Navigating Efficiently in Oracle

Applications
User Workbook
 Table of Contents

LOGGING ON ......................................................................................................................................... - 3 -
PERSONALIZE YOUR HOME PAGE .................................................................................................. - 4 -
USING KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS ....................................................................................................... - 5 -
COMMONLY USED ORACLE HOT KEYS ..................................................................................... - 5 -
USING THE TOOLBAR.......................................................................................................................... - 6 -
SELECTING A RESPONSIBILITY ........................................................................................................ - 8 -
THE NAVIGATOR (FUNCTIONS) WINDOW ................................................................................... - 9 -
a. Description ....................................................................................................................................... - 9 -
b. Elements of the Navigation Function Tab .................................................................................... - 9 -
c. Expand the Navigation List .......................................................................................................... - 10 -
d. Collapse the Navigation List ....................................................................................................... - 10 -
e. Expand or Collapse Several Items at Once ................................................................................. - 10 -
f. Open a Window from the Navigation List ................................................................................. - 11 -
g. Top-Ten List ................................................................................................................................... - 11 -
CHANGING YOUR PASSWORD ....................................................................................................... - 12 -
PRINTING A WINDOW ...................................................................................................................... - 13 -
SEARCHING FOR DATA .................................................................................................................... - 14 -
QUERY FIND ..................................................................................................................................... - 14 -
F11 Query (example: Item Search): ................................................................................................. - 14 -
LIST OF VALUES ............................................................................................................................... - 16 -
Resubmit a Previously Submitted Request .................................................................................... - 21 -
FOLDER TOOLS .................................................................................................................................... - 23 -
VIEW ONLINE HELP ........................................................................................................................... - 26 -

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 LOGGING ON

 Complete the User Name field. The User Name is generally your first
name initial and last name.(ex: BSMITH)

 Complete the Password field and click on the Login button (or press
the <Enter> key). A password must be at least five characters and can
extend up to 100 characters. You should use alphanumeric characters
(‘A’ through ‘Z’, and ‘0’ through ‘9’) in a password. Additionally, you
may use the special characters ‘_’, ‘$’, and ‘#’. All other characters are
invalid.

Note: The first time you sign on, you must change your password. If you
forgot your password, the System Administrator can reassign a new
temporary password. Notice your password does not appear as you type
it, to prevent others from seeing it. Keep your password confidential to
prevent access to Oracle Applications by unauthorized users.

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 PERSONALIZE YOUR HOME PAGE
To save time when logging on, you can create a list of favorites similar to your
top ten list. These links will allow you to launch the forms with one click. It is
common to pick one or two of the most used functions from each module.

 To add menu functions to your Favorites list, click .

 Enter search criteria for the menu item desired. Then click .

 Select the function prompt(s) and click .

 When you are satisfied with your favorites list, click to return to
the home page.

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USING KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
Users can fly through the forms by taking advantage of keyboard shortcuts.
Oracle Applications assigns many commonly used functions, such as Query,
Save, or Clear Record to keyboard shortcuts.

Aside from the Hot Keys listed below, most every clickable task can be
performed from your keyboard. This is especially helpful when performing data
entry type tasks such as keying sales orders, invoices etc. Pay close attention to
the underlined letters to turn your clicks into keystrokes.
Example: The buttons below are from the Quick Sales Order form and can all be
“clicked” from your keyboard.

Actions  Alt+A
Related Items  Alt+R
Availability  Alt+I
Book Order  Alt+B

COMMONLY USED ORACLE HOT KEYS

Clear Record F6
Count Query F12
Duplicate Field Shift + F5
Duplicate Record Shift + F6
Enter Query F11
Execute Query Ctrl + F11
Exit F4
Insert Record Ctrl + Down
List of Values Ctrl + L
Next Block Shift + Page Down
Next Field Tab
Next Record Down
Previous Block Shift + Page Up
Previous Field Shift + Tab
Previous Record Up
*You can retrieve a full list of Hot Keys from Help  Keyboard Help

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 USING THE TOOLBAR

The toolbar is a collection of iconic buttons that each performs a specific action when
you choose it. Each toolbar button replicates a commonly-used menu item. The
Applications Toolbar appears at the top of every application window. Use the
toolbar to perform various functions within each window.

Icon Key(s) Name Description

Ctrl+↓ Create Record Create a new record.

Alt+V+F Find Choose once to invoke Query Mode; choose

twice to run a query.
N/A Navigate to… Open the Navigator window.

Ctrl+S Save Save any new information or pending changes.

N/A Next Step Goes to the next step in the process.

Switch
N/A Brings up a list of available responsibilities.
Responsibility

Ctrl+P
Print Print a current window or print a report.
F4 Close Form Closes out of current form.

Ctrl+X Cut Cut selected information.

Ctrl+C Copy Copy selected information.

Ctrl+V Paste Paste selected information.

F6 Clear Record Clear the current record from the window.

Ctrl+↑ Delete Record Delete the current record from the database.

