This document will continue to evolve as existing sections change and new information is added. All updates appear in the following table:
| Date | Product | Feature | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 NOV 2021 | User Experience | Quick Actions Available on Home Page | Updated document. Revised feature information. |
| 27 OCT 2021 | Extensibility | Croatian Language is Added to the Language Pack on Your Application | Updated document. Revised steps to enable section. |
| 27 OCT 2021 | User Experience | Quick Actions Available on Home Page | Updated document. Revised steps to enable section. |
| 29 SEP 2021 | Extensibility | Croatian Language is Added to the Language Pack on Your Application | Updated document. Delivered feature in update 21C. |
| 09 AUG 2021 | Applications Security | Role-Based Access for Scheduled Processes Work Area | Updated document. Delivered feature in update 21C. |
| 09 AUG 2021 | User Experience | Changes to the Global Header Icons | Updated document. Moved feature from Applications Security product. |
| 27 JUL 2021 | Reporting and Analytics | BI Publisher External Data Sources Deprecation Update | Updated document. Revised feature information. |
| 20 JUL 2021 | Approvals and Notifications | Search for Workflow Tasks to Configure | Updated document. Delivered feature in update 21C. |
| 13 JUL 2021 | Functional Setup Manager | Setup and Maintenance Navigator Entry | Updated document. Delivered feature in update 21C. |
| 07 JUL 2021 | Applications Security | Changes to the Global Header Icons | Updated document. Delivered feature in update 21C. |
| 06 JUL 2021 | Extensibility | Updated Oracle ADF Desktop Integration Add-In | Updated document. Added Key Resources section. |
| 25 JUN 2021 | Extensibility | Export Table Data to the CSV Format by Default | Updated document. Revised feature information. |
| 18 JUN 2021 | Created initial document. |
This guide outlines the information you need to know about new or improved functionality in this update, and describes any tasks you might need to perform for the update. Each section includes a brief description of the feature, the steps you need to take to enable or begin using the feature, any tips or considerations that you should keep in mind, and the resources available to help you.
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Optional Uptake of New Features (Opt In)
Oracle Cloud Applications delivers new updates every quarter. This means every three months you'll receive new functionality to help you efficiently and effectively manage your business. Some features are delivered Enabled meaning they are immediately available to end users. Other features are delivered Disabled meaning you have to take action to make available. Features delivered Disabled can be activated for end users by stepping through the following instructions using the following privileges:
- Review Applications Offering (ASM_REVIEW_APPLICATIONS_OFFERINGS_PRIV)
- Configure Oracle Fusion Applications Offering (ASM_CONFIGURE_OFFERING_PRIV)
Here’s how you opt in to new features:
- Click Navigator > My Enterprise > New Features.
- On the Features Overview page, select your offering to review new features specific to it. Or, you can leave the default selection All Enabled Offerings to review new features for all offerings.
- On the New Features tab, review the new features and check the opt-in status of the feature in the Enabled column. If a feature has already been enabled, you will see a check mark. Otherwise, you will see an icon to enable the feature.
- Click the icon in the Enabled column and complete the steps to enable the feature.
For more information and detailed instructions on opting in to new features for your offering, see Offering Configuration.
Opt In Expiration
Occasionally, features delivered Disabled via Opt In may be enabled automatically in a future update. This is known as an Opt In Expiration. If your cloud service has any Opt In Expirations in this update, you will see a related tab in this document. Click on that tab to see when the feature was originally delivered Disabled, and when the Opt In will expire, potentially automatically enabling the feature. You can also click here to see features with current Opt In Expirations across all Oracle Cloud Applications. Beyond the current update, the Financials forums on Cloud Customer Connect have details of Opt In Expirations upcoming in future updates.
Column Definitions:
Report = New or modified, Oracle-delivered, ready to run reports.
UI or Process-Based: Small Scale = These UI or process-based features are typically comprised of minor field, validation, or program changes. Therefore, the potential impact to users is minimal.
UI or Process-Based: Larger Scale* = These UI or process-based features have more complex designs. Therefore, the potential impact to users is higher.
