How to Create Descriptive Flexfield (DFF) in Oracle EBS

Organizations using Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) often need to capture additional business information that is not available in the standard application fields. Instead of customizing standard forms, Oracle provides Descriptive Flexfields (DFF) to extend functionality in a flexible and supported way.

Descriptive Flexfields allow users to add custom fields to Oracle forms without modifying the underlying application code.

This document explains the generic steps to create and enable a DFF in Oracle EBS. 

Descriptive Flexfields in Oracle forms can be identified by the square brackets [ ], which indicate that additional fields can be configured. In this example, the Receivables Transaction form is used to demonstrate the creation of a DFF.

Steps

Navigation

Receivables responsibility:

Transactions > Transactions

Help > Diagnostics > Examine

Select $DESCRIPTIVE_FLEXFIELD$ in Block

Open the list of field (select the DFF here)

You can see DFF name here (copy the DFF name)

Switch responsibility: System Administrator

Application > Flexfield > Descriptive > Segments

Goto View > Find and find the title 'Transaction Information' (DFF name) 

Click de-select Freeze Flexfield Definition and click OK 

Click Segments and Add DFF segments as required

Add Name, select Column (any available attribute) and select a value set if required

Select a value set and Click open.

You can check/un-check if the value set is required (mandatory), change the display/description size etc.

Go back and select Freeze Flexfield Definition and click Compile 

Now again goto receivables transaction form.

Open the DFF window to verify that the newly created segment appears and can accept values.