Ctrl+E Edit Record Enter or change values for the current field.

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Icon Key(s) Name Description

N/A Zoom Invoke a custom-designed zoom.

N/A Translations… Open the translations window.

N/A Attachments Open the attachments window.

N/A Folder Tools Open the folder tools palette.

Ctrl+H Window Help Open help for the current window.

Notice that some of the toolbar buttons are not highlighted on some windows. If a
button is not highlighted, its function is not available for that window.

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 SELECTING A RESPONSIBILITY

A responsibility is a level of authority in Oracle Applications that allows you to

access only those Oracle Applications functions and data appropriate to fulfill
your role in an organization. This screen shot is an example of what the
responsibility window may look like. Each responsibility will bring up a
different set of applications you may access.

*From the navigator, you can switch responsibilities using keyboard shortcuts
Alt+F+W

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THE NAVIGATOR (FUNCTIONS) WINDOW
a. Description

 The Navigator window displays the name of the responsibility you select.
In the example, the name of the responsibility is Inventory.
 The Navigator consists of two regions (tabs): Functions and Documents.

b. Elements of the Navigation Function Tab

The main component of the Navigation window is the navigation list which
comprises windows in a hierarchical order. The navigation list can be found
on the left hand side of the navigate window. Essentially these are items with
a plus sign (+) can be expanded to further sublevels, whereas items which
have already been expanded are preceded by a minus sign (-).

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c. Expand the Navigation List

 Double-click on any item preceded by (+)

Or
Select the item and click on the Open button
or
Select the item and click on the Expand Icon:

d. Collapse the Navigation List

 Double-click on any item preceded by (-)

or

Select the item and click on the Collapse Icon:

e. Expand or Collapse Several Items at Once

 Expands all the sublevels of the currently selected item.

 Click on the Expand or Collapse Several Items Icon:

 Expand all. Expands all the sublevels of all expandable items in the
navigation list.
 Click on the Expand All Icon:

 Collapse all. Collapses all currently expanded items.

 Click on the Collapse All Icon:

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f. Open a Window from the Navigation List

 Double-click your window of interest.

or

Click on your window of interest, and then click on the Open button.
g. Top-Ten List

 Located at the right of the Navigation window.

 Represents the windows you use most frequently.

 Represents your windows numerically which means you can select

instantly by typing the corresponding number without having to search
for them in the Navigation list.

 You can add a maximum of 10 windows in the Top-Ten list.

 To add a window in the Top-Ten list, click on the window you want to
add and then click on the Blue Arrow which is pointing towards the right.
The window appears in the Top-Ten list preceded by a number.

 To remove a window from the Top-Ten list, click on the window from the
Top-Ten list, and then click on the Blue Arrow which is pointing towards
the left.

 To open a window in the Top-Ten list, type the Top-Ten list number that
precedes the window you wish to open, or double-click on the window
you wish to open.

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 CHANGING YOUR PASSWORD

 Click in the Navigate window or choose Navigator from the Window menu
to make the Navigate window active.
 In the menu bar go to: Edit/Preferences/Password to display the Password Update

 Type your old password in the Old Password field.

 Tab to the next field and type your new password in the New Password
field.

 Re-type your new password in the Re-enter New Password field for
verification.

 Click on the OK button.

 If the second entry of your password does not match the first, Oracle will
require you to re-enter your new password.

 Your new password is effective immediately.

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 PRINTING A WINDOW

 You can make print screens of any Oracle Window.

 From the Menu Bar select File / Print

or
 CTRL+P
or

 Click on the Printer Icon:

 A second window appears which requires you to select the printer where
you want the output to be directed, the size of the image to print,
orientation to print, the number of copies to print, and the format to save
the image if you want to save it on a file. Prerequisite: You must have
installed a printer driver and have defined at least one printer before
printing.

 A third window appears indicating you should not move or occlude

window until done. Acknowledge the message by clicking on the OK
button.

 A final window appears confirming that the image capture is complete.

Click on the OK button.

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 SEARCHING FOR DATA

QUERY FIND

If you want to query for records in your current block or window, the simplest
way to proceed is to use Query Find. Query Find displays a window that lets you
specify search criteria. Depending on the block that you invoke Query Find from,
one of two types of windows appears:

The Find window appears for those fields that contain many records or for those
fields that can be best searched using selection criteria. If a field does not
provide a list of values, you can enter wildcard characters for searching. The
most frequently used wildcard character is %, which represents any character of
a group of characters. For example Pay% can represent Payables, Payments,
Payment Term etc.

Query Find:
 Choose Find from the View menu. View  Find or Alt+V+F
 If a list window appears, click on the record you want to retrieve. Then click
on the OK button to register the record in the specific field.
 If a Find window appears, enter your search criteria in the appropriate fields.
If a field does not provide a list of values for you to choose from, you may
enter wildcard characters in the search phrase. You cannot, however, use
query operators (such as >, <, etc.) in a Find window.
 Choose OK to find any matching records.
 Click on the Clear button to clear the current search criteria from the Find
window so that you can enter new search criteria.
 If your search does not locate any matching records, or if you want to enter a
new record, click on the New button.
 After you have completed a search, click on the x button in the Find window
to exit the window.

