1. Pay Me Now or Pay Me Later – Query Planning
By Kent Sipes
Among our most popular training offerings are our Basic and Advanced Query classes, offered in CS, HR,
and FIN versions. And the message I most often repeat is that students must use some type of tool to
plan queries before beginning to create them. This is true in other databases besides PeopleSoft, but the
resources involved in a PeopleSoft query make planning even more important. A poorly-planned query
can unnecessarily tie up important resources, or even stop the database in its tracks.
When planning a query, ask yourself several questions:
1. Who will be using the report this query generates? This is important because the report must be
easily understandable by the end user. Depending on who will be using the information, you
might need to format the results, such as using Translate Values, more meaningful column
headings, or a different column order. You may even want to download query results to Excel for
further formatting or graphing.
2. Which tables contain the fields needed for this query? Building a query using the right tables the
first time will prevent wasted time. Also, if you know that one of the tables you’re using shares
several common fields with the other table(s) used in the query, add that table first, and join all
the others to it, if possible.
3. What criteria are necessary to filter the results? PeopleSoft contains so much information that
unfiltered results can be totally useless, due to sheer volume. Effective criteria planning helps to
ensure that you limit the results accurately.
4. Will this query be used for several different terms/employees/accounts? If so, consider using one
or more Run-time Prompts, which allow the user to customize the query each time it’s run, to fit
that user’s specific needs.
5. Use a query planning tool. This can be as involved as a template you copy and use for each
query, with spaces for fields, tables, criteria, and more. It can also be as simple as a sheet of
paper on which you jot down what you believe the query will need to contain. A formal template is
available upon request – just send me an e-mail message requesting one.
Planning a query takes a few extra minutes, but can save a lot more time that would otherwise be wasted
in unnecessary and frustrating efforts. This planning also helps you begin to think systematically about
the queries you build, saving even more time down the road. With effective planning, your queries will
more efficiently return clear, accurate results.
Kent Sipes is a Communications & Training Consultant, specializing in Query training.