This appendix covers the following topics:
This section describes how to implement Oracle Web Applications Desktop Integrator. It applies to all integrators that use the Create Document page flow. It describes how to set up form functions to call the Oracle Web Applications Desktop Integrator Create Document page flow. Once set up, the user can create a spreadsheet to download and upload data to a specific product. Use this appendix in conjunction with the product-specific documentation.
The following profile options can be set to control specific Oracle Web Applications Desktop Integrator functions in your system. For more information on profile options, see: Setting User Profile Options, Oracle E-Business Suite System Administrator's Guide - Maintenance.
Set this profile option to Yes only when instructed by Oracle Support.
The default value is No.
Valid values are Yes and No. If this profile option is set to No, users will not be able to access the upload parameters window.
This profile option can be used to set the directory for the Oracle Web Applications Desktop Integrator log file on the application server. If this profile option is not set, then the FND_TOP/log directory is used.
The default value is FND_TOP/log.
Use this profile option to change the name of the Oracle Web Applications Desktop Integrator log file on the middle tier. If this profile option is not set, bne.log is used.
The default value is bne.log.
This profile option determines the level of detail that is recorded in the Oracle Web Applications Desktop Integrator log file. The valid values are listed below. The level of granularity and amount of information recorded to the log file increases as you move down the list.
CRITICAL_ERROR – Messages that are the result of a system failure. The integrity and reliability of the system is in doubt as a result of this error.
ERROR – Messages that are the result of an unexpected error in the system. It is possible to recover from these errors; the system may still be in a usable state. Setting the profile option to this value will include CRITICAL_ERROR messages in the log file.
WARNING – Messages trapped by the application. These errors were handled by the application but the system administrator should be aware of them occurring. Setting the profile option to this value will include ERROR as well.
INFORMATION – Additional messaging is added to the log file that includes processing information. Setting the profile option to this value includes CRITICAL_ERROR, WARNING, and ERROR log messages. This is the default setting.
DETAIL – Messages that summarize what is written to the log file. Setting the profile option to this value includes CRITICAL_ERROR, WARNING, ERROR, and INFORMATION log messages.
TRACE - Messages that provide detailed debugging information. Setting the profile option to this value includes CRITICAL_ERROR, WARNING, ERROR, INFORMATION, and DETAIL log messages.
The default value is INFORMATION.
Valid values are Yes and No. If set to Yes, all Oracle Web Applications Desktop Integrator functionality is disabled. This can be set at the Site, Application, Responsibility and User level.
Spreadsheets created by Oracle Web Applications Desktop Integrator can be saved, opened, and used again at a later date to interact with Oracle E-Business Suite. Use this option to disable a spreadsheet from connecting to the database after a specific length of time from the creation date. Select from a range of hours, days, months, or years.
Use this profile option to enable Oracle Web Applications Desktop Integrator to affix a digital signature to the spreadsheets you create, identifying them as coming from a trusted source. You can then select a macro security level in Microsoft Excel that requires digital signatures when working with these spreadsheets. See: Selecting Macro Security Settings in Microsoft Excel.
The default value is No.
If a required parameter is invalid or not sent by the form function calling the Oracle Web Applications Desktop Integrator service, the user will be shown a page to enter the required parameter so the create document process can be completed. If this profile option is set to Yes, users will not be able to enter parameter values and will be shown an error stating that they should have their system administrator edit the form function to correct the problem.
Sets the maximum number of worksheets that Oracle Web Applications Desktop Integrator can create within a workbook. This is unlimited by default.
Note: The number of worksheets that can be added to a spreadsheet is limited only by the available memory resources. Setting this option allows you to manage your memory resources and avoid potential crashes for users working on older, less resource-rich clients.
Define the URL users are sent to when they press "Cancel" or "Return" in the create document page flow. Users are also sent to this location after their document is created. If this profile option is not set, users are sent to the Self Service Personal Home Page.
All of the rows in the spreadsheet are uploaded from the client machine to the middle tier at once; the Upload Batch Size determines the number of records sent to the database at one time from the middle tier. The default is 100. System administrators can adjust this setting to find the batch size that optimizes upload time for their environment. This setting should not be less than 5 or greater than 200. Network packet sizes, latency and average number of rows uploaded from the client affect the optimal setting of this value. If there is a large distance between the middle tier and the database, you may want to increase the batch size to reduce the number of trips over the network. You also want to make sure that the amount of data sent in a batch takes full advantage of the size of packets on your network using the average number of rows users will be uploading.
