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Overview

The APPS.AR_LOCATION_VALUES view is a critical data object within Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) Release 12.1.1 and 12.2.2, specifically for the Receivables (AR) module. It serves as a hierarchical, denormalized representation of the location flexfield (RLOC) values and their parent-child relationships. The view is built upon the Trading Community Architecture (TCA) foundation, primarily querying the HZ_GEOGRAPHIES and HZ_RELATIONSHIPS tables. Its core function is to expose valid location segments—such as Country, State, City, or Postal Code—as defined in the location flexfield structure, while explicitly modeling the hierarchical dependencies between these segments using the 'CHILD_OF' relationship code. This makes it an essential resource for any process or report requiring a structured list of locations with their lineage.

Key Information Stored

The view consolidates key identifiers, descriptive data, and relationship information. Primary columns include LOCATION_SEGMENT_ID (the unique GEOGRAPHY_ID from TCA), LOCATION_SEGMENT_QUALIFIER (the geography type, e.g., STATE), and LOCATION_SEGMENT_VALUE (the geography name). The hierarchical structure is defined by PARENT_SEGMENT_ID, which links a child segment to its immediate parent. The LOCATION_STRUCTURE_ID (ID_FLEX_NUM) ties each row to a specific active location flexfield structure. The view also carries standard EBS WHO columns (CREATED_BY, CREATION_DATE, LAST_UPDATED_BY, LAST_UPDATE_DATE), flexfield descriptive columns (LOCATION_SEGMENT_DESCRIPTION, LOCATION_SEGMENT_USER_VALUE), and fifteen custom attribute columns. A critical filter in its source query ensures it only includes geographies with GEOGRAPHY_USE = 'MASTER_REF'.

Common Use Cases and Queries

This view is predominantly used for populating hierarchical lists of values (LOVs) in forms and for hierarchical reporting on customer addresses and territories. A common query pattern retrieves all child segments for a given parent, essential for cascading LOVs. For example, to find all cities within a specific state (where the state's GEOGRAPHY_ID is known):

  • SELECT location_segment_value, location_segment_description FROM apps.ar_location_values WHERE parent_segment_id = <state_id> AND location_segment_qualifier = 'CITY' ORDER BY 1;

Another frequent use is to trace the full hierarchy of a location by recursively querying the view using CONNECT BY or a recursive WITH clause, leveraging the PARENT_SEGMENT_ID relationship. Reports on customer distribution by geographic region also heavily depend on this view to correctly aggregate data according to the defined location hierarchy.

Related Objects

The view is intrinsically linked to several core TCA and application flexfield objects. Its source query directly joins:

  • HZ_GEOGRAPHIES: The master table for all geography data.
  • HZ_RELATIONSHIPS: Stores the 'CHILD_OF' relationships that define the hierarchy.
  • FND_SEGMENT_ATTRIBUTE_VALUES (for child and parent): Determines which geography types are valid segments in the RLOC flexfield.
  • FND_ID_FLEX_SEGMENTS (for child and parent): Defines the structure and order of the location flexfield segments.

It is related to the AR_LOCATIONS_V view, which provides a flattened, formatted location string. This view is also referenced by various standard APIs and forms within the Receivables and Order Management modules for address validation and territory assignment.