Interfaces in Oracle Application: An Introduction

Interfaces in Oracle Application: An Introduction

 

What are Interfaces?

• Interfaces are used in Oracle Applications to integrate external systems and Data Conversion.
• The interfaces are mainly used to either transfer data from Oracle Applications to a flat file or data from legacy system to Oracle Applications.
• Used extensively at the time of Data Conversion from legacy/ old systems to a fresh implementation of Oracle Applications.
• Used also at regular intervals when data transfer is from other live systems if the systems are not defined in Oracle Applications implementation.
• Oracle provides flexible and flexible tools in the form of Interface programs to import the master and transactional data like Customers, Invoices, and Sales Orders etc from external systems into Oracle Applications.

Types of Interfaces

There are two major types of Interfaces:

• Inbound Interface : These interfaces are used to transfer data from external systems to Oracle Applications.
• Outbound Interface :  These interfaces are used to transfer data from Oracle Applications to external systems.

Two other distinctions of Interfaces:

• Open Interface: If the interface logic is provided by Oracle Applications, it is called an Open Interface.
• Custom Interface: If the interface logic needs to be developed by the implementation team, it is called a Custom Interface.

Interface Components

Open Interface Logic

• First the data from the source application is loaded into a database table (called Interface table).
• Then the provided validation program logic validates the records whether they are correct or not .
• If the validation fails, the errors are transferred into another table (called Error Table).
• If the validation succeeds, the correct records are transferred through a process into the destination application table.

Components of an Interface

a] Source Application:

You obtain data from a source application to pass on to a destination application for further processing and/or storage.

b] Source Data Issues:

Type of file, Size, Frequency of upload, Record Length (Variable or fixed), Delimiter, Datatype for each field, Any unwanted data, Naming convention and uniqueness of file, Location of the file, Access on the file.

c] Destination Application:

You send data to a destination application so that the application can perform further processing and/or storage.

d] Interface Table:

For inbound interfaces, the interface table is the intermediary table where the data from your source application temporarily resides until it is validated and processed into the destination application.

e] Identifier columns:

Uniquely identify rows in the interface table provide foreign key reference to both the source and destination applications.

f] Control Columns:

• Control columns track the status of each row in the interface table, as it is inserted, validated, rejected, processed, and ultimately deleted.
• WHO columns are also control columns.

g] Data Columns:

• Stores the data that is being converted.
• Required columns store the minimum information needed by the destination application to successfully process the interface row.

h] Derived Columns:

Derived columns are created by the destination application from information in the required columns.

i] Optional Columns:

Optional columns are not necessarily required by the destination application, but can be used by the destination application for additional value-added functionality beyond the basics.

j] Error Table:

• For inbound interfaces, the errors table stores all errors found by the validation and processing functions.
• In some cases, the errors table is a child of the interface table. This allows each row in the interface table to have many errors, so that you can easily manage multiple errors at once.
• In other cases, the errors are stored in a column within the interface table, which requires you to fix each error independently.

Developing an Interface

1] Identification:

Find out if there exists an Open Interface to carry out the functionality.

2] Creation of Pre-Interface table ( staging Table):

A table in the format of the data file which can be pruned to load as clean a data into the Interface table.

3] Load data into Pre-Interface table:

SQL*LOADER can be used to load the flat file into the pre-interface table.

4] Validate data in the Pre-Interface table:

Basic validation of the data loaded into the Pre-Interface table can be carried out like:

• For checking NULL values in required columns
• Checking for Foreign Key and Quick Code values.
• Duplication Validation
• Business Rule validation

5] Mapping the values:

Generated fields in Oracle Applications can be mapped in this step to either default values or sequences.

6] Load data into Interface table:

• Once the data is as clean as you can get it, the data can be inserted into the Interface table.
• At such a time, certain columns, which are necessary in Applications but not found in legacy system, need to be populated accordingly like WHO columns.

7] Run the interface program

8] Check for Errors

9] Report on the Interface

AP Invoice Interface

AP Invoice Interface

This interface helps us to import vendor invoices into Oracle applications from external systems into Oracle Applications.

