Understanding Smart Fields
Smart fields are data dictionary items with business functions attached. They are reusable objects that are created in the data dictionary and defined as glossary group K. The attached business function performs a specific task, such as a calculation, for the smart field.
As with all business functions, smart field business functions require a data structure to pass values. Smart field data structures include a named mapping that maps the source of each parameter included in the data structure. Named mappings are used in smart fields only.
Smart fields simplify the use of business functions because the parameters that need to be passed are held by the system. Instead of needing to know which business function to use and what parameters to pass, the user selects a smart field that inherently includes this information. Smart fields can be used for deriving column headings or populating values in a report section using Oracle's JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Report Design Aid (RDA).
For example, you can create a smart field to calculate sales by period. You can create the business function to add period 1, period 2, and period 3 to populate sales for the first quarter in a report. This calculation is performed by the business function for each row of data that is fetched by the report. Every time you use this smart field, it performs this calculation.
Without the quarterly smart field, you must write an event rule to accumulate the three periods to populate the quarterly sales column. To display a total for each quarter, you must write four event rules. Additionally, to display quarterly sales totals in multiple reports, you must duplicate these event rules in each report template.
Smart fields can be used in:
Columnar sections
Group sections
Tabular sections
When you select a smart field for a detail section, you must define a column heading unless you use a smart field to populate the column heading. Typically, you define data selection for each smart field column. The exception is when the section data selection is the same as the data selection for each smart field column. In this instance, you can define data selection for the section. However, if you define data selection for each smart field column, you should still define data selection for the section for processing efficiency.
Before smart fields can be used in a report, you must add them to a Smart Field template and then add the Smart Field template to a Report Director template. You can add smart fields to an existing Smart Field template, if appropriate, or create a new Smart Field template. Smart Field templates organize smart fields that use the same fields for data selection. For example, Oracle's JD Edwards EnterpriseOne existing Smart Field templates are organized by Financial Reports, Fixed Assets, and 52-Period Accounting.
When you create a new Smart Field template, you must create a new Report Director template. In the Report Director template, you can define report processing options, business views, additional properties, and the Drill Down feature. Information that is included in the Report Director template guides the report developer through the process of creating a report template using the associated smart fields. The Smart Field template and Report Director template enable you to organize and present the smart fields in RDA.