Table-validated value sets let you use your own application tables as value sets for flexfield segments and report parameters instead of the special values tables Oracle E-Business Suite provides. You need not enter each value manually using the Segment Values window. Value sets you base on validation tables can be similar to Independent value sets, where values in your Table type value sets are independent of the values in all other segments. Or, depending on how you define your validation table's WHERE clause, they can depend on one or more previous segments in your flexfield.

In general, you should use a validation table if you want a key or descriptive flexfield segment, or report parameter, to use values that your application already requires or maintains for other application purposes. Using a validation table then lets you avoid maintaining two copies of the same values (one in your application's table and the other in Oracle Application Object Library's tables).

You can use many advanced features with your table-validated value sets. You can use validation tables for flexfield segments or report parameters whose values depend on the value in a prior segment. You use flexfield validation tables with a special WHERE clause (and the $FLEX$ argument) to create value sets where your segments depend on prior segments. You can make your segments depend on more than one segment, creating cascading dependencies. You can also use validation tables with other special arguments to make your segments depend on profile options or field values.

If you want to make use of key flexfield features such as rollup groups and parent-child relationships, you can store the child values in your validation table, but you should use the Segment Values windows Oracle E-Business Suite provides to add or define the parent values and rollup groups.