We all know the we can refer system profiles by using FND_PROFILE.VALUE(profile_name). There are already existing system profiles. We can also define and set up profiles not provided by Oracle, for example: FTP_TO_TARGET_SERVER_NAME. In this case, we can refer it in PL/SQL by FND_PROFILE.VALUE('FTP_TO_TARGET_SERVER_NAME'). The below are the steps to define user profiles.
1) Log in as Application Developer responsibility, click on ‘Profile’ from menu. when the form opened, input all necessary information.
Name: FTP_TO_TARGET_SERVER_NAME
Application: XX
User Profile Name: Target Server Name for FTP
Hierarchy Type: Security
Hierarchy Type Access Level: Check site and Application.
2) Switch to System Administrator responsibility
Menu: Profile -> System
Search for Profile: Target%FTP% on site level, the defined profile will be showed in the opened ‘System Profile Values’ Window. (‘Profile Option Name’ will be ‘User Profile Name ‘defined in step 1).
3) Set up the value for this profile in this window, then you can refer it by using FND_PROFILE.VALUE('FTP_TO_TARGET_SERVER_NAME').
Note: FND_PROFILE.VALUE(Target Server Name for FTP'). To avoid confusion, you can give the same name for Name and User Profile Name is step one.
This voids us to hard code the server path in the code. We can set up the different values in test and production environment without code change.