40020

<Insert Picture Here>

PeopleTools Advanced Tips and Techniques
Jim Marion
Senior Applications Technology Consultant, ADS

The following is intended to outline our general
product direction. It is intended for information
purposes only, and may not be incorporated into any
contract. It is not a commitment to deliver any
material, code, or functionality, and should not be
relied upon in making purchasing decisions.
The development, release, and timing of any
features or functionality described for Oracle’s
products remains at the sole discretion of Oracle.


Program Agenda Example

• Communities and resources <Insert Picture Here>

• PeopleTools – the extensible foundation
• Extend the app server
• Extend the web server
• Extend Integration Broker
• Extend the user interface
– IScripts
– Ajax



Communities and
Resources


mix.oracle.com

• Groups
– PeopleTools
– PeopleSoft
– Enterprise Portal
– Application specific groups
• Mingle with peers
• Solicit votes for ideas
• See what other customers are asking, doing, and
want to do
• Post your own tips and techniques
• Answer your peers questions


Blogs

• http://jjmpsj.blogspot.com/
• http://blog.greysparling.com/
• IT Toolbox groups ERP > PeopleSoft
• http://blogs.ittoolbox.com/peoplesoft/rob
• http://xtrahot.chili-mango.net/
• http://peoplesofttipster.com/
• http://campus-codemonkeys.blogspot.com/
• http://blogs.oracle.com/peopletools/



PeopleTools Foundation


The Extensible Foundation
The “Tech Stack”

• Relational database
– Programmable
• Functions, procedures, triggers
• App Server
– Java VM
– Native libraries
• J2EE web server
– JSP/JSF
– Servlets
– EJB
• Web Browser



Extend the App Server


Extend the PeopleCode Language

• Operating system native libraries
– dll’s
– so’s
• Java VM
– Standard Java API
– Custom Java classes


Extend the PeopleCode Language
Why?

• Some things are easier to do in Java
– Java regular expressions versus PeopleCode String
manipulation
• Take advantage of existing libraries
– Apache POI for reading binary Microsoft Excel files
(integration)


Extend PeopleCode Language
Using the Java API

Function ResolveMetaHTML(&html as string) returns string
Local JavaObject &pattern;
Local JavaObject &matcher;
Local String &node_url;

REM ** Resolve %NodePortalURL(NODENAME) tags;
&pattern = GetJavaClass("java.util.regex.Pattern")
.compile("(?i)%NodePortalURL((w+))");

&matcher = &pattern.matcher(
CreateJavaObject("java.lang.String", &html));

While &matcher.find()
SQLExec("SELECT URI_TEXT FROM PSNODEURITEXT WHERE MSGNODENAME
= :1 AND URI_TYPE = 'PL'", &matcher.group(1), &node_url);
&html = Substitute(&html, &matcher.group(), &node_url);
End-While;
End-Function;


Extend PeopleCode Language
Custom Java Classes

REM ** Generate MD5 checksum;

Function test_md5() Returns string
Local JavaObject &jMD5;

&jMD5 = GetJavaClass("com.oracle.ads.peoplesoft.MD5");
&sig = &jMD5.encodeString("String to encode");

End-Function;


Access PeopleSoft from Java

• Within a PeopleSoft session (app or process
scheduler server)
– PeopleCode objects
• Record, SQL, Field, File, XMLDoc, etc
– PeopleCode functions
• Func.SQLExec, Func.SendMail, etc
– PeopleCode system variables
• Sysvar.UserId(), Sysvar.Roles()
– TIP: Add peoplecode.jar to your Java IDE’s classpath


Java Integration Scenario

• Vendor e-mails invoice in Microsoft Excel format
• You need to create a voucher from that invoice
• Solution
– Use Apache POI (http://poi.apache.org/) and PeopleCode
objects/functions to copy spreadsheet to staging table (Java)
– Use a component interface based on VCHR_EXPRESS to
create vouchers (PeopleCode)


Java Integration Scenario
Java Component

public static void processSpreadsheet(int processInstance) {
//POI variable initilization, etc
...
// 20 insert bind values
Object[] parms = new Object[20];
parms[0] = row.getCell(0).getStringCellValue();
// column 2 contains an integer
Parms[1] = new
Integer(row.getCell(1).getNumericCellValue().intValue());
