OUT & LOG Files

Normally where do you find the out and log files..
i always learnt that they will be in the corresponding top
out and log directories.
But i never checked..
Last week i got a requirement to find the files and when i check i dont find any out files or log files in the corresponding Top.
later after some hard work i find that there is a setting.If that is not specified only then they will be stored in the out and log files.

$APPLCSF The value of this will determine where log and out files

AIM Documents

Hi All,
Many of you might be knowing this...many like me might not ..
Many a time i wondered what all these numbers are all about..so i publish this one for easy reference
just double click the above image to see properly

Second step for Ideal Implementation

Best Practices:
1. keep the source of all Customized objects(Tables,Packages,Procedures ..) in the PLS folder in the custom top.
It is easy to say but making people to follow it is very difficult(Even i don't :-) ).One way to make people to follow is by dropping objects whose lastest source is not present in the UNIX box.
we need to compare the last update date in the UNIX box and last_modified date in the all_objects...i witnessed this idea really working..This also removes the Cost factor of maintaining a VSS(VSS might have its own Advantages) also...

2.All Customized objects should be labeled.Example XXLGEOM2309.and the name of the object should be decided prior to the development
Lets say for example u have a Custom process involving a concurrent program,a form and a workflow.
For each object if u have one lablel right at the design phase all the documets can have a process design showing different components getting involved at differnt stages in the process.

3.A Repository of all the process and all the objects associated with it should be maintained.Thats what MD70 should contain...But most of the times it wont..they are always some missing objects.
we will realize the importance of it when the people starts leaving the company during implemenataion..

Functional:

1.Its always better to identify one process owner From the customer side for each process or Area.
Even though it is not with in our control the management should insist for it from the starting because it clears a lot of hurdles during implementation

2.All Functional people should have a fair idea of all the technologies used . they need not be experts but aleast they should understand the usages of it,its advantages&limitations .
(Guys with a little idea straightaway dont start urself giving techincal solutions..use the knowlege to understand what's happening..in future after enought experience u may....)
This will help u a lot when u r designing solutions...

Technical:
Let us discuss the reports..

1.The most common custom objects we see in any normal implentation(10-20% Customization) is Reports.
I personally feel the layout designing of the report should be the in the last stage of the implementation.Because the 90% of the Customer concern will be the data that he will get to analyze and 10% will be the Format it is presented.
so it is better to show the user the raw data every time using the tools like toad.Once user is happy with the data just have the sql and keep it aside.This gives us the flexibility of adding a column or removing it during the process development
Because adding a column or removing a column in tools like report builder takes a considerable amount of time.
It doesn't remove total rework but alteast reduces it considerably..

First let me list different types of reports from customer perspective..

1.Reports Presented to Authorities and top management--Look & Feel and the layout are important
2.Reports used for analyzation purpose and day-to-day operatons--like daily Shipping details report and Shipping lead time)
3.Reports Used for Record purpose--Keeping the data aside
4.MIS Reporting--Summary reports ,Report used to tally data from differnt applications in apps--Perfomance is pretty important as they run on huge data .

Let me list different reporting tools and some of their advantages


Report Builder:
Advantages:
Good for Complex layouts involving images and for Pre -Printed Document
Developer will have more control on the layout
Many Technical People knows very much how to use it
Disadvantages:
Report building time is Relatively High
Handling small layout changes is even more difficult
Data & Layout are combined into one unit--If I want to see same data in 3 different layouts we have to design three reports

PL/SQL Reports
Advantages
Easy to Build and maintain
Just PL/sql Knowledge is Enough
Should be used for analyzation reports and day-to day operation Reports
Disadvantage
Can handle only very simple layouts

XML Publisher
Advantages
Replacement for Report Builder
Can handle Complex layout also
Layout Design can be done in Microsoftword,XSLT --Compartively Easy
We can have one report with different layouts and layout can be selected at run time
I heard even we can get single report in multiple layout by running it only one time--Not sure as I have not used it
Disadvantages:
Only available in after 11.5.9(with a patch),11.5.10 onwards
Requires sound knowledge of microsoft word tables and word feautures
Many people still don’t have much idea on it..
Some time output goes wavierd on hand experience is required to find workarounds--(My own Experience)
Discoverer Reports
Advantages:
Multi Dimension analysis
Easy to build and use
Disadvantages:
Separate License
No formatting options at all..can be used only for analysis not for reporting

_ALL, _TL, _VL, _V,_F,_VL,_A,_AVN objects

we all find different objects with
lots of suffixes...her i am putting the meaning of some those
suffixes..i read this thing in one of the blogs i find it
good...so i am posting it as it will useful to understand these
things..

• 
  _ALL : Table holds all
  the information about different operating units. Multi-Org
  environment. You can also set the client_info to specific
  operating unit to see the data specific to that operating
  unit only.


• _TL are
  tables corresponding to another table with the same name
  minus the _TL. These tables provide multiple language
  support. For each item in the table without _TL there can be
  many rows in the _TL table, but all with different values in
  the LANGUAGE column.


• _B theseare the BASE tables. They are very important and the data is stored in the table with all
  validations.
  
  It is
  supposed that these table will always contain the perfect
  format data.
  
  
  If anything happens to the BASE table data, then it is a
  data corruption issue.


• _F
  these are date tracked tables, which occur in HR and
  Payroll. For these there are two date columns
  EFFECTIVE_START_DATE and EFFECTIVE_END_DATE which together
  with the PK identifies a row uniquely. The date intervals
  cannot overlap. Many think they are Secured data. Guess
  someone from Oracle confirms.




• _V tables
  are the views created on base tables


• _VL are
  views for multi language tables which combines the row of
  the base table with the corresponding row of the _TL table
  where the LANGUAGE = USERENV(’LANG’).


• _S are
  sequences, used for finding new values for the primary key
  of a table.
  


• _A
  are Audit Shadow Tables


• _AVN and
  _ACN are Audit
  Shadow Views (when data was changed, and with what values