Search Results create_element_link

Overview

PAY_ELEMENT_LINK_INTERNAL is a server-side PL/SQL package within the Oracle E-Business Suite Payroll (PAY) application, classified under the APPS schema and identified by ETRM as an "OTHER" API object. Its principal business function is to create and manage element links — the association between a payroll element type and the specific criteria (payroll, organization, location, grade, people group, and related attributes) that determine which assignments are eligible to receive that element. Element links are the mechanism by which Oracle Payroll controls the eligibility and applicability of earnings, deductions, and other elements across a workforce.

The package is designated as an internal package, meaning it is intended primarily for use by other Oracle Payroll components rather than as a formally supported public API. It encapsulates the business rules and validation logic required to insert a valid row into the element links table, including derivation of standard link flags, cost allocation references, and balancing keyflex identifiers.

Key Procedures and Functions

ETRM documents a single procedure within this package:

• CREATE_ELEMENT_LINK — The core routine responsible for establishing an element link. It accepts a broad set of parameters that collectively define the linkage criteria, including the effective date, element type, business group, costable type, and optional qualifying dimensions such as payroll, job, position, people group, organization, location, grade, element set, and pay basis. Additional parameters govern link behavior — for example, whether the link applies to all payrolls, whether it is a standard link, whether the element transfers to the General Ledger, and the qualifying age, length of service, and units used for eligibility. An attribute category and twelve descriptive attributes allow customers to store flexfield-style configuration data on the link. Several parameters, notably the cost allocation keyflex identifier, the balancing keyflex identifier, and the standard link flag, are declared as IN OUT NOCOPY, indicating that the procedure derives or returns values back to the caller.

Tables Accessed

The package operates against the PAY_ELEMENT_LINKS_F table, accessed through an APPS synonym. This is the core datastore for element link definitions, and CREATE_ELEMENT_LINK writes new rows into it. The presence of IN OUT parameters for cost allocation and balancing keyflex identifiers indicates the procedure resolves and supplies these foreign key values as part of the insert, ensuring referential integrity with the corresponding keyflex structures.

Usage Notes

Because PAY_ELEMENT_LINK_INTERNAL is an internal package, it is most commonly invoked indirectly — through the Element and Distribution forms in the Oracle Payroll responsibility, or through higher-level APIs and concurrent processes that manage element configuration. Direct invocation from custom code is possible but should be approached with caution, since the package is not a formally published public interface and its signature may change between releases or patches. When referenced by custom extensions, developers should understand that mandatory values such as the effective date, element type, business group, and costable type must be supplied consistently with the intended link semantics.

ETRM records that this package is referenced by two other packages, confirming its role as a shared low-level utility within the Payroll schema. Implementers should prefer documented public APIs for element link creation where available, reserving direct calls to PAY_ELEMENT_LINK_INTERNAL for scenarios where no supporting public interface exists.