Oracle Contracts provides seeded and user-defined variables.

Seeded variables cannot be deleted or modified. Seeded variables include:

• System Variables: These variables represent contract document attributes.

• Deliverable Variables: These variables capture deliverable information on a contract.

• Table Variables: These variables capture structure information, such as items and price lists, which map to multiple rows.

User-defined variables are based on the needs of the contractual documents of the operating unit. These variables are replaced with values during contract authoring. In most cases, you can update or delete these variables. User-defined variables can be used either as tokens in clause text or to drive Contract Expert rules.

Prerequisites:

• Define the corresponding value sets. For more information, see the Setting Up Value Sets section.

• Define stored procedures for variables with source type PL/SQL Procedure. For more information, see the Managing Variables section of Oracle Contracts Implementation and Administration guide.

Steps (to create a variable):

1. Navigate to the Create Variable page. (N) Contract Terms Library (T) Variables (B) Create Variable.

2. In the Variable Name field, enter the name that you want to be displayed in clauses.

3. Optionally, enter a Description for the variable.

4. In the Value Set field, select a value set from the list.

   Note: You must assign the appropriate value set when creating a variable. The system does not verify that the appropriate value set has been attached. For more information, see Oracle Contracts Implementation and Administration guide.

5. The Intent for a variable can be Buy or Sell. Select one from the list of values. Only clauses with the same intent can use the variable for embedding.

6. Optionally, select the External Party Updateable check box to allow updates to the variable by external users.

   Note that currently the system supports this feature only for authoring contracts with the Buy intent. Suppliers can be required to provide values for user-defined variables during the negotiation process. When you select the External Party Updateable check box, the variables are displayed in the iSupplier portal for supplier inputs. Suppliers using the iSupplier Portal to respond to purchase orders or sales agreements can update variable values in their responses.

   Note: For variables that use source of PL/SQL Procedure, the External Party Updateable option cannot be selected.

7. Select the Manual or PL/SQL Procedure option as the variable Source from the list of values.

8. If you select the PL/SQL Procedure option as the source, the system displays the following mandatory fields:

   • Procedure Name: Enter a PL/SQL stored procedure name that is used for deriving the value for the variable. The name must be entered in <schema name>.<package name>.<procedure name> format (for example, APPS.CUSTOM_UDV_PKG.Get_PO_Amount). If the format is not valid, the system displays an error message when you try to save the variable and asks you to correct the error. When the variable is saved, the system checks whether the procedure exists and is valid. If the procedure is not valid, the system displays a warning message and saves the variable.

   • Variable Code: Enter a unique variable code. The code cannot be a number.

     Note: Variable Source, Procedure Name, and Variable Code cannot be updated if the variable has already been used in a Contract Expert rule or clause.

9. Click Apply to save the variable.

You can update user-defined variables. However, you cannot change the value set in a variable that is used in a contract.

You can define multi row variables based on user defined attributes. For information about Defining Multi Row Variables, see Contract Terms Library Administration chapter of the Oracle Contracts Implementation and Administration Guide.

Steps (to update a variable):

1. Navigate to the Variables page. (N) Contract Terms Library (T) Variables.

2. Search for the variable that you want to update.

3. Click the Update button to open the variable for update. You cannot update the variable name or intent. Also, once the variable has been used in a clause, you can only update the variable description and select the Disable check box. You must create a new variable if you want to change value set assigned to a user-defined variable, after the variable has been used in a clause.

4. Make the necessary changes. For more information, see the Steps to create a variable.

5. Select the Disable check box, if you want to prevent further use.

6. Click Apply to save the variable.

See Also:

• Managing Variables