If set to null or Yes, XML compression is used when downloading data to the spreadsheet. Some browsers do not support this XML compression, so you may need to set this option to No for some users to avoid errors.
When you install Oracle Web Applications Desktop Integrator it automatically creates form functions, menus, and responsibilities.
The following table describes the form functions that are automatically created. Note that integrators are not installed with Oracle Web Applications Desktop Integrator, but with their associated products.
| Form Function | Description |
|---|---|
| BNE_ADI_CREATE_DOCUMENT | Allows users to access the Create Document Page flow for the General Ledger - Journals integrator. This is a series of pages that prompts users for parameters that determine how a formatted spreadsheet is generated on the desktop. |
| BNE_ADI_DEFINE_LAYOUT | Allows users access to the user interface to define layouts. Users are prompted for a layout in the Create Document Page flow. The layout determines the fields that are included in the spreadsheet, their placement, and whether they have default values. |
| BNE_ADI_DEFINE_MAPPING | Allows users to access the interface to define mappings. Mappings are used to import information into a spreadsheet. Users can select content in the Create Document Page flow to import information from a text file or from Oracle E-Business Suite tables into a spreadsheet. The mapping associates data in the content with fields in the spreadsheet. |
| BNE_ADI_DEFINE_STYLESHEET | Allows users access to the define style sheet user interface. The style sheet sets the colors and font styles used in the spreadsheet. |
| BNE_ADI_LOB_MANAGEMENT | Specific to the Human Resources application. You do not need to give users access to this form function unless they use mail merge functionality in Oracle HRMS. See My Oracle Support Knowledge Document 394265.1 for more information on HRMS functionality. |
| BNE_ADI_SETUP_OPTIONS | Allows system administrators to define right-justification and zero-fill format masking for key flexfields. This setting will override the flexfield value set definition. |
The Desktop Integration Menu is created with the following prompts:
Create Document (BNE_ADI_ CREATE_DOCUMENT)
Define Layout (BNE_ADI_DEFINE_LAYOUT)
Define Mapping (BNE_ADI_DEFINE_MAPPING)
Manage Document Links (BNE_ADI_LOB_MANAGEMENT)
Setup Options (BNE_ADI_SETUP_OPTIONS)
Define Style Sheet (BNE_ADI_DEFINE_STYLESHEET)
The Desktop Integration responsibility is created with the Desktop Integration Menu.
The sections that follow apply to integrators that are accessed through the Create Document page flow. The following topics are covered:
Using the Seeded Form Functions, Menu, and Responsibility
Creating Form Functions
Including Parameter Values in the Create Document Form Function
Specifying Skipped Pages Parameters
Providing Users a Secured List of Values
Including Parameters for Default Values in Layouts
The Desktop Integration menu includes the Create Document, Define Layout, and Define Mapping form functions. For all other products, consult your product documentation for information on accessing these functions.
You may also choose to create other responsibilities and menus to restrict access to the available form functions. Some users may only need to create documents, while others are responsible for creating mappings and layouts.
You can go through the Create Document page flow procedure and select all parameters, then save the parameters to a form function.
If a page is to be skipped, every parameter on that page must be specified in the form function. Follow these steps to create a form function with specified parameter values:
Log in to Oracle E-Business Suite and select the Create Document Function (make sure this user has the System Administrator responsibility).
Select the parameter values you want to save in the Page Flow.
Click Save in the Review Page. The Select Shortcut window opens.
Enter a name for your form function in the Shortcut Name field. This name will have the prefix BNE_ when you search for it in Oracle E-Business Suite.
Select Save to Form Function.
Select the parameters you want to save to the form function and determine if the Review page will be displayed.
If all the parameters are saved and you choose not to display the Review page, the document will immediately be created when the user selects the form function. If you do not save some of the parameters, users have to manually select them when they create documents.
Note: Viewer and Reporting must be saved if they are not be displayed to users. If you have users with different versions of Excel creating documents for upload in English, you may want to create separate form functions; one for each viewer.
Log in to Oracle Forms with the System Administrator responsibility and attach the form function to a menu. Under Application, select Menu, and search for BNE_ (name entered in Step 4). You must attach the function to the same menu that contains the form function that grants access to the integrator.
