Defining Value Set Versions for Transaction Attributes

You can represent date-dependent item characteristics using transaction attributes applied to the item during a transaction (not during item creation, like user-defined attributes). The value sets used by the transaction attributes are also date-dependent. This date dependency is enabled by creating versions of a value set. Each released version of the value set is valid for a different time period. Only transaction attributes use value set versions; all other attributes use non-version value sets (See: Defining Value Sets for User-Defined Attributes). The following example shows how multiple value set versions might work in the cellular phone industry.

Mobile Phone Service Plan Example

Currently (February 1), when a customer purchases a mobile phone service plan, they can choose from the following amounts of included minutes defined in the TALKTIME value set, version 1:

There is a promotion scheduled for a limited time, through (March 1-31). During this promotion, customers can select one of the following TALKTIME, version 2, values:

When the promotion ends (April 1), the following options are available indefinitely by selecting one of the following TALKTIME, version 3, values:

Additional Information: You can import value set versions using open interface tables and the concurrent program EGO Import Metadata (EGOIMDCP). For more information, refer to Importing Item Catalog Metadata

Prerequisites

arrow icon   To create a value set draft version:

  1. From the Oracle Applications Home Page, click the Setup Workbench link.

  2. On the Item Catalog Categories page, click the Value Sets tab.

  3. On the Maintain Value Sets page, click Create.

  4. On the Create Value Set page, enter the following information:

    Value Set Name

    The name by which the system and users identify the value set. You can only enter alphanumeric (a, b, c,..., 1, 2, 3,...) and the underscore ( _) characters for the value set name. You cannot use spaces or special characters. The length is limited to 15 characters.

    Attention: Once you have created the value set, you cannot edit the value set name.

    Description

    Optionally, enter a description of the value set.

    Data Type

    The data type of the value set. The data type that you select determines the values that are available in the value set. An attribute's data type must match the data type specified for that attribute's value set. The different data types are:

    Attention: You cannot edit the data type once the value set has been created.

    Maximum Size

    Specify the value for Maximum Size if you wish to limit the user's input in the attribute text field. For example, in some cases you may wish to limit the number of characters in the attribute value field to 10 characters. Enter the value of 0 if you wish to omit this particular validation. The default value is 150.

    Note: The maximum number of characters for a character type attribute is 150 characters. Translatable text fields have a limit of 1,000 characters. Number type fields have a maximum size and precision of 22.5 (22 digits to the left of the decimal and 5 digits to the right).

    Enable Versioning

    Optionally, you can enable the creation of value set versions for use with transaction attributes only by selecting Enable Versioning. This box only appears when the profile option "Enable PIM for Telco Features" is set to Yes.

    Attention: If you choose not to enable versioning, then follow the instructions for creating value sets at Defining Value Sets for User-Defined Attributes .

    Validation Type

    Select the type of values against which the values entered by users are validated. Choices are:

    Display Type

  5. Click Apply to stop after creating one value set or click Apply and Continue to create another value set.

    The Value Set Details page is displayed upon completion. You can edit certain settings after creation by clicking Update. You can find all existing value sets on the Value Sets page. You can search for value sets using the criteria Name, Description, Data type, or Validation type, as well as search for values within value sets. Optionally, add a description to a value.

To add values to the value set

  1. After creating a value set for transaction attributes, you must define the values. See: Creating Independent Values.

    You must add values to the value set in order to release the value set for use by transaction attributes.

To release a version of the value set

Only the user listed in the Locked By field can release a version of a value set. Once you release a value set, you cannot update the released version. Only released versions can be associated to transaction attributes.

  1. On the Value Set Details page, select the Draft version, then click Release.

  2. Optionally, on the Release Value Set Version page, you can update the version description and enter a start date. The start date defaults to the current date if this field is left blank.

    • If you release another version with a later start date, the system assigns an end date to the previous version that is 1 second before the next version's start date. You cannot have two versions that are valid at the same time.

    • Once you release a version, the new Draft version has the same definition as the latest released version. In order to release the draft, you must change the definition.

  3. Click Apply.

To lock and unlock a draft value set

A version enabled value set is automatically locked upon creation of the draft. Only the user listed in the Locked By field can update the value set details or release the value set to create a version. To enable another user to update the value set details, unlock the value set. The other user can then lock it and make updates or release the value set. Locking the value set only locks the draft version's value set details. You can update the value set primary information, such as description, regardless of the lock status. This primary information applies to all versions.

  1. On the Value Set Details page, select the Draft version.

  2. If the draft is locked, and you are the user who locked it, the Unlock button is visible. Click Unlock.

    The Locked By field displays the name of the person who locked it. Only the person displayed in the Locked By field can unlock the draft.

  3. If the draft is unlocked, the Locked By field is blank and the Lock button is visible. Click Lock.

To update a value set

Before updating a value set draft version, you must lock it.

Warning: Only update value set versions from the Setup Workbench (HTML interface). Updating value set versions from the Forms interface could lead to data corruption.

  1. To change the value set primary (header) information for all value set versions, in the Value Set Details page, click the Update button.

  2. To change the draft version's description or start date, in the Value Set Details page, select the draft version, then click the draft version's Update icon.

  3. To change the draft version's values, you can click the Update or Delete icon for a particular value or click Create to create a new value.

To revert the draft value set to an earlier version

The Revert Draft to button enables you to refresh the draft version's values with a released version's values.

  1. Select a released version that contains the values you want the draft version to contain.

  2. Click Revert Draft to.

    The draft version now contains the same values as the released version selected.

What's Next

After defining and releasing a value set version, you can use this version to define a transaction attribute. See: Defining Transaction Attributes.