PeopleCode - Overview

Introduction
What is PeopleCode?

• PeopleSoft’s own Proprietary language

• Used to incorporate sophisticated business rules into

PeopleSoft applications

• Gives the capability to enhance applications beyond the

capability of the PeopleTools

• Allows to create more complex validations and programs

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 Accessing PeopleCode
Prior to PeopleTools 8
• Record Field
• Menu Item
PeopleTools 8
• Record Field
• Page
• Component
• Menu Item (Pop-Up only)
• Component Interface
• Message and Message Channel
• Application Engine
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 Editing PeopleCode
• PeopleCode supports the standard text editing features and
functions such as Save, Undo, Cut, Paste, Find and
Replace.
• No Need to Format PeopleCode – Just be concerned about
the correct Syntax
• Does not format anything within the Quotes
• Fieldnames are converted to Uppercase
• Variable match their First Occurrence
• PeopleCode is Case-Insensitive, except for quoted literals

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 Referencing Fields
Referring to a field by … Assumes that …

^ The field is on the

current record definition
Fieldname The field is on the
current record definition
Recordname. The field is on different
Fieldname record definition

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 PeopleCode Statements
• Statement can be a
– Declaration
– Assignment
– Program Construct (Such as a Warning Statement or a
conditional loop)
– Subroutine calls
– And so on…

• PeopleCode statements should end in a semicolon

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 PeopleCode Statements
Comments

Remark Comments;
Or
REM Comments;
Or
/* Comments */
Or
/* Comments <* Inside nest *> Comments */

Assignments

Addition + PRICE + TAX

Subtraction - GROSS - TAX
Unary Negation -10
Multiplication * PRICE * QUANTITY
Division / ANNUAL_PAYMENTS / 12
Exponentiation ** DIMENSION ** 3
String Concatenation | CITY | “,”| STATE

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 PeopleCode Statements
IF statement
If condition then
<PeopleCode Statements>;
Else
<PeopleCode Statements>;
End-if;

– You can have Nested IF statements

– Relational Operators

• = Equal To
• != , <> Not Equal To
• > , >= Greater than , Greater than or Equal to
• < , <= Less than , Less Than or Equal to

– Relational Operators

• NOT
• AND
• OR

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 PeopleCode Statements
ERROR statement
Error (“<message>”);

WARNING statement
Warning (“<message>”);

EVALUATE statement
Evaluate <field or &variable>
When = <Value1>
<PeopleCode statements>;
--------------------------------
When-Other
<PeopleCode statements>;
End-Evaluate

BREAK statement
Break;

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 PeopleCode Statements
For Loop
For <&variable> = <Start-Value> to <End-Value> [step <stepvalue>]
statement;
statement;
End-For;

While Loop
While <condition>
statement;
statement;
End-While;

Repeat-Until Loop
Repeat
statement;
statement;
Until <condition>;

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 Component Processor
• Controls how PeopleSoft manages applications from Initial
data retrieval through updating the database
• Throughout the process, Component Processor applies
PeopleCode at different time
• PeopleCode events fire at particular times and in particular
sequence during flow of execution

• Whenever you code PeopleCode to enforce a business rule,

you will need to know three things
– WHEN you want the PeopleCode to execute
– WHERE to place the PeopleCode
– WHAT PeopleCode syntax to use

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 Component Processor
General Areas where the Component Processor Performs PeopleCode
– During the Search Process
– Before the displaying the Page
– After a field Changes
– After inserting and deleting a row
– After page is saved
– After processing pop-menus

Search Events
• SearchInit fires before the search dialog box appears to initialize fields or apply defaults to search
• After entering appropriate search values and Search push button is clicked, SearchSave PeopleCode will perform. It is
used to either force a user to enter a value into the dialog, restrict the ranges of codes that can be added, or edit the
valued entered
• Both the Search PeopleCode event will perform if the PeopleCode is attached to the search records to fields that
appear in the dialog (Search Keys and Alternate Search Keys)

Page Startup Events

• Before displaying the Component to a User, seven PeopleCode events are invoked RowSelect, PreBuild,
FieldDefault, FieldFormula, RowInit, PostBuild and Activate.
• If User changes an action, The component processor displays the page again, the Component Processor performs
FieldDefault, FieldFormula, and RowInit PeopleCode, if appropriate. PreBuild and PostBuild are executed only once
when Component is built. Activate fires only when the user selects the page.

