Oracle Apps Interview Questions

What is Oracle Apps (ERP)?

ERP stands for Enterprise Resource Planning. A product of Oracle India Pvt. Ltd. As the name suggests Enterprise Resource Planning. Enterprise means a firm/organization. Resource means available source of wealth in firm and Planning means how you can maintain day to day resource. Hence in short to facilitate big businesses, companies Oracle Corporation have created huge software known in the category of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) as Oracle Applications.

What are cycles of GL, AP, and AR?

  In general GL AP and AR consist of:

1. Structure Phase - defines the process flows and configuration for the system and Conduct business process and data mapping workshops.
2. Construct Phase - contains all of the configuration activities
3. Transition Phase - executes system test
4. Deploy Phase - migrates database to customer environment

What is FlexField? Explain types of flexfields?

We can assume FlexField as a collection of segments or sub-fields which can be added or removed to modify the structure of the FlexField and does not require any levels of programming. It is just a pop-up window which has a cause for each segment. There are two types:

Key FlexFields

Descriptive FlexFiled

Key FlexField is used for creating unique identifiers or constraints. It is the building block which defines the structure of objects. Key flexfields are flexible enough to let any organization use the code scheme they want, without programming. With the help of Key Fields an organization can define rules to specify which segment values can be combined to make a valid complete code (also called a combination).

Descriptive FlexField is used to create new fields on screen and capture other information. Also provides customizable”expansion space” on your forms. 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.

What are the businesses needs satisfy by the Oracle Applications flexfields?

The following businesses needs are served by FlexField:

You can query the key fields.

Helps in customization of data fields without programming.

Helps in validating the values.

Customize your applications to capture data that is not been tracked by your application.

Consist of intelligent fields which comprised of one or more segments, where each segment has both a value and a meaning.

What are different types of invoices and what is a recurring invoice?

Types of Invoice: Standard Invoice, CreditMemo Invoice, DebitMemo Invoice, Expense Invoice, Recurring Invoice With-hold tax Quick Match and Pre-Payment Invoice.

Recurring Invoice: As the name suggests the invoice that occurs at regular interval of time is known as the Recurring Invoice.

Differentiate between cross-validation rules and security-rules.

Cross validation rules: Restricting the user for entering an invalid value in the segment. For e.g.: if user is providing an alphanumeric value in numeric segment, where just numbers are allowed. On the other hand security-rules checks upto what extent the changes could be done.

Cross validation rules are applied as a whole but security-rules is valid upto a particular segment.

Cross validation we can say checks probability for maximum combinations of segment values a user can enter. Whereas Security-rules determines the level upto which a user can view transaction.

What is FSG? Explain its uses.

FSG stands for financial statement generator. It is powerful reporting engine for clearly define our reporting requirement. Helps in keeping the reporting simple by the use of Row Set, Reports, Content set and Column set. It uses ADI request set to publish standard reports.

Uses:

Can produce a specific report when needed.

Produce financial report without programming.

Asynchronous printing of reports.

Ability to print single reports for multiple firms.

What is MRC? Explain its uses?

MRC stands for Multiple Reporting Currencies. It has default currency as US $. And if any organization books with some other currency there comes the requirement of MRC. Hence through MRC we can use currency as per our wish.

Uses:

Transaction-Level Conversion.

Inquiry and Reporting in Multiple Currencies.

Euro Support. MRC allows Oracle Applications to support organizations that are transitioning from their national currency to the Euro.

Explain how to handle errors in Customer interface.

We can handle errors by using SQL*Loader, or other import program, to load customer information into the interface tables.

When you import customer information, the Customer Interface program validates the global attribute columns in the interface tables and transfers those values into the customer tables.

Before the Customer Interface program can properly validate your data file, you must:

1. Assign the appropriate context code for your country to the appropriate global attribute category column.

2. Map your global attribute columns from the interface tables to the corresponding global flexfield segment columns in the customer tables.

Or else act on the error code accordingly.

What is the use of CUSTOM Library in Oracle Apps?

The main beneficial use of the custom library is allowing extension to Oracle Application without modification of Oracle Application code. We can do the customization such as Zoom, enforcing business rules and disabling fields that do not apply for your site. Also used to validate the base application without modifying the Custom.pll.