Features Delivered Disabled = Action is needed BEFORE these features can be used by END USERS. These features are delivered disabled and you choose if and when to enable them. For example, a) new or expanded BI subject areas need to first be incorporated into reports, b) Integration is required to utilize new web services, or c) features must be assigned to user roles before they can be accessed.
| Ready for Use by End Users Reports plus Small Scale UI or Process-Based new features will have minimal user impact after an update. Therefore, customer acceptance testing should focus on the Larger Scale UI or Process-Based* new features. |
Customer Must Take Action before Use by End Users Not disruptive as action is required to make these features ready to use. As you selectively choose to leverage, you set your test and roll out timing. |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feature |
Report |
UI or |
UI or |
|
||
Croatian Language is Added to the Language Pack on Your Application |
||||||
Common Technologies and User Experience
Role-Based Access for Scheduled Processes Work Area
Role-based access is available for the Scheduled Processes work area (Navigator > Tools > Scheduled Processes). You can control user access based on whether they have a public role which has a role assigned to it that lets them perform tasks for scheduled processes. Role-based access is possible only if you have location-based access enabled. That means if location-based access is enabled, users can use the Scheduled Processes work area only if either their IP address is in the defined allowlist or they have a public role with any scheduled process role directly or indirectly assigned to it.
Limiting access based on roles and IP address provides a level of security that may be helpful or mandatory, depending on your business or company requirements.
Steps to Enable
After location-based access is enabled, you can use the Security Console to make any role except duty roles public.
- Click Navigator > Tools > Security Console.
- On the Roles page, find the role with scheduled process access that you want to make public.
- From the search results, click the Actions icon and select Edit Role.
- On the Edit Role page, select the Enable Role for Access from All IP Addresses check box.
- Save your work.
Key Resources
- How Location-Based Access Works
- Enable and Disable Location-Based Access
- How can I make a role public?
Role Information
- To set up role-based access, you need a role that gives you access to the Security Console, such as IT Security Manager (ORA_FND_IT_SECURITY_MANAGER_JOB).
Search for Workflow Tasks to Configure
In BPM Worklist, on the Task Configuration tab, you first run a search and then select the task you want to configure from the search results. This way, you don't need to look through a long list of tasks to find the one you need.
Search Field and Results
Having a search instead of displaying all the tasks by default also improves performance.
Steps to Enable
You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.
Tips And Considerations
- This searches against various attributes, for example the task title (the one on the General subtab for configuring the task), application name, and category--but not the task name you see in the search results.
- The search is case sensitive.
- Search by * if you want all tasks in the search results.
- You can click Show and choose to see all active and default tasks. Otherwise, you get only the default tasks.
Role Information
- To use this feature, you need a role that lets you perform administrative tasks in BPM Worklist.
In update 21C, some BI View Objects may now be extracted in OTBI Metadata Independent Mode, which runs queries directly without the Oracle BI Server.
Extracts using BI Broker extract mode directly query the Oracle Applications Cloud database during extracts, eliminating the Oracle BI Server and its metadata repository.
Steps to Enable
You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.
Tips And Considerations
BI Broker extract mode is set for a data store. You can also set it for schedules and jobs, which affects all of their data stores. At the time the mode is set, each affected data store is verified. If a data model doesn't support BI Broker mode, it can cause errors during scheduled jobs. For this reason, it's recommended that you set the extract mode at the data store level first to validate before setting it for all data stores in a schedule or job.
Create Automated Regression Tests
You can create automated regression tests against your staging pod by following the set of instructions for Oracle ADF - Runtime Automation Sample Library.
Using this tool you can make better use of the limited testing time before you use your production pod.
Steps to Enable
- Please download the Oracle ADF - Runtime Automation Sample Library
- Once downloaded, review the requirements, installation instructions and test automation development steps in the user guide: Test Automation Oracle JDeveloper Java SE Development Kit Selenium WebDriver
Key Resources
Croatian Language is Added to the Language Pack on Your Application
The Croatian language is now added to the list of supported languages in the language pack. So, if activated, this language will appear as a language option on the Sign In page and the General Preferences section of the Set Preferences work area.
Various application artifacts, such as UI text, predefined data, messages, and BI catalog data can be translated to the Croatian language, if needed.
Steps to Enable
To enable this feature you need to log a Service Request (SR).
Contact your help desk if you need to configure the Croatian language pack for your environment.
Set CSV as the Default Option for Exporting Table Data
You can now specify Comma Separated Values (CSV) as the default file format for exporting most table data to excel. Use the File Format for Export to Excel profile option to specify this setting so that your users can export table data to the CSV format by default.
NOTE: For tables that contain rows with detail facets, the table data doesn't get exported to the CSV format correctly.
Users can export table data to the CSV format.
Steps to Enable
- In the Setup and Maintenance work area, go to the Manage Administrator Profile Values task in the Application Extensions functional area.