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 Component Processor
Field Action Events
• FieldEdit and FieldChange are activated when the value of a field is changed
• FieldEdit validates the new value. FieldChange does the processing based on the new (and valid) value of the field

Row Action Events

• RowInsert is performed after inserting a new row of data. When a row insert is performed, the component processor
will also perform RowInit on just the one new row as part of displaying the page.
• RowDelete PeopleCode is performed after deleting a row of data.

Save Action Events

• One the User presses the Save button, it tells the Component processor to take the information that has changed in its
buffers and update it to the database. Before it updates the database, it goes through three PeopleCode events:
SaveEdit, SavePreChange and Workflow.
• SaveEdit performs consistency, or relational, edits among multiple fields on a record definition and can also edit
multiple rows of data in the buffer. SavePreChange does last minute processing just before the Component processor
updates the database
• Workflow PeopleCode triggers a Business Event
• SavePostChange happens after the Component Processor isses the appropriate SQL command to update the database.
SavePostChange mainly updates other tables. After SavePostChange successfully executes, an SQL Commit
command will be performed on the database

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 Component Processor
Pop-Up Menu Events
• PrePopup event fires before the pop-up menu is displayed. This allows a PeopleCode program to conditionally alter
the appearance of one or more menu items. For instance, a menu can be disabled (grayed out) or hidden temporarily.
• If the user selects a menu item from the Pop-up list that has a PeopleCode program attached to it, then the
ItemSelected event will fire.

Add Action
• Add Processing is handled quite a bit differently by the Component Processor. For rows added with a new search
(high-level) key, a flow of RowInit, SearchInit, FieldEdit, FieldChange, SaveEdit, and then finally SearchSave is
processed prior to User receiving the GUI.

Deferred Processing
• In PIA architecture all the component buffers are on the Application Server and all the PeopleCode is executed on the
Application Server. This can result in a performance impact when there is a lot of field action processing – that is
FieldEdit and FieldChange peoplecode, along with standard system field edits.
Mitigating the Performance Impact
• No automatic trip back to server. In other words, if a field is changed and there is no FieldEdit or FieldChange
PeopleCode on the field, record defaults and FieldDefault PeopleCode will not be run until some other action causes
the trip to the server
• Developers are encouraged to put FieldEdit validations in SaveEdit to save trips to server
• Developers have the option of enabling the deferred processing, which will will automatically defer standard fields
edits, FieldEdit and FieldChange events.

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 PeopleCode Events
SearchInit (SrI) PeopleCode
• Performs before the search record dialog box displays.
• Controls processing before a user enters values in the search key and alternate search keys
• Only performs only if the search record with search keys and alternate search key is associated with the peoplecode

PSUSERSELF_SRCH.OPRID = %OperatorId;
SetSearchDialogBehaviour(0);

SearchSave (SrS) PeopleCode

• Performs after the User clicks OK in the search dialog box
• Provides a way to edit information entered in the search record dialog box
• Also used to force the user to input atleast one field into the dialog box

If Not RecordChanged(STUDENT_TBL.STUDENT_ID) And

%Mode <> “A” then
Error (“You must enter at least one search value”);
End-If;

RowSelect (RSe) PeopleCode

Performs as the Component Buffer reads data into the component
RowSelect can prevent the component processor from loading specific rows of data into the component

If COUNRSE_TBL.COURSE_TYPE = “DISC” then /* Discontinued */

DiscardRow();
End-If;

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 PeopleCode Events
PreBuild PeopleCode
• Component PeopleCode event
• Fires before the rest of the component build events
• Often used to hide or unhide pages
• Also used to set global or component scope variables that can be used later by PeopleCode located in other events

If %Mode <> “A” Then

Hide(field.ADD_MODE_IND);
End-If;

FieldDefault (FDe) PeopleCode

• Once the Component Processor fills the component, it attempts to set defaults for fields without a value. If a record
default is specified for the blank field, the default value is applied.
• FieldDefault is applied only when field to which it is attached has not value. Once the field has a value, the
Component processor ignores the program.