F11 Query (example: Item Search):

 Press the F11 key that is located on the top right hand side of the keyboard in
order to activate the query mode. As a result, the fields in the current
window will turn blue.

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 Enter the first three characters of the item number and then enter the
wildcard % sign in the Item field. Hold down the Ctrl key and press the F11
key.

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 The system will then return the item information.

LIST OF VALUES

Select from a List of Values (example: Master Item Form):

 Click in the User Item Type field in order to select a value from the list.

 Click on the gray box located at the far right side of the field ( ). Or use
keyboard shortcut of Ctrl+L. As a result, a list of available values for the field
will appear.

 Select the correct value from the list.

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 After you select the value from the list, the system will automatically insert the value into the field.

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 RUNNING REPORTS

Each Oracle module enables you to run a number of standard reports. The
navigation to the report generating screen will vary with the application. The
majority of the reports can be located by going to View  Requests. Then click

. Or by using keyboard shortcuts of

Alt+V+R. Then Alt+N.

However, some reports are assigned to special groups and must be run from the
Reports title or Requests on the navigator’s menu. For this example, we will
submit the All Inventories Value Report. This report must be run from the
Reports menu of the navigator.

 Click on Reports in order to drill down to All.

 Double Click on All, and select the organization for which you want to find
inventory value. You will be prompted to select, ‘What type of request do
you want to run?’ Click in the Radio Button next to Single Request. Click on
the OK button.
NOTE: A request set is a predefined group of reports that can be submitted at once.

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 Enter the name of the report to be run (in this example, choose All Inventories
Value Report).

 You will then be prompted to provide specific parameters.

 Once you are satisfied with the parameters entered, click OK and then click
the Submit button.

 You may or may not be directed to the View Requests window to review the
status of the report.

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  If not, navigate to View  Requests (Alt+V+R) and click FIND (Enter).

 The Requests window will display the phase of the ‘Report’ Request.

 Click on the Refresh Data button periodically in order to refresh the screen
until the Phase is Completed. OR, use your keyboard shortcut of Alt+R.

 The Requests window currently displays that the request is Completed and
that the Status is Normal. The report completed successfully with no errors.
Note: If the request completes in Warning or Error, you should Click View Log to

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 determine the cause.

 Click on the View Output button to view the report output (or type Alt+P).

Resubmit a Previously Submitted Request

To save time, you can Copy a request previously submitted to resubmit it.

 Instead of entering the name of the report to run, click .

 Choose the request from the list.

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 The parameters will default from the last request.

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 FOLDER TOOLS

Many Oracle modules enable you to customize the layout and entry of data by
allowing you to create personalized folders. These folders allow you to access
particular fields with ease and enter data in a timely fashion. Once a folder is
created, the customized screen can appear each time you enter the module for
which the folder resides in. Select the Order Management Super User for this
example, and choose Order Organizer.

 Click on Folder in the toolbar. Select New and enter a name for your folder.

 Name your folder and select options:

 If you want the customized screen to appear each time you enter the form,
check “Open as Default”.

 If you want to share your folder with others, check “Public”.

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 This window represents the Oracle standard view for viewing orders in
Order Management.

 In order to rearrange the columns so that the Customer Name field comes up
first, click on the column and drag it and drop it wherever you determine.

 Sometimes there are additional fields that you can’t see or there may be
irrelevant fields taking up your view. You can show and hide fields as
desired. *Be careful not to hide a field that you need to enter data into.
This could cause issues down the line.
 There are 3 ways to show and hide fields:
 From the menu bar:

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 Using Folder Tools ( )

 The right-click menu:

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 VIEW ONLINE HELP
Menu Path
(M) Help  Window Help
You can obtain online help for any Oracle application, or for the window in which you are
working.
To display online  Choose Oracle Applications Library from the Help menu.
help for any of the
Oracle Applications  Oracle Applications Library opens a help window that
products: lists Oracle Applications and product family
documentation.

 Click on a product of interest to display the contents (list of

topics) for that product's online documentation.

 Click on a topic of interest to display a list of subtopics for

the topic.

 Click on a topic to display a window with help on that

topic. Use the buttons in the help window to navigate
through the online help.

 Select Contents from the help window to return to the

main list of topics for this product at any time.

 When you are done using the help window, choose Exit
from the File menu in the help window to close the help
window.

To display online  Choose Window Help from the Help menu. A help
help for current window appears, providing you with information and a
window: list of topics associated with the current application
window.

 Click on a topic of interest to display more detailed

information.

 You can use the menus or buttons in the help window to

navigate to other topics of interest, or from the File menu
in the help window, you can choose Exit to quit from
Help.

Note: You can also use the Help icon from the Toolbar to access
the online help for the current window. The Help icon is usually
the last one on the toolbar represented by a blue question mark.

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