Results for “qa_chars_u2”

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

Overview

QA.QA_CHARS is the master table for Quality Characteristics (also called collection elements) in Oracle Quality within Oracle E-Business Suite 12.1.1 and 12.2.2. Collection elements are the atomic units that a collection plan gathers — a measurable or observable attribute such as a temperature reading, a defect code, or a pass/fail result. QA_CHARS holds the definition of every such element, whether seeded by Oracle Quality at installation or user-defined through the Collection Elements window. A collection element must be enabled (ENABLED_FLAG) before it can be added to a collection plan.

The table stores display information used during results entry (prompts and hints), data semantics (datatype, display length, decimal precision, default value), validation rules such as SQL validation strings, and specification limits such as upper and lower spec limits. It also records the collection element type and context. Context is driven by CHAR_CONTEXT_FLAG, which determines whether an element is a standard Quality Characteristic, dependent on another element, or a reference into another Oracle Applications table. From a Data Vault modeling perspective, the metadata's heuristic classification places QA_CHARS as a hub: a single, stable business key (the collection element NAME) whose descriptive attributes govern downstream references. Note that the 12.2.2 schema includes ZD_EDITION_NAME, indicating Editioning support.

Key Information Stored

• CHAR_ID — surrogate primary key (QA_CHARS_PK); the column referenced by every dependent table.
• NAME — the collection element name; with ZD_EDITION_NAME it forms unique index QA_CHARS_U2, the practical business-key candidate. QA_CHARS_U1 covers (CHAR_ID, ZD_EDITION_NAME).
• CHAR_TYPE_CODE / CHAR_CONTEXT_FLAG — element type and context (standard, dependent, or referenced).
• PROMPT, DATA_ENTRY_HINT — display text shown to the operator during results entry.
• DATATYPE, DISPLAY_LENGTH, DECIMAL_PRECISION, DEFAULT_VALUE, UOM_CODE — the data contract for the element.
• SQL_VALIDATION_STRING — validation logic applied on entry.
• UPPER_SPEC_LIMIT, LOWER_SPEC_LIMIT (plus TARGET_VALUE and the reasonable/user-defined limit pairs) — specification thresholds.
• HARDCODED_COLUMN — name of the corresponding QA_RESULTS column where values are stored; its presence implies a dedicated column rather than a generic row.
• DEPENDENT_CHAR_ID, DEPENDENT_ELEMENT — self-referencing linkage to a parent characteristic.
• FK_TABLE_NAME, FK_LOOKUP_TYPE, PK_ID, FK_ID / PK_ID2 / FK_ID2 / PK_ID3 / FK_ID3, FK_MEANING, FK_DESCRIPTION, FK_ADD_WHERE — reference metadata when the element is sourced from another application table.
• ENABLED_FLAG, VALUES_EXIST_FLAG — availability and usage state.
• SEQUENCE_* columns — configuration for auto-generated numbering.

Common Use Cases and Queries

Typical reporting scenarios include auditing enabled characteristics, translating technical names to user prompts, and verifying specification limits against actual results in QA_RESULTS.

• List all enabled characteristics: SELECT char_id, name, prompt, datatype FROM qa.qa_chars WHERE enabled_flag = 'Y';
• Find dependent elements: SELECT c.name, c.dependent_char_id, p.name parent_name FROM qa.qa_chars c, qa.qa_chars p WHERE c.dependent_char_id = p.char_id;
• Identify characteristics backed by other applications: SELECT name, fk_table_name, pk_id, fk_id FROM qa.qa_chars WHERE fk_table_name IS NOT NULL;
• Validate whether results exist: filter on values_exist_flag before attempting to disable or delete an element.
• Join to QA_PLAN_CHARS on CHAR_ID to report all elements attached to a given collection plan.

Related Objects

• QA_PLAN_CHARS — links plans to characteristics (QA_PLAN_CHARS.CHAR_ID → QA_CHARS.CHAR_ID).
• QA_SPEC_CHARS — associates specifications with characteristics on CHAR_ID.
• QA_CRITERIA and QA_PC_CRITERIA — action and plan criteria referencing CHAR_ID.
• QA_CHAR_VALUE_LOOKUPS and QA_PLAN_CHAR_VALUE_LOOKUPS — permitted value lists.
• QA_CHAR_ACTION_TRIGGERS and QA_CHAR_ACTION_OUTPUTS — per-characteristic actions; their plan-level counterparts QA_PLAN_CHAR_ACTION_TRIGGERS / QA_PLAN_CHAR_ACTION_OUTPUTS follow the same pattern.
• QA_PC_ELEMENT_RELATIONSHIP — self-referencing parent/child relationships via PARENT_CHAR_ID and CHILD_CHAR_ID.
• QA_ACTION_LOG, QA_CHAR_INDEXES, QA_PLAN_COLLECTION_TRIGGERS, QA_TXN_COLLECTION_TRIGGERS — logging, indexing, and trigger definitions keyed on CHAR_ID or COLLECTION_TRIGGER_ID.