Search Results igs_ca_da_cat

Overview

The IGS_CA_DA_CAT table is a core data dictionary table within the Oracle E-Business Suite Student System (IGS) module. Its primary function is to define and store user-defined categories for grouping date aliases. Date aliases are symbolic names for specific calendar dates used extensively throughout the academic system for scheduling, deadlines, and period definitions. By allowing administrators to assign these aliases to logical categories, this table enables organized management, streamlined reporting, and simplified maintenance of the academic calendar. It serves as a reference or lookup table, establishing a controlled vocabulary for date alias classification that ensures data integrity and consistency across the student lifecycle modules.

Key Information Stored

The table's structure is designed to hold the essential attributes defining a date alias category. While the full column list is not detailed in the provided metadata, the documented primary key and foreign key relationships reveal its critical components. The primary key column, DT_CAT, uniquely identifies each category code. This column is the central piece of information, storing the abbreviated or mnemonic value used to reference the category throughout the system. Other typical columns in such a reference table would include a description field (e.g., DESCRIPTION) to provide a clear, full name for the category, and standard WHO columns (CREATION_DATE, CREATED_BY, LAST_UPDATE_DATE, LAST_UPDATED_BY) for audit purposes. The existence of a primary key constraint (IGS_CA_DA_CAT_PK) on DT_CAT enforces the uniqueness of each category code.

Common Use Cases and Queries

This table is primarily used in administrative setup and reporting contexts. A common operational use case is during the configuration of the academic calendar, where a system administrator defines categories like "REGISTRATION", "GRADING", or "FINANCIAL_AID" and then assigns relevant date aliases to them. For reporting, queries often join this table to the date alias table to filter or group dates by their categorical purpose. A typical SQL pattern to list all date aliases with their assigned categories would be:

• SELECT da.dt_alias, da.description, cat.dt_cat FROM igs_ca_da da, igs_ca_da_cat cat WHERE da.dt_cat = cat.dt_cat;

Another frequent query is to validate or list all defined categories for use in a list of values (LOV) within a custom form or report: SELECT dt_cat, description FROM igs_ca_da_cat ORDER BY dt_cat;.

Related Objects

The IGS_CA_DA_CAT table has a direct and essential relationship with the IGS_CA_DA (Date Alias) table, as confirmed by the documented foreign key. The IGS_CA_DA.DT_CAT column references IGS_CA_DA_CAT.DT_CAT, enforcing that a date alias can only be assigned a category that is predefined in this table. This relationship is fundamental to the data model. Consequently, any program, API, or user interface that creates or updates date alias records will interact with this table to validate the category code. While not specified in the excerpt, it is common for such reference tables to be accessed by various student system packages, forms (e.g., the calendar definition form), and standard reports that involve academic dates.