Interface tables: 

1] AP_INVOICES_INTERFACE

This is the open interface table for importing AP Invoices from external sources and stores header information about invoices. Invoice data comes from sources including:

• EDI invoices from suppliers that are loaded through Oracle e-Commerce Gateway
• Supplier invoices that are transferred through the Oracle XML Gateway
• Invoices that are loaded using Oracle SQL*Loader
• Lease invoices from Oracle Property Manager
• Lease payments from Oracle Assets
• Credit card transaction data that are loaded using the Credit Card Invoice Interface Summary
• Expense Report invoices from Oracle Internet Expenses
• Payment Requests from Receivables
• Invoices that are entered through the Invoice Gateway.

There is one row for each invoice you import. Oracle Payables application uses this information to create invoice header information when Payables Open Interface program is submitted.

Data in the AP_INVOICES_INTERFACE table used in conjunction with AP_INVOICE_LINES_INTERFACE table to create Payables Invoice, Invoice lines, Distributions and Schedule payments. Data in this table can be viewed and edited using ‘Open Interface Invoices’ window. The Payables Open Interface program validates each record in this interface table selected for import, and if the record contains valid data then the program creates a Payables Invoice.

Important columns: 

INVOICE_ID (Required) : Unique identifier for this invoice within this batch. Same value should be populated in invoice’s lines in the AP_INVOICE_LINES_INTERFACE table to identify the data as belonging to the same invoice.

INVOICE_NUM (Required) :  Enter the invoice number that needs to be assigned to the invoice created in Payables from this record.

INVOICE_TYPE_LOOKUP_CODE (Optional) : Type of invoice: Credit or Standard.

INVOICE DATE (Optional) : Date of the invoice. If you do not enter a value, the system uses the date you submit Payables Open Interface Import as the invoice date.

PO_NUMBER (Optional)  : Purchase order number from PO_HEADERS.SEGMENT1. This column needs to be populated if invoice to be matched with an purchase order.

VENDOR_ID & VENDOR_SITE_ID (Required) : VENDOR_ID is unique identifier for a supplier and VENDOR_SITE_ID is Internal supplier site identifier. Supplier of the invoice to be derived by value in one of the following columns in this table: VENDOR_ID, VENDOR_NUM, VENDOR_NAME, VENDOR_SITE_ID or PO_NUMBER.

VENDOR_NUM & VENDOR_NAME (Optional) : Supplier number and name. You must identify the supplier by entering a value for one of the following columns in this table: VENDOR_ID, VENDOR_NUM, VENDOR_SITE_ID, VENDOR_SITE CODE, or PO_NUMBER.

INVOICE_AMOUNT (Required) : Amount of the invoice.

INVOICE_CURRENCY_CODE (Optional)  : Currency code for the invoice. If you want to create foreign currency invoices, enter a currency code that is different from your functional currency.

EXCHANGE_RATE (Optional) :  This column is required if you enter a foreign currency code in the INVOICE_CURRENCY_CODE column and you enter User as the EXCHANGE_RATE_TYPE.

TERMS_ID (Optional) : Internal identifier for the payment terms.

DESCRIPTION (Optional) : Enter the description that you want to assign to the invoice created from this record.

SOURCE (Required) : Source of the invoice data. If you import EDI invoices from the Oracle EDI Gateway, the source is EDI Gateway. For invoices you import using SQL*Loader, use a QuickCode with the type Source that you have defined in the QuickCodes window in Payables.

2] AP_INVOICE_LINES_INTERFACE

This is the lines interface table for the AP Invoice Open Interface and it is used in conjunction with AP_INVOICE_INTERFACE table. AP_INVOICE_LINES_INTERFACE stores information used to create one or more invoice distributions. Note that one row in this table may create, during the import process, more than one invoice distribution.

Important columns: 

INVOICE_ID (Required) :Enter the INVOICE_ID of the corresponding invoice in the AP_INVOICES_INTERFACE table. 

INVOICE_LINE_ID : This value is not required. You can enter a unique number for each invoice line of an invoice.

LINE_NUMBER (Optional) : You can enter a unique number to identify the line.

