of the window.

The context information, which is contained in

parentheses, can include the organization, set of books, or business
group that the window contents is associated with.

Oracle Applications Window

Every session of Oracle Applications is displayed in a special window
called the Oracle Applications window. The Oracle Applications window
displays form windows and common elements such as the main menu
bar, toolbar, status and message lines. The appearance of the Oracle
Applications window may vary depending on the Browser you use.

Title Bar
Across the top of the Oracle Applications window is the Title Bar. The
title contains the Oracle Applications title and the icons for minimize,
maximize, and close.

Modal Window
Certain actions that you perform in Oracle Applications may cause a
modal window to display. A modal window requires you to act on its
contents before you can continue, usually by choosing OK or Cancel.
Examples of modal windows include the list window, the field editor
window, or any error or message window that may appear.

Form
A form is an organized display of fields through which you can quickly
and easily access and enter information to complete a business task.
When you use the Navigate window in Oracle Applications, you
navigate to a form. Each form displays one or more windows and
maps to a complete business or task flow. Note that a given window
can appear in more than one form if it accomplishes a task that is part
of more than one business flow.
The forms you can navigate to depend on the responsibility you choose
when you sign on to Oracle Applications. A form in one responsibility
may vary from the same form in another responsibility, such that
certain windows or buttons may exist in one but not the other. This
enables your organization to maintain security at a functional level so
that only a user with a given responsibility can access a particular set of
functions (for example, windows or buttons). Overview of Function
Security, Oracle Applications System Administrator’s Guide.

2–6 Oracle Applications User’s Guide

Block
Every Oracle Applications window consists of one or more blocks. A
block contains information pertaining to a specific business entity. All
required fields in a block must be completed before you can move to
the next block. Generally, the first or only block in a window assumes
the name of the window. Otherwise, a block name appears across the
top of the block with a horizontal line marking the beginning of the
block.

Field
Each block contains fields you use to enter, view, update, or delete
information. A field prompt describes each field by telling you what
kind of information appears in the field or what kind of information
you should enter in the field. Fields are color coded to indicate their
type.
White Fields – allow data entry
White Fields with Green Underlined Text – indicate drill–down
capability
Yellow Fields – require data entry
Gray Fields with Black Text – are display–only
Gray Fields with Gray Text – are disabled
Blue Fields – indicate fields to use in Query–Enter mode
The term field generally refers to a text field, an area in a window that
either displays data or allows you to enter data. However, a field can
also include the following:
button—You choose a button to initiate a predefined action. A
button is usually labeled with text to describe its action or it can be
an icon whose image illustrates its action.
A button can be enabled or disabled. A button is disabled when its
function is not currently available. A disabled button is
distunguised by the lightened appearance of its label.
check box—You can indicate an on/off or yes/no state for a value
by checking or unchecking its check box.
option group—An option group is a set of option buttons. You can
choose only one option button in an option group at a time, and the
option group takes on that button’s value after you choose it. An
option button or option group is also referred to as a radio button or

Oracle Applications User Interface Basics 2–7

 radio group, respectively, using the metaphor of a car radio’s station
buttons.
poplist—A poplist lets you choose a single value from a short list.
To choose a value, click on the poplist to display the list of choices,
then drag your mouse through the list to the desired value. Release
your mouse button to choose the value you highlight and display it
in the poplist field. A poplist is also sometimes known as a list.

Region
A region is a collection of logically–related fields set apart from other
fields by a horizontal line across the window or a rectangular box.
Each block can optionally contain one or more regions. Regions help to
organize the information within a block.
A scrollable region is a region whose contents are not entirely visible in a
window. A scrollable region contains a horizontal or vertical scroll bar
so that you can scroll horizontally or vertically to view additional fields
hidden in the region. In addition, if a field is partially hidden you can
scroll the region to fully display the field by clicking on the partially
hidden field.

Record
A record is one occurrence of data stored in all the fields of a block. A
record is also referred to as a row or a transaction, since one record
either corresponds to one row of data in a database table or one logical
transaction.
The Submit Request window is an example of a single–record block. To
view the next record of information, use the down arrows on your
keyboard. The up arrow takes you to the previous record.
The Requests window, by contrast, displays up to ten records of
information simultaneously, with each record representing a request
submitted from the Submit Request window. The Requests window
contains fields arranged on the screen horizontally adjacent to each
other, leaving enough space in the window to display up to ten records
of information beneath the field headings. The Requests window is an
example of a multi–record block.
The fields in a multi–record block appear as columns. You can use the
vertical scroll bar located to the left of the first column to view any
additional records hidden in that block.

2–8 Oracle Applications User’s Guide

Current Record Indicator
Multi–record blocks often display a current record indicator to the left of
each record. A current record indicator is a one character field that
when filled in, identifies a record as being the current or ”active”
record.

Sometimes, a current record indicator appears as a two character–wide

field, indicating that the current multi–record block supports a
capability called drill–down. Drill–down lets you click on a current
record indicator to navigate directly to another window that displays
either details of the current record or information related to the current
record. See: Combination Block: page 2 – 14.

Message Line
The message line near the bottom of the Oracle Applications window
displays helpful hints or messages when you encounter a minor error.
See: Interpreting Messages: page 2 – 21.

Status Line
Figure 2 – 1

Oracle Applications User Interface Basics 2–9

 The status line appearing below the message line of a Oracle
Applications window displays status information about the current
window or field. A status line can contain the following:
• Record: 1/3—this example indicates that the current record is one
of three records in the current block. If an undetermined number
of records have been retrieved, the message will appear as 1/?.
• Enter–Query—this phrase indicates that the current block is in
Enter Query mode, so that you can specify search criteria for a
query.
• List of Values—this lamp appears when a list of values is
available for the current field.

