Search Results fnd_help_targets




Overview
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Overview

The FND_HELP_TARGETS table is a core repository within the Application Object Library (FND) module of Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) that manages the mapping between help topics and their corresponding documentation files. It serves as a critical component of the application's online help system, enabling context-sensitive help functionality. When a user requests help from within an EBS form, the system uses this table to locate the specific HTML or text file containing the relevant documentation based on the current context or "target." Its role is to act as a lookup directory, ensuring that help content is accurately delivered to the end-user interface.

Key Information Stored

The table stores metadata that links help identifiers to physical documentation. Its primary columns, as indicated by the primary key constraint FND_HELP_TARGETS_PK, are TARGET_NAME and FILE_ID. The TARGET_NAME column uniquely identifies a specific help topic or context within the application. The FILE_ID column is a foreign key that references the FND_HELP_DOCUMENTS table, which contains the actual physical file information (such as the file name and path) for the help content. This structure allows a single help document to be associated with multiple target names if the same content is relevant in different contexts.

Common Use Cases and Queries

The primary use case is the resolution of help requests from the EBS user interface. Administrators or developers may query this table to audit or troubleshoot the help system, especially if help links are broken or displaying incorrect content. A common query involves joining with FND_HELP_DOCUMENTS to see the full mapping. For example, to find all help targets and their associated files, one might use:

  • SELECT ht.target_name, hd.file_name FROM apps.fnd_help_targets ht, apps.fnd_help_documents hd WHERE ht.file_id = hd.file_id;

Another typical query is to search for a specific target, as implied by the user's search term. To investigate a particular TARGET_NAME, the query would be:

  • SELECT * FROM apps.fnd_help_targets WHERE target_name LIKE '%<search_string>%';

This is essential for verifying that a specific form or function has a correctly configured help target.

Related Objects

The most direct and documented relationship for FND_HELP_TARGETS is with the FND_HELP_DOCUMENTS table, as enforced by a foreign key constraint on the FILE_ID column. FND_HELP_DOCUMENTS stores the details of the physical help files. The online help system within the Oracle Application Framework (OAF) and Forms components relies on this pair of tables to serve content. While not explicitly listed in the provided metadata, other objects in the FND_HELP_* suite, such as those managing help categories or deployed help repositories, are also closely related. The table is owned by the APPLSYS schema and is typically accessed via the APPS synonym in a standard EBS environment.