1. HCM Data Loader
  2. Configure Lists of Values for Attribute Validation

Configure Lists of Values for Attribute Validation

Some types of attributes are configured automatically with choice lists or searchable lists of values in spreadsheets. For such attributes, spreadsheet users can select only valid values, which simplifies data loading.

You can configure lists of values for other attributes to make populating spreadsheets easier. This topic describes how to configure lists of values.

Select the LOV Source for an Attribute

To validate an attribute using a list of values, you must identify the list source. It can be one of:

  • Lookup

  • Value set

  • View object

Select View object to include user key values in a spreadsheet in place of a surrogate ID to reference a foreign object. Having user keys helps the spreadsheet user, who sees recognizable values in the spreadsheet. For example, in a spreadsheet to create positions you include a reference to a department. You could just include the Department ID attribute in the spreadsheet, as it's automatically configured with a searchable list of values. However, when the user selects a value from the list, the surrogate ID is returned to the spreadsheet. Instead, you could include the Department user key attribute in the spreadsheet. Using a view object, you configure the Department attribute with a searchable list of values to return the department name to the spreadsheet.

Validate Attributes Using Lookups or Value Sets

Follow these steps:

  1. On the Design page of the Manage Spreadsheet Templates task flow, move attributes to the Selected Attributes pane.

  2. In the Selected Attributes pane, select the attribute to be validated with a lookup type or value set and click Edit.

  3. Complete the details on the main tab of the Edit dialog box, as appropriate.

    When you're editing the details of an existing list of values, you can change the list display type on the main tab, if required.

  4. Click the List of Values tab.

  5. Set the LOV Source value to Lookup or Value set, as appropriate.

  6. Select the name of the lookup type or value set.

  7. Specify whether the LOV is to appear as a choice list or a searchable list of values in generated spreadsheets.

    Tip: If the list of values has more than 20 entries, then a searchable list of values is better for the spreadsheet user. Use choice lists only when the number of choices is limited.

  8. Select attributes to appear in the LOV.

  9. Identify the values to be returned to the spreadsheet from the choice list or search.

If the LOV is a searchable list of values, then you can add filter and search criteria.

  • Add filter criteria to enable the user to filter the returned list of attribute values.

  • Add search criteria to enable the user to search the returned list of attribute values.

Note: When creating a value set to use as the source of values for an HSDL template column, ensure that the bind variable names don't include spaces.

To add filter criteria, in the Filter Criteria section:

  1. Select a value in the Filter Criteria field and click Add. The View Criteria and Bind Variable values are completed automatically.

  2. Set the Expression Type value for each of the view criteria to one of the following values:

    • Constant

    • Expression

    • Attribute

  3. If the Expression Type is set to Constant or Expression, then enter the constant or expression in the Value field. If the Expression Type is set to Attribute, then select the attribute in the Value field.

To add search criteria, in the Search Criteria section:

  1. Select a value in the Search Criteria field and click Add. The Search Criteria and Attribute fields are completed automatically.

  2. Repeat step 1 for additional search criteria.

Click OK to close the Edit dialog box.

Validate Attributes Using View Objects

Follow these steps:

  1. On the Design tab of the Manage Spreadsheet Templates task flow, move both the surrogate ID and user key attributes to the Selected Attributes pane.

  2. Edit the surrogate ID attribute. On the List of Values tab in the Edit dialog box, the LOV Source field shows the full path to the view object. For example, for the Department ID attribute you would see the following value: 

    oracle.apps.hcm.organizations.publicView.DepartmentPVO

    Copy this path and close the Edit dialog box.

  3. Edit the primary user-key attribute and set LOV Source to View object.

  4. In the LOV Source field, paste the full path to the view object that you copied from the surrogate ID attribute.

  5. Leave Displayed As set to Searchable list of values.

  6. Select the attributes to appear in the searchable list.

  7. Identify the attribute values to be returned to the spreadsheet from the search. Usually, you include both the surrogate ID and one or more user key values. The user key values are for the spreadsheet user, and the surrogate ID is used to load the data. You can hide the surrogate ID attribute in generated spreadsheets by deselecting the Visible option in the Edit dialog box for the attribute.

  8. Enter filter and search criteria, as required.

  9. Click OK to close the Edit dialog box.

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