See Also

Using a List of Values: page 3 – 9

Searching for Information: page 3 – 19

Toolbar
The toolbar is a collection of iconic buttons, where each button performs
a specific action when you choose it. Each toolbar button replicates a
commonly–used menu item. Depending on the context of the current
field or window, a toolbar button can be enabled or disabled. You can
display help for an enabled toolbar button by holding your mouse over
the button.
The toolbar buttons and the actions they perform are as follows:

The New icon opens a new record in the active form.

The Find... icon displays the Find window to retrieve records.

The Show Navigator icon displays the Navigator window.

2 – 10 Oracle Applications User’s Guide

The Save icon saves any pending changes in the active form.

The Next Step icon updates the Process workflow in the Navigator
by advancing to the next step in the process.
The Print... icon prints the current screen that the cursor is in. In
some cases it may print a report associated with the current data.
The Close Form icon closes all windows of the current form.

The Cut icon cuts the current selection to the clipboard.

The Copy icon copies current selection to the clipboard.

The Paste icon pastes from the clipboard into the current field.

The Clear Record icon erases the current record from the window.

The Delete icon deletes the current record from the database.

The Edit Field... icon displays the Editor window for the current
field.

The Zoom icon invokes customer–defined Zoom (drill–down

behavior).

The Translations... icon invokes the Translations window.

The Attachments... icon invokes the Attachments window. If one

or more attachments already exist, the icon changes to a paper clip
on a piece of paper.

The Folder Tools icon displays the folder tool palette.

The Window Help – icon displays help for the current window.

Oracle Applications User Interface Basics 2 – 11

Tabbed Regions
A tabbed region is one of a collection of regions that occupy the same
space in a window where only one region can be displayed at any time.
Each tab displayed in a window represents a different region. You can
view a tabbed region by clicking on the tab displaying the name that
represents it. The region updates to display the fields of the tab region
you choose.

Master–Detail Relations
A Master–Detail relation is an association between two blocks—a master
block and its detail block. An example is the relationship between the
Batch and Journals windows in your Oracle General Ledger
application. Each batch (master record) is associated with a set of
journal entries (detail records).
When two blocks are linked by a master–detail relation:
• the detail block displays only those records that are associated
with the current (master) record in the master block
• querying between the two blocks is always coordinated
• usually you cannot enter information in the detail window until
you have selected a master record.
For example, when you display a different record in a master block, the
detail block displays the detail record(s) that correspond to the new
master record. Similarly, if you perform a search in a master block, the
detail block displays the detail record(s) associated with the master
record that was retrieved from the search.
Master and detail blocks can often appear in the same window or they
can each appear in separate windows. When in separate windows an
unlabeled coordination check box appears in the upper right corner of the
detail block window. This check box lets you decide whether to
constantly update the coordination of records between a master and a
detail window when the detail window is open in the background.

2 – 12 Oracle Applications User’s Guide

Figure 2 – 2

For example, suppose you have a master and a detail window, and the
detail window displays records that pertain to the current record in the
master window. If you uncheck the coordination check box and then
display another record in the master window, the detail window clears
itself and does not display any data until you move your cursor into
the detail window. At that point, it displays the detail record(s) that
match the current master record. If you check the coordination check
box and display another record in the master window, the detail
window automatically refreshes to display the detail record(s) that
match the current master record.
Note: When you first open a detail window or when you
query a new record in the master window, the detail window
always updates to display the detail record that matches the
current master record regardless of whether the coordination
check box is checked or unchecked.

Drill–Down Indicators
When a record or field provides the drill–down capability, it lets you
navigate directly to another window that displays details of the current
record or field, or information related to the current record or field.
Records that provide drill–down are indicated by a wide width current
record indicator. By double–clicking on the indicator you will navigate
to the detail window.

Oracle Applications User Interface Basics 2 – 13

Combination Blocks
Although a multi–record block shows you several records at once, it
usually does so at the expense of showing you fewer fields for each
record or only having some of the fields visible simultaneously. A
combination block gives you the benefits of both multi–record and
single–record blocks by displaying the fields of a record in both
multi–record (summary) and single–record (detail) formats. Each
format appears in its own separate window that you can easily
navigate between.
When you first navigate to a combination block, a summary window
appears. You can select a record in the summary window and choose
Summary/Detail from the View menu to display the detail window for
that record. This menu item lets you switch back and forth between
the two windows which are always coordinated to show the same
record.
You can also drill down from the summary window to the detail
window for a record by clicking on the record’s current record
indicator. To return to the summary window, simply choose the
Summary/Detail menu item. See: Current Record Indicator: page
2 – 9.

2 – 14 Oracle Applications User’s Guide

Navigating in Oracle Applications
To accomplish a business task in Oracle Applications, you need to
know how to navigate around Oracle Applications. There are several
types of navigation you can perform. You can navigate:
• within a window
• between windows
• to another form
• to a custom form

Navigating Within a Window

" To navigate within a window:

H Choose one of the following three methods:
• move the cursor with your mouse
• choose an appropriate menu item
• enter an appropriate keyboard shortcut
The table below illustrates the default menu and keyboard shortcut
methods you can use to navigate around the records, fields, and blocks
of an Oracle Applications window.

Window Navigation Functions

Function
Type Function Menu Item Keyboard Shortcut

Record View Previous [Up Arrow]

Record View Next [Down Arrow]

Record View First View–>Record–>First

Table 2 – 1 (Page 1 of 2)

Oracle Applications User Interface Basics 2 – 15