- Search for the File Format for Export to Excel (ORACLE.ADF.VIEW.EXPORT_DEFAULT_TYPE) profile option.
- In the ORACLE.ADF.VIEW.EXPORT_DEFAULT_TYPE: Profile Values section, click the New icon.
- From the Profile Level list, select Site.
- From the Profile Value field, select Export to CSV.
- Click Save and Close.
Key Resources
- Set Profile Option Values
- Update Existing Setup Data
- What's the difference between Export to Excel and desktop integration for Excel?
Updated Oracle Visual Builder Studio
Here are some key things you can now do when you use Visual Builder Studio to extend your application pages:
- Create virtual fields: You can create virtual fields in a dynamic UI, a new type of custom field. You can use this field to have read-only and write access to multiple referenced fields. A virtual field is a compound field bound to a field template, which you can use to have access to each of the fields referenced by the virtual field.
- Create event listeners: You can create event listeners for the vbExit and vbAfterNavigate lifecycle events on an extension page.
- Add onValueChanged event: You can create a value change listener for variables defined in the base application. An Events tab was added to the Properties pane for variables defined in the base application. You can use this tab to quickly select the action chains that are triggered when the variable changes.
- Use improved template editor: You can use the improved template editor for displaying form templates.
- Read and use types defined in the base application: You can read and use types that are defined in the base application and marked as extendable in application extensions.
The new Visual Builder Studio functionality provides you with a platform to extend your Oracle Applications Cloud extensively.
Steps to Enable
You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.
Key Resources
- Create a Custom Virtual Field
- Start an Action Chain From a Lifecycle Event
- Start an Action Chain When a Variable Changes
- Control How a Form Layout is Rendered
Setup and Maintenance Navigator Entry
You can now find the Setup and Maintenance navigator entry only in the My Enterprise navigator group.
Earlier, it also was available in the Others navigator group, but that's removed in update 21C.
Steps to Enable
You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.
BI Publisher External Data Sources Deprecation Update
Please ignore the deprecation warning message for Web Services and HTTP data sources in the BI Publisher Administration page. There are no changes to these supported external data sources.
The updated deprecation plan is to announce and clarify the continued support for Web Services and HTTP data sources in BI Publisher for Oracle Applications Cloud.
Steps to Enable
You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.
Tips And Considerations
In case of any problem please contact Oracle Support.
Role Information
- The above data sources are configured by BI Administrator role.
Updated Oracle ADF Desktop Integration Add-In
You can now download the latest version of the Oracle ADF Desktop Integration add-in, version 5.0.6.22142. This version addresses a bug where, under some circumstances, a value could be selected from the Input Date dialog box and set in a cell in the form field or table column, when the cell should not be editable.
With this version, the cell locking functionality works flawlessly.
Steps to Enable
You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.
Key Resources
Quick Actions Available on Home Page
You can now use quick actions, which are links on the home page, to go straight to some key tasks. Quick actions are now available for most product families. However, some work areas don't have any quick actions. Administrators can configure quick actions using the Structure work area.
Quick actions are automatically available if your environment has a theme that includes the news feed layout on the home page. See the Tips and Considerations section for additional details.
Here's how quick actions are displayed on the home page.
Quick Actions
Using quick actions, you can directly go to some key tasks from the home page.
Steps to Enable
You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.
Tips And Considerations
You may not find quick actions on your home page because of these reasons:
- You don't have access to specific quick actions.
- Your administrator has enabled a classic theme with a panel or banner layout for your home page.
To see quick actions, your environment must have a theme that includes the news feed layout on the home page, such as the Redwood theme, which was the default theme as of update 20C. If your administrator created and applied a configured theme to your environment, however, the Redwood theme won't override your configured theme.
Administrators can use the Themes page of the Appearance work area to manage environment themes.
Key Resources
Role Information
You need to assign the PER_ACCESS_QUICK_ACTIONS_PRIV privilege to access the quick actions. The predefined employee and contingent worker roles already have this privilege granted to them.
Changes to the Global Header Icons
The icons in the global header are refreshed to make them consistent with the new Redwood look and feel of the application.
Here’s how the global header icons look now.
Icons in the Global Header
These icons are updated to match the new Redwood icons across the application.
Steps to Enable
You don't need to do anything to enable this feature.
Tips And Considerations
- You get the global header icons by default, irrespective of the theme you are on.
- You can't make changes to the icons in the global header.
Key Resources