Extending ERP Cloud Without Custom Code
Unlike EBS where customization means writing PL/SQL and Forms, Oracle ERP Cloud provides declarative extensibility through Application Composer and Sandboxes. These tools let you add custom fields, objects, pages, validation rules, and workflows without writing code that would be overwritten during quarterly cloud updates.
Sandboxes: Safe Development Environments
A Sandbox is an isolated environment where you make configuration changes without affecting production users. Create a sandbox in Setup and Maintenance, make your changes, test them, and then publish the sandbox to apply changes to all users. If the changes do not work, discard the sandbox with no impact on production.
Adding Custom Fields
In Application Composer (accessed through the Navigator or Setup and Maintenance), select the object you want to extend (e.g., Invoices, Purchase Orders). Add custom fields of various types: text, number, date, checkbox, picklist, or formula. Custom fields are stored in extensible flexfield columns and are automatically available in REST APIs, reports, and search.
Validation Rules
Application Composer supports Groovy scripting for validation rules and triggers. For example, to validate that a custom “Approval Limit” field does not exceed the user’s role-based limit:
// Groovy validation on a custom PO field
if (ApprovalLimit > getCurrentUserRoleLimit()) {
throw new oracle.jbo.ValidationException(
"Approval limit exceeds your authorized maximum of " +
getCurrentUserRoleLimit())
}
// Groovy trigger: auto-populate a field on create
if (isAttributeChanged('Status') && Status == 'APPROVED') {
ApprovedDate = now()
ApprovedBy = getUserName()
}Custom Objects
When your requirement goes beyond extending existing objects, create custom objects in Application Composer. Custom objects have their own fields, pages, business logic, and REST APIs. They can be related to standard objects through lookups, enabling scenarios like custom compliance tracking linked to purchase orders or custom inspection records linked to inventory items.
Preserving Customizations Through Updates
Oracle updates ERP Cloud quarterly. Application Composer customizations are preserved across updates because they are stored separately from the base application code. However, test your customizations in a test environment after each update to verify compatibility. Groovy scripts that reference internal APIs not documented in the extension guide are at risk of breaking during updates.