Search Results date_format

Overview

FND_SERVERS_VL is a validation view in the Application Object Library (FND) product of Oracle E-Business Suite, owned by the APPS schema and documented as VALID in both release 12.1.1 and 12.2.2. The "_VL" suffix denotes a "view with language" — a translated view that joins a base table to its translation table and filters rows by the session language. FND_SERVERS_VL presents the configuration of servers registered with the EBS environment, combining non-translatable technical attributes stored once per server with language-dependent descriptive attributes such as the server name and description.

The view plays a supporting role in reporting and integration rather than being a transactional entity. Because the DATE_FORMAT column is exposed directly, the view is frequently the target of ad hoc queries and custom code that must format or display dates consistently with the configuration of a given server node. It allows a developer or DBA to determine, at runtime and through SQL, which date mask, numeric character set, and language conventions apply to a specific server — information otherwise visible only through the Oracle Applications Manager or the FND_SERVERS administration forms.

Underlying Base Objects

The view is defined over two documented base objects, both referenced through synonyms in the APPS schema:

• FND_SERVERS — the primary table holding one row per registered server, including technical attributes (server key, server type, server language, numeric characters, date format, URL, parameters) and standard WHO columns.
• FND_SERVERS_TL — the translation table holding the language-dependent SERVER_NAME and DESCRIPTION for each server, keyed by SERVER_KEY and LANGUAGE.

The join condition is B.SERVER_KEY = T.SERVER_KEY AND T.LANGUAGE = USERENV('LANG'), which restricts the translation row to the language of the current session. The view also derives ROW_ID from the ROWID of the FND_SERVERS row, preserving a stable identifier for the underlying base record.

Key Columns

• ROW_ID — the ROWID of the corresponding FND_SERVERS row, useful for direct updates or diagnostics.
• SERVER_KEY — the unique identifier of the server; the join key between the base and translation tables.
• SERVER_TYPE — classification of the server node (for example, the role it plays in the EBS topology).
• SERVER_LANGUAGE — the language configuration of the server.
• NUMERIC_CHARACTERS — the numeric character set (decimal and group separators) in force for the server.
• DATE_FORMAT — the date mask applied by the server, the column most relevant to date-formatting queries.
• DATE_LANGUAGE — the language used for date rendering on that server.
• URL and PARAMETERS — the connection endpoint and any additional server parameters.
• SERVER_NAME and DESCRIPTION — translated, user-facing attributes drawn from FND_SERVERS_TL.
• CREATED_BY, CREATION_DATE, LAST_UPDATED_BY, LAST_UPDATE_DATE, LAST_UPDATE_LOGIN — standard audit columns inherited from the base table.

Common Use Cases and Queries

Typical scenarios include verifying the effective date format for a node, reconciling server registrations across environments, and driving session-level NLS formatting in custom reports. A representative query lists all servers and their date conventions:

• SELECT server_key, server_name, date_format, numeric_characters FROM fnd_servers_vl ORDER BY server_key;
• SELECT server_name, date_format FROM fnd_servers_vl WHERE date_format IS NOT NULL;
• SELECT s.server_key, s.server_name, s.url FROM fnd_servers_vl s WHERE s.server_type = :p_type;

Because the view applies USERENV('LANG'), results return SERVER_NAME and DESCRIPTION only in the language of the querying session; queries run under a different session language may return different or missing translation rows.