What are User Exits? What are different types of User Exits in Oracle Apps? Explain the types.

A user exit is a C subroutine written by user and called by Oracle Forms to do special-purpose processing. Helps the User to exit from the current working environment. Types of User exit:

FND SRWINIT: Sets your profile option values and allows Oracle AOL user exits to detect that they have been called by an Oracle Reports program

FND SRWEXIT: Ensures that all the memory allocated for Oracle AOL user exits has been freed up properly.

FND FORMAT_CURRENCY: Is used for MULTIPLE CURRNECY REPORTING.FND FLEXIDVAL: This API is used for get descriptions from flexfields get input from FND FLEXSQL.

FND FLEXSQL: this API is used for get ELECT/WHERE/HAVING/ORDER BY/GROUP BY from flex field tables.

What are different types of Journal entries?

Journal entries are based on business transaction and correct effect of entries bring apparent balance sheet and profit or loss. The different types of Journal Entries are:

1 Standard Journal Entry: This type uses Journal Entry as foundation for creating the two types of Standard Journal Entries:

Template. Template automate the entry of similar or identical journal entries. It does not copy the monetary amounts in the successive journal entry.

Recurring. Recurring automate the entry of similar or identical journal entries. It copies the monetary amounts in successive journal entries. It can be created across accounting periods or for multiple accounting periods.

2 Copy Journal Entry: It uses an existing journal entry as the basis for a new journal entry and makes a copy of an existing journal entry, including dollars. You can copy any journal entry and then change the header or detail lines. You can mark it as a reversal so debits and credits are reversed.

3 Allocation Type Journal Entry: It allows for an allocation process to calculate the values to be included in the journal entries. Allocations are typically used to allocate certain balances and statistical quantities across Business Units, Funds and/or Departments.

Differentiate between conversions and interfaces.

As in the general English meaning of conversion means converting from one from to another form and interface means connecting two or more entities together or just acting as a bridge.

Conversion: Converts foreign currency transactions to your functional currency Interface: Interface is table where get the information from feeder system for exporting data from legacy into ERP.

What is Data Migration and what is Conversion? What’s the difference between both?

Both of the term is used interchangeably. Or just we can say that Data Conversion is set of data migration. Data migration is upgrading what we call but Data conversion is taking the data from the source and converting according to the target set environment.

Differences between Quick Pick and Quick Codes.

Quick Pick is variable because it selects values from user-defined tables. Quick Code is static & it selects values from system table. Quick Code is faster than Quick Pick because it uses internal CACHE.

What does 'Unfreezing Rollup Groups' do?

Unfreezing rollup group can make changes to the rollup group. After making changes, you have to freeze it again and compile it to get the effect of change.

Explain rule based optimization in Oracle Apps.

More than a decade ago, all Oracle databases used what is now called rule-based optimization, which uses a fixed strategy to optimize a query's results. For example, if a table had a unique index and the columns were fully qualified, the table would become the driving table for the rest of the query--regardless of the number of rows in each table.

Explain the significance of profile option “Node Trust Level” in Oracle Apps.

If this profile option is set to some external value against a server, then it signifies that the specific middle tier is External i.e. it will be exposed to the www. Which means that this server is not within the firewall of your client? The idea behind this profile option is to apply some special restrictions for security.

What is the significance of profile option “Responsibility Trust Level”?

The main significance of Responsibility Trust Level is to make a responsibility accessible from an external web tier. To make it possible we must make profile option “Responsibility Trust Level” at responsibility level equal to “External”. Only those responsibilities that have this profile option against them will be accessible from External Middle tiers

Differentiate Apps schema from other schemas?

Apps schema is the one that comprises of only synonyms and there is no possibility of creating tables in it. Other schema comprises of tables and objects in it and allows the creation of tables as well as for providing grants to tables.

What is the role of Document Manager in Oracle Purchasing?

