shown. Important for the ID and Name use "FieldContext" as named the reference field in the DFF definition:


Note: It is also important to have the Refers Context set to True, meaning that this Flex Map will be used as a reference field.

- Click on Apply and then 'Return to Application', the segment for 'STANDARD' must be displayed:






NOTE: Both environments works different since different technology is used and needs special setup for the DFF definition. Buyer Work Center use OA Framework technology and Core Purchasing use Oracle Forms.