System administrators can create form functions using these steps for integrators that are used through the Create Document page flow; however, see your product documentation for the form function that must be placed in the same menu structure for access to the integrator.
To create your own form functions:
Set the Type to SSWA SERVLET FUNCTION for all Oracle Web Applications Desktop Integrator form functions
Set the HTML Call for all Oracle Web Applications Desktop Integrator form functions to BneApplicationService
To create a form function allowing people to create documents, set the parameter field to bne:page=BneCreateDoc
To create a form function allowing people to define layouts, set the parameter field to bne:page=BneDefineLayout
To create a form function allowing people to define Mappings, set the parameter field to bne:page=BneMappingTemplate
When users create documents they are prompted for a number of parameters that determine how their spreadsheet will be created. These parameters can be specified within the form function to secure parameter values and force users to use certain values. When users access the Create Document page flow, pages prompting users for values specified in the form function will not be displayed; this reduces the number of steps they must take to create documents.
The table that follows provides a description of each parameter that determines page flows.
| Page | Parameter | Required/Optional | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viewer | Bne:viewer | Required | The desktop program that will be used to view the spreadsheet. |
| Viewer | Bne:reporting | Required | If selected, the spreadsheet created will not allow upload of data. |
| Integrator | Bne:integrator | Required | Indicates that the Oracle E-Business Suite task users will be using the desktop. |
| Layout | Bne:layout | Required | The Layout determines the fields in the spreadsheet, their placement, and their default values. Valid values depend on the integrator you select. |
| Content | Bne:content | Optional | Points to information that will be imported into the spreadsheet. Valid values depend on the integrator you select. |
| Map | Bne:map | Required, if Content is chosen | Provides the relationship between data in the content and fields in the spreadsheet. Valid values depend on the integrator you select. |
You might want to grant access to several parameter values. Hard coding these parameter values in the form function would require you to create a Self-Service link for every parameter you wish to grant to a user. You can work around this by allowing users to choose from a restricted list of parameter values.
For example, twenty layouts may be defined for an integrator; however, you can create a form function that will allow users to see only ten. You can do this by defining more than one value for the bne:layout parameter in the form function definition.
Log in to Oracle E-Business Suite with the System Administrator responsibility.
Navigate to the Form Function Screen and look up a form function that calls the Create Document page flow.
Go to the Parameter field and locate the parameter you want to secure and add a comma-separated list of valid values, or a partial value that includes a wild card that will return more than one parameter value.
Parameter values can be referenced by their internal key names or by their user visible values.
The sections that follow discuss how to enter internal keys, enter user values, and use wild cards.
Parameter values are saved in the format of the Application Short Name:Key; For example, bne:integrator=
BNE:JOURNALS_120&bne:layout = BNE:FUNCT_ACT_SINGLE_120.
To give the user two options for a Layout, you would enter bne:layout=
BNE:FUNCT_ACT_SINGLE_120,BNE:FUNCT_ACT_MULTIPLE_120.
If you are only using the Journals Integrator, all of your parameter values will be using the BNE Application Short Name.
To ensure that you have entered a valid value for a parameter, go through the Create Document page flow, select the layout you want to grant to users, and click Save on the Review page to create a form function. Then log in as System Administrator, look up the form function and see the key that was saved for the layout.
If you do not know the key value for a layout, your form function may reference the name of the layout that is seen in the Create Document page flow.
Navigate to the Select Layout page and choose the layouts you want the user to access. Layouts may be "Functional Actuals – Single" and "Functional Actuals – Multiple".
Log in as System Administrator and look up the form function.
Go to the parameter field and enter a comma separated list of the layout names using the following format:
parameter name=USER_NAME:user name,USER_NAME:user name
In this example, you would enter: “bne:layout=USER_NAME:Functional Actuals – Single, USER_NAME:Functional Actuals - Multiple”.
Note: The user name you enter in the form function must match the names you see in the Create Document page flow.
You may create restricted lists by entering a value for the bne:layout parameter that includes a wild card (%). The wild card character (%) must be escaped with “25”. In this example, you would enter bne:layout=USER_NAME:Fu%25 to restrict the list to "Functional Actuals – Single" and "Functional Actuals – Multiple". These will be the layouts shown to the user because they are the only layouts whose names begin with "Fu".