If None(STUDENT_TBL.STUDENT_ID) Then
STUDENT_TBL.STUDENT_ID = “NEW”;
End-If;

FieldFormula (FFo) PeopleCode

• Once FieldDefault completes successfully, the Component Processor performs FieldFormula PeopleCode
• Mainly used on the record definitions for PeopleCode function libraries (FUNLIBs). These record definitions store
common routines that can be called from other programs

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 PeopleCode Events
RowInit (Rin) PeopleCode
• Performs the first time the component processor encounters a row of data. This occurs for every new row of data
brought into the component after the buffer allocation process.
• It also occurs when a users performs a RowInsert, but just on the one new row of data.

If None(PS_STUDENT_TBL.STUDENT_ID) Then
Gray(PS_STUDENT_TBL.STUDENT_ID);
End-If;

PostBuild PeopleCode
• Component PeopleCode event
• Used to Calculate values and set display characteristics of an object

If AMM_PUBLIST.NRID < 1 Then

GetPage(Page.AMM_RAWNRXML).Visible = False;
End-If;

Activate PeopleCode
• Page PeopleCode event
• Fires each time a page is activated
• Page Processing, such as enabling a field or hiding a scroll

SetGridLables(%Panel, Record.AMM_CHNL_SECVW);

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 PeopleCode Events
FieldEdit (FEd) PeopleCode
• Performed after a field has changed and a new value fo the field satisfies the standard system edits
• Used to validate the contents of the field
• Assignments statements should not be performed in FieldEdit

If PS_HDR.ORDER_STATUS <> “IN” Then

Error Msgget(20000,1,”Message not found”);
End-If;

FieldChange (FCh) PeopleCode

• Performed after the FieldEdit has performed successfully
• Usually when a field has changed, other fields may need to be calculated again or change the display characteristics

If PS_HDR.ORDER_STATUS <> “IN” Then

&PO_HDR.ORDER_STATUS.Enabled = False;
End-If;

RowInsert PeopleCode
• Performed when a new row is added
• Used to Override effective-dated processing, or to auto number new rows of data

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 PeopleCode Events
RowDelete (RDe) PeopleCode
• Performed when a new row is deleted
• Used to caculate running totals or prevent a row from being deleted
• After the RowDelete finishes, the Component processor performs FieldDefault and FieldFormula peopleCode.

If PS_HDR.ORDER_STATUS <> “IN” Then

Error Msgget(20000,1,”Message not found”);
End-If;

FieldChange (FCh) PeopleCode

• Performed after the FieldEdit has performed successfully
• Usually when a field has changed, other fields may need to be calculated again or change the display characteristics

If PS_HDR.ORDER_STATUS <> “IN” Then

&PO_HDR.ORDER_STATUS.Enabled = False;
End-If;

RowInsert PeopleCode
• Performed when a new row is added
• Used to Override effective-dated processing, or to auto number new rows of data

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 PeopleCode Events
SaveEdit (SEd) PeopleCode
• Performed when tries to save the component
• Used to validate data before it is updated to the database
• SaveEdit makes sure that all the changes have been made before the validation takes place

SavePreChange (SPr) PeopleCode

• Performed after the SaveEdit has performed successfully
• Provides last chance to manipulate data before the database is updated

Declare Function assign_student_id PeopleCode FUNCLIB_PSU.STUDENT_ID FieldFormula;

If PSU_STUDENT_TBL.STUDENT_ID = “NeW” then

assign_student_id(PSU_STUDENT_TBL.STUDENT_ID);
End-If;

Workflow (Wrk) PeopleCode

• Segregates the PeopleCode related to workflow from rest of application’s peoplecode
• All Workflow peoplecode programs must include atleast one use of TriggerBusinessEvent() or Virtual_Router()
Funclib function, which uses the TriggerBusinessEvent() function internally

SavePostChange (SPo) PeopleCode

• Performed after the SavePreChange has successfully completed and CP has update the database
• Used to update the data outside the component buffer, but still in the same database

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 PeopleCode Variables
• User-defined variables are required for temporarily holding
the data in PeopleCode
• All variable names must begin with & and can be
maximum in 18 characters in length, including the
ampersand.
• Fields from Derived/Work Records add more flexibility to
the system as they can be placed on the pages

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 PeopleCode Variables
Variable Type Duration (Scope) Purpose Disadvantage

Local Program Passes values within a Cannot display on a page

single program

Component Component Passes values between all Cannot display on a page

program within a
component
Global PeopleSoft Session Passes values between all Too Numerous to mention
components for a user
session
System Application Installation Hold values for reference
from any code