To receive pipeline signal from the application on made request. Document Manager Functionality comes within Oracle Universal Content Management (UCM) which allows an Organizations/firm to effectively and efficiently capture, secure, share and distribute digital and paper-based documents and reports. The main benefits of using the Document Manager are Organization will:

Save money and improve operational efficiencies by streamlining communications,

Automating routine tasks and

Lowering costs related to the printing, shipping, and storage of business documents.

Manageable as it can easily collaborate and share documents of all types and allow users to quickly and securely access and manage them via a Web browser

Hot-pluggable which means can provide out-of-the-box support for Oracle and third party repositories, security, and enterprise applications

What are the two mechanisms by which to trace the document manager? Explain them.

1. Set the debugging on by using profile option:

First Set profile option "Concurrent: Debug Flags" to TCTM1. This profile should only generate debugs when set at Site level as Document Manager can run in a different session. Secondly Bounce the Document Manager. Then Retry the Workflow to generate debugs. After generating debugs reset profile option "Concurrent: Debug Flags" to blank. At last check debug information in table fnd_concurrent_debug_info

2. This can also be done by setting profile option “Initialization SQL Statement – Custom” against your username before reproducing the issue. The value of this profile will be set so as to enable trace using event 10046, level 12.

Difference between running Gather Stats and “Program – Optimizer [RGOPTM]” in Oracle General Ledger.

Former cannot create any indexes but Stats will simply gather the stats against existing tables. But latter can create indexes on GL_CODE_COMBINATIONS, only if accounting segment has the indexed flag enabled.

How does substitution work in OA Framework?

The base of working of Substitution in OA framework depends on the user that has logged into OA Framework. After the user has logged MDS defines the context of the logged in user. Depending the logged context, all applicable personalization is applied by MDS.For e.g.: substitutions are loaded as site level personalization; MDS applies the substituted BC4J objects along with the personalization. Hence the above listed steps would occur as soon as Root Application module has been loaded.

Benefits of using Substitution in OA Framework.

To extend the OA Framework without customization of the underlying code.

Helps in Up gradation.

Entity Objects as well as Validation Objects can be substituted.

How can you import invoices into Oracle Receivables?

This can be done in two ways defines below:

We can either use AutoInvoice. Which can be possible by populating following table name RA_INTERFACE_LINES_ALL, RA_INTERFACE_DISTRIBUTIONS_ALL and RA_INTERFACE_SALESCREDITS_ALL.

Alternately by using API ar_invoice_api_pub.create_single_invoice for Receivables Invoice Import.

How do you setup a context sensitive flexfield?

To setup a context sensitive flexfield follow these steps:

Create a reference field first

Second use the created reference field inside Context Field section of DFF Segment screen.

Then for each possible value of the context field, you will need to create one record in section named Context Field Value which should be beneath the global data elements.

What are the key benefits of forms personalization over custom.pll?

Many users can develop form personalization at a given time.

By using form personalization it becomes fairly easy to enable and disable forms personalization.

Hide/disable fields or buttons functionality is removed.

Provides more visibility on customizations to the screen.

Why do we need Group Flex Field? Where is it used?

Firstly, it helps in adding your own key information to the Employee Assignment. We can use segment to define the different groups of employees which exist within your own enterprise. These may be groups which are not identified by your definitions of other Work Structures. Secondly, to catch the details about which payroll group the employees belong. E.g.: Regular then the employee belongs to Regular payroll Group.

Distinguish between key flexfield and descriptive flexfield.

Key FlexField is used for creating unique identifiers or constraints. It is the building block which defines the structure of objects. Key flexfields are flexible enough to let any organization use the code scheme they want, without programming. With the help of Key Fields an organization can define rules to specify which segment values can be combined to make a valid complete code (also called a combination).

Descriptive FlexField is used to create new fields on screen and capture other information. Also provides customizable “expansion space” on your forms. Descriptive flexfields can be context sensitive, where the information your application stores depends on other values that users enter in other parts of the form.

Key flexfields displays like text item but Descriptive FlexField displays like arrays. Key flexfields gives the result after simple entry of data and Descriptive FlexField is user dependent whic means when user want to get output.

What are context sensitive segments in descriptive flexfields?

Context Sensitive segments in descriptive flexfields are segments which can be made available or cannot be made available in a Descriptive flexfield window depending on the values entered by the Users in a Context' field. This helps in building a value based logic for the descriptive flexfields.

