Results for “invfv_descriptive_elements”

AI-generated from documented ETRM metadata — verify critical details on the linked pages.

Overview

INVFV_DESCRIPTIVE_ELEMENTS is an APPS-owned read-only view within the Oracle E-Business Suite Inventory (INV) module. In both the 12.1.1 and 12.2.2 releases, it belongs to the family of Flexfield Value (FV) views that Oracle Applications uses to expose flexfield definitions to the Oracle Application Object Library (AOL) and the Flexfields architecture. Its name follows the standard convention for descriptive flexfield value sources, and its view text confirms this purpose: the SELECT list incorporates the "_KF" (Key Flexfield) and "_LA" (Lookup Attribute) tokens that the AOL flexfield engine interprets when building the runtime definition of a descriptive flexfield context, segment, or catalog element.

The view therefore does not store data itself. It presents descriptive element metadata — the individual attribute definitions that make up an item catalog group's descriptive flexfield — in the flattened, token-annotated format expected by the AOL flexfield registration and display logic. Because it is defined WITH READ ONLY, it is intended for query and reporting consumption rather than for direct DML. Administrators and technical consultants use it to inspect, audit, and validate the configuration of inventory item descriptive elements across installations.

Underlying Base Objects

According to the documented ETRM metadata, INVFV_DESCRIPTIVE_ELEMENTS is defined over two base objects, both accessed through APPS synonym references:

• MTL_DESCRIPTIVE_ELEMENTS (SYNONYM) — aliased as DE; supplies the core descriptive element attributes: element name, sequence, description, and the required/default flags.
• MTL_ITEM_CATALOG_GROUPS (SYNONYM) — aliased as IT; provides the catalog group context and joins on ITEM_CATALOG_GROUP_ID.

The join is an equality on ITEM_CATALOG_GROUP_ID, binding each descriptive element to its owning item catalog group. The MTL_ITEM_CATALOG_GROUPS row effectively supplies the descriptive flexfield structure against which the descriptive elements are defined, which is why the view projects a catalog-group name token ("_KF:CATALOG_GROUP_NAME") in place of a raw group name. This structure mirrors the standard Oracle Inventory flexfield design in which item catalog groups drive the descriptive flexfield context used on the item master.

Key Columns

The view exposes eleven columns. Their documented names and meanings are as follows:

• DESCRIPTIVE_ELEMENT_NAME — mapped from DE.ELEMENT_NAME but surfaced through the "_KF:CATALOG_GROUP_NAME" token construct.
• SEQUENCE_NUMBER — the ordinal position of the element within the descriptive flexfield (DE.ELEMENT_SEQUENCE).
• DESCRIPTION — the prompt or descriptive text associated with the element.
• _LA:REQUIRED_FLAG — a lookup-attribute token resolving DE.REQUIRED_ELEMENT_FLAG through the FND_LOOKUPS lookup type YES_NO, returning the meaningful value.
• _LA:DEFAULT_DESCRIPTION_FLAG — a lookup-attribute token resolving DE.DEFAULT_ELEMENT_FLAG through FND_LOOKUPS (YES_NO), returning the meaningful value.
• ITEM_CATALOG_GROUP_ID — the foreign key linking the element to its catalog group.
• LAST_UPDATED_DATE, LAST_UPDATED_BY, CREATED_DATE, CREATED_BY — standard audit columns.

These columns give both the raw identifiers and the flexfield-token representation required by AOL.

Common Use Cases and Queries

Typical scenarios include auditing which descriptive elements are mandatory per catalog group, verifying sequence order, or reconciling descriptive flexfield configuration after a clone or upgrade. A representative query lists all elements for a catalog group:

• SELECT descriptive_element_name, sequence_number, required_flag FROM apps.invfv_descriptive_elements WHERE item_catalog_group_id = :group_id ORDER BY sequence_number;
• Filtering on required elements to locate configuration gaps: SELECT * FROM apps.invfv_descriptive_elements WHERE "_LA:REQUIRED_FLAG" = 'Yes';
• Extracting creation/update audit information for SOX or change-control reporting.

Because the view is read-only, it is safe for ad-hoc reporting, ETRM impact analysis, and integration extracts without risk of modifying flexfield definitions.