Derived/Work Fields Component Display values on a page Cannot write to database

and passes values between
all programs with a single
component

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 PeopleCode Variables
• LOCAL <type> &VarName;

• COMPONENT <type> &VarName;

• GLOBAL <type> &VarName;

<type> = Number String Boolean Date Time Datetime Object Any Float Integer

• System Variables
• %Date
• %Time
• %UserId
• %Mode
• %Page

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 Object Oriented Programming
• PeopleSoft delivers classes of objects that one can manipulate with PeopleCode

• CLASS is an formal definition of an object and acts as a template from which an

instance of an object is created at runtime. This class defines the properties of the
object and the methods used the control the object’s behaviour.
• Eg, Array, File, Field, SQL and so on…

• OBJECT represents a unique instance of a data structure defined by the template

provided by its class. Each object has its own values for the variables belonging to
its class and responds to methods defined by that class.

• METHOD is a procedure or routine, associated with one or more classes, that acts
on an object.

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 Object Oriented Programming
INSTANTIATING OBJECTS
• Usually Instantiated (created from their class) using built in functions or methods of other
objects
• Some objects are instantiated by the data already present in the buffer
• Some objects are instantiated from an already created definition like a Component Interface

• Eg: following creates a field object that references an employees name

Local Field &Field; /* Declare */
&Field = GetField(STUDENT_DATA.STUDENT_NAME); /* Instantiate */

• Eg: following returns a record object for a record already in the page buffer
Local Record &REC1, &REC2; /* Declare */
&REC1 = GetRecord(); /* Instantiate */
&REC2 = CreateRecord(RECORD.COURSE_TBL); /* Instantiate */

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 Object Oriented Programming
OBJECT PROPERTIES
• To set or get characteristics of an object, or to determine the state of an object, the properties
of the object need to be accessed using the DOT NOTATION syntax

• Object.Property = Value;
Eg: (i) &Field.Visible = False;
(ii) &x = &Field.Value;
(iii) If &Rowset.ActiveRowCount <> &I
Some of the properties of Field Class are as follows,
• Visible
• Value
• Name
• Label
• IsYesNo
• IsKey
• Enabled
• EditError

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 Object Oriented Programming
OBJECT METHODS
• In order to execute a method, the reference to an object is followed by the DOT NOTATION
(period) and then the method name. Methods are easily identified by parentheses appearing
after the method name.

• Object.Method();
Eg: (i) If &REC1.GetField(&R).Name = “NEW” then
(ii) If &REC1.CompareFields(&REC2) then
(iii) If &ROW = &ROWSET.GetCurrRow();

Some of the methods of Field Class are as follows,

• GetShortLabel(LabelId)
• GetLongLabel(LabelId)
• SetCursorPos(PAGE.Pagename)
• SetDefault(RECNAME.Fieldname)

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 Object Oriented Programming
PASSING OBJECTS
• All PeopleCode objects can be passed as function parameters, thus enabling the application
developer to pass complete data structures between peoplecode functions

Local Rowset &ROWSET;

Local Record &RECORD;

Function Process_Rowset(&ROWSET as Rowset)

For &I = 1 to &ROWSET.RowCount
For &J = 1 to &ROWSET.RecordCount
&RECORD = &ROWSET.GetRow(&I).GetRecord(&J);
[do stuff to the data here]
&RECORD.Update();
End-For;
End-For;
End-Function;

&ROWSET = GetLevel0();
Process_Rowset(&ROWSET);

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 PeopleCode Functions
CATEGORIES OF FUNCTIONS
• Internal-PeopleCode:
A PeopleCode routine that is stored in the same program where it is used. Defined by a Function
statement.
• External-PeopleCode
A PeopleCode routine that is stored in a different program from where it is used. Defined by a
declare statement with the keyword PeopleCode
• External-Non-PeopleCode
A common C++ (or other language routine that is loaded from DLL. Defined by a Declare
statement with the keyword library.