Significance of structure id in key flexfields.

The structure ID is the unique identifier for the Flexfield structure defined across the entire installation. It is this unique identifier which helps in associating a structure with an entry. As the key field consists of many single and multiple structure which needs to be distinguish from other fields. A can only be done only by defining a new key field for that particular multiple or single structure. Or in simple sense if we take it is used to provide a unique identification to various members in the Key flex field.

We have segments in the flex field compulsory as:

As segments are used to define segments for flexfield. Without segments you cannot have your flex fields. Using this we can create new segments.

Choose value set which means that if we do not want our flexfield to validate any segment, we can use the Value Sets window to define a value set with a Validation Type of None, or you can leave this field blank.

Set the default segment value, and fix the length of segment which in future decides that how the flexfield displays

Explain the need of a flexfield qualifier.

A flexfield qualifier identifies a particular segment of a key flexfield. For eg: an application needs some method of identifying a particular segment for some application purpose such as security or computations. However, since the key flexfield can be customized so that segments appear in any order with any prompts, the application needs a mechanism other than the segment name or segment order to use for segment identification. Flexfield qualifiers serve this purpose. We can think of a flexfield qualifier as an”identification tag” for a segment.

Difference between the qualifiers segment and flexfield qualifier.

A segment qualifier identifies a particular type of value in a single segment of a key flexfield, and segment qualifiers can identify the account type Planning and Defining Key Flexfields for a natural account segment value, and determine whether detail posting or budgeting are allowed for a particular value on the other hand flexfield qualifier to determine which segment you are using for natural account information.

Flexfield qualifiers are of four types whereas segment qualifiers are of five types as described below:

Flexfiled qualifier 1) Balancing segment qualifier 2) cost center 3) natural account and 4) Intercompany

Segment Qualifier 1) allow budgeting 2) allow posting 3) account type 4) control account and 5) reconciliation flag.

Explain the significance of cross validate segments.

Cross validation is just a simple validation rule applied on flex field combination which restricts every user to enter some invalid combinations. This is applicable to all the fields. Also we can maintain the close creation of the new key flex field combination and also maintaining a consistent and logical set of keyflex field combination as per the need of your organization. It also a cross validation rule defines whether a value of a particular segment can be combined with specific values of other segments.

Explain the significance of cross validate segments in the Key flexfield structure screen.

When a user finishes entering segment values in a flexfield popup window the flexfield checks whether the values make up a valid combination before updating the database. If the user entered an invalid combination a diagnostic error message appears and the cursor returns to the first segment assumed to contain an invalid value. It also a cross validation rule defines whether a value of a particular segment can be combined with specific values of other segments.

Which procedure should be used to make the DFF read only at run time?

FND_DESCR_FLEX.UPDATE_DEFINITION () is the name of the procedure that we need DFF read only at run time.

What is the significance of reference field in a DFF?

Using reference field in the DFF, you can toggle the DFF on the basis of reference field value. But using a field as a reference field has no effect on the field itself. That is, the reference field is simply a normal form field that has nothing to do with the flexfield unless you define the flexfield to use it as a reference field. If we use a reference field, the value of that field will populate its own column.

What is the significance of reference field in a DFF?

Using reference field in the DFF, you can toggle the DFF on the basis of reference field value. But using a field as a reference field has no effect on the field itself. That is, the reference field is simply a normal form field that has nothing to do with the flexfield unless you define the flexfield to use it as a reference field. If we use a reference field, the value of that field will populate its own column.

How can we define global segment qualifier?

A segment qualifier for all segments is known as global segment qualifier. We can define global segment qualifier by tying the segment qualifier to global flex field qualifier. Also we can define a global flexfield qualifier by checking the global checkbox in flexfield qualifier definitions. The required checkbox is automatically checked since all global segment qualifiers are required. We use the global segment qualifier as a place holder it is not shown in the flexfield qualifier window when we try to associate a segment with it. Or in other sense Global segment qualifier is a hidden qualifier. By default this flexfield qualifier is assigned to all the segments of the structure.  

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