PSQuery is an online PeopleTools functionality heavily used by business analysts and key users to gain information from the PeopleSoft application without the need of development or database SQL knowledge. The biggest con of PSQuery is that you end up with one static list of data, which is usually exported to Excel for further enhancement and analysis.

From PeopleTools 8.50, you now have the ability to create more in-depth analyses and productivity using drilling URLs.

When you build a query using Query Manager, you can define drilling URLs that are associated with this query using the expression option. These settings are saved into the database, along with prompt, criteria, and so on, as part of the metadata for this query. When you execute this query through Query Manager or Query Viewer, the query results page shows results as links, which you can click to be redirected to a different page in a new browser. You can create URLs for:

• Other PSQuery, for more in-depth information about a subject, actual drilldown functionality
• PIA Component, direct link to components where the keys for the search page of the component are extracted from the selected columns in the query
• External URL, non PeopleSoft URLs, for example Vendor sites
• Attachment URL, direct link to an attachment that is stored in the database or file system
• Free Format URL, any type of URL you want to construct, can be used for example to deep link to other non-PeopleSoft applications

So how does one create a drilling URL?

On 28 October PeopleTools 8.52 is presented as generally available download via eDelivery. PeopleTools 8.52 is certified to upgrades for 8.9 and later applications. Release notes for PeopleTools 8.52 can be found here.

For a quick overview of this Tools release see previous post.

PeopleTools PeopleBooks is also available via this link.

With PeopleTools you have the ability to create pagelets using the Pagelet Wizard. Pagelet Wizard pagelets, also known to the rest of the world as portlets, are small pages that provide display-only snapshots of applicable content which can be placed on the PeopleSoft Homepage. With the Pagelet Wizard you can create a variety of pagelets:

• HTML
• IB Connector
• Integration Broker
• Navigation Collections
• OBIEE Report
• PeopleSoft Query
• Rowset
• Search record
• URL

This post describes how you can get more control in formatting and setting up your HTML pagelets.

As a Peoplesoft developer (working with Peopletools-release 8.47.08), I have spent quite some time resolving issues caused by unexpected database-commits. As far a I know there’s no overall topic on this in Peoplebooks, therefore I will share my experience via this blog.

1) Database-updates via DML in a SQLExec-statement (e.g. INSERT INTO PS_TEST_TABLE VALUES(‘value_field_1′,’value_field_2′), triggered via an online component:
Peoplebooks states that DML in a SQLExec-statement is only allowed in FieldChange, SavePreChange, Workflow and SavePostChange events.
There’s a big difference in the outcome per event though; when this statement is put in a FieldChange-event, the DML is committed instantly, and this is something you probably don’t want!

2) Database-updates via DML in a SQLExec-statement (e.g. INSERT INTO PS_TEST_TABLE VALUES(‘value_field_1′,’value_field_2′), triggered via an Application Engine:
These updates are being committed according the AppEngine’s commit-settings.

2) Database-updates via a component interface, triggered via an online component (e.g. component A triggers component interface B_CI, triggering component B):
These updates are being committed as soon as the CI save-method is being invoked from the calling component (e.g. component A).

3) Database-updates via a component interface, triggered via an Application Engine (eg. AppEngine AE_1 triggers component interface B_CI, triggering component B):
These updates are being committed according the AppEngine’s commit-settings.
An exception to this rule I just recently encountered: the GetFile-statement leads to an immediate commit, even when used in an AppEngine-context!

Until now I was used to installing PeopleSoft on SQLServer 2005/2008 or Oracle 9i/10g. For this particular installation, PeopleTools 8.51 on a Unicode Oracle 11g database, I ran into two issues I never ran into before. Luckily fixes were easy, but finding a solution usually takes a lot of time.