FUNCTION STATEMENT

Function <function-name> (<parm1>,<parm2>,…)

statement;
statement;
End-Function;

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 PeopleCode Functions
DECLARING A FUNCTION

Declare Function <Function-Name> PeopleCode <RecordName.FieldName> FieldEvent;

CALLING A FUNCTION

PeopleCode Functions are called using the name of the function and passing the correct number
of parameters in paratheses. The number of parameters need to match the parameters used by
the function

Declare Function assign_student_id PeopleCode FUNCLIB.STUDENT_ID FieldFormula;

if PSU_STUDENT_TBL.STUDENT_ID = “NEW” then
assign_student_id(PSU_STUDENT_TBL.STUDENT_ID);
end-if;

RETURNS STATEMENT

Function <Function-name> (<parm1>,…) returns <type>

Returns <Expression>;

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 PeopleCode Functions
BUILT-IN FUNCTION

• Page Buffer Functions: Modify fields, values & variables within the buffers
• Scroll Buffer Functions: Manipulate scroll area records for various purposes
• Logical Functions: Check if values exist for a field
• Date & Time Funcs: Used to easily calculate & manipulate dates
• String Functions: With with character strings
• Double-Byte Char Funcs: Supports the languages that utilise double-byte char’s
• Number functions: Work with numeric values
• DOS functions: Control DOS processes
• API functions: Include WinExec WorkFlow, RemoteCall etc…

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 PeopleCode Functions
MESSAGE CATALOG FUNCTION

• MsgGet
MsgGet (<MessageSet>, <MessageNum>,”DefaultMsgTxt”[,<Bind1>,…])

• MsgGetText
MsgGetText(<MessageSet>, <MessageNum>,”DefaultMsgTxt”[,<Bind1>,…])

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 PeopleCode Functions
Gray/Ungray and Hide/Unhide FUNCTION

• Procedural Method
Gray(<recordname.fieldname>);
UnGray(<recordname.fieldname>);

• Object Based Method

<Recordname.fieldname>.Enabled = False;
<Recordname.fieldname>.Enabled = True;

IsChanged, IsNew, IsDeleted FUNCTION

&Field.IsChanged
&Record.IsNew
&Row.IsDeleted

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 PeopleCode Functions
Other Important Functions FUNCTION

• PriorValue
• RTrim, Ltrim, Substring
• OriginalValue
• SetCursorPos Method

Local Field &Qty;

&Qty = GetField(PSU_PO_DTL.QTY);
If All(&Qty.OriginalValue) then
&Orig_Qty = &Qty.OriginalValue;
if &Qty.value > &Orig_Qty then
Error MsgGet(20000,30,”Message Not Found”);
End-If;
End-If;

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 Accessing Buffer
• ActiveRowCount
<RowSetName>.ActiveRowCount
• TotalRowCount
<RowSetName>.TotalRowCount
• Value,FetchValue and UpdateValue
<RowNumber>.<RecordName.Fieldname>.value /* Object Based */
FetchValue(<RecordName.Fieldname>,<RowNumber>) /* Procedural */
UpdateValue(<RecordName.Fieldname>,<RowNumber>) /* Procedural */

DATA Buffer Classes

• Rowset Data structure used to describe a hierarchical data
• Row single row of data in a component scroll
• Record single instance of data within a row
• Field single instance of data within a recordw

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 Accessing Buffer
&RowSet = GetLevel0();
&RowSet = GetRowSet(Scroll.RecordName);
&RowSet = &Row.GetRowSet(Scroll.RecordName);

&Row = &RowSet.GetRow(n);

&Record = &Row.GetRecord(RECORD.RecordName);

&Field = &Record.GetField(FIELD.Fieldname);

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 Traversing Buffer
TRAVERSING = ROWSET > ROW > RECORD > FIELD

Declare the data buffer objects

Local Rowset &RS0, &RS1; /* Level0 and level1 rowsets */
Local Row &Row0, &Row1; /* single row at level0 and level1 */
Local Record &Rec1; /* record */
Local Field &Field1; /* field */

&RS0 = GetLevel0();

&Row0 = &RS0.GetRow(1); OR &Row0 = &RS0(1);

&RS1 = &Row0.GetRowSet(Scroll.Level1-Record);

&Row1 = &RS1.GetRow(1) OR &Row1 = &RS1(1);

&Rec1 = &Row1.GetRecord(Record.Recordname);
OR
&Rec1 = &Row1.Recordname;

&Field1 = &Rec1.FieldName; Then you can use sa &Field1.Enabled = False;

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PeopleCode Variables

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