LINE_TYPE_LOOKUP_CODE (Required) : Enter the lookup code for the type of invoice distribution that you want Payables Open Interface Import to create from this record. The code you enter must be ITEM, TAX, MISCELLANEOUS, or FREIGHT. These lookup codes are stored in the AP_LOOKUP_CODES table.

AMOUNT (Required) : The invoice distribution amount. If you are matching to a purchase order, the AMOUNT = QUANTITY_INVOICED x UNIT PRICE. If the total amount of all the invoice distributions does not equal the amount of the invoice that has the same INVOICE_ID, then Payables Open Interface Import will reject the invoice.

Concurrent program:  

Payables Open Interface Import

Parameters:

Source: Choose the source of the invoices from the list of values. Use EDI Gateway, Credit Card, or a Source type QuickCode you defined in the Payables QuickCodes window.

Group: To limit the import to invoices with a particular Group ID, enter the Group ID. The Group must exactly match the GROUP_ID in the Payables Open Interface tables.

Batch Name: Payables groups the invoices created from the invoices you import and creates an invoice batch with the batch name you enter. You can enter a batch name only if you have enabled the Use Batch Control Payables option, and if you have enabled the Use Batch Control Payables option, you must enter a batch name. If you use a batch name and some invoices are rejected during the import process, you can import the corrected invoices into the same batch if you enter the exact batch name during the subsequent import.

Hold Name: If you want to place all invoices on hold at the time of import, enter an Invoice Hold Reason. You can define your own hold reasons in the Invoice Approvals window.

Hold Reason: Payables displays the Invoice Hold Reason Description.

GL Date: If you want to assign a specific GL Date to all invoices, enter a GL Date. If you do not enter a value here, the system will assign a GL Date based on the GL Date Payables option.

Purge: Enter Yes if you want Payables to delete all successfully imported invoice records that match the Source and Group ID of this import. Payables does not delete any invoice data for which it has not yet created invoices. If you want to purge later, you can use the Payables Open Interface Purge Program.

Steps:

1] Firstly, let’s get a unique number to be used as INVOICE_ID to the invoice to be imported.  This method ensures that each invoice has a unique INVOICE_ID assignment.

select ap_invoices_interface_s.nextval from dual;
NEXTVAL
-------------
132277

2] Then, create records in the Invoice Open Interface tables through SQL queries.

insert into AP_INVOICES_INTERFACE (
            invoice_id,
            invoice_num,
            vendor_id,
            vendor_site_id,
            invoice_amount,
            INVOICE_CURRENCY_CODE,
            invoice_date,
            DESCRIPTION,
            PAY_GROUP_LOOKUP_CODE,
            source,
            org_id
                )
values (
            132277,
            'INV100',
            '7124',
            '11792',
            1200.00,
            'USD',
            to_date('01-31-2010','mm-dd-yyyy'),
            'This Invoice is created for test purpose',
            'WUFS SUPPLIER',
            'Manual Invoice Entry',
            81
);

insert into AP_INVOICE_LINES_INTERFACE (
            invoice_id,
            line_number,
            line_type_lookup_code,
            amount
            )
values     (
            132277,
            1,
            'ITEM',
            1200.00
);
3] You can go to Payables > Invoices > Entry > Open Interface Invoices to check the details of Invoice and Invoice Lines from the front end. If required you can do any modifications here. Alternatively you can use these forms to put invoice data in AP_INVOICES_INTERFACE and AP_INVOICE_LINES_INTERFACE tables.
4] Go to the front end and run the concurrent program “Payables Open Interface Import”  to submit a request for Invoice Import.
Output:

output of Payables Open Interface Import
5] The imported invoice becomes available for review in Invoices Workbench.

Interface Invoice through Invoice Banch

References:

1] Payables Open Interface Import

2] Understanding the Payables Open Interface Tables

3] Payables Open Interface Table Descriptions

4] Metalink Note: What Fields in Tables Ap_Invoices_Interface and Ap_Invoice_Lines_Interface Should Be Populated to Import Invoices Matched to Purchasing Order ( PO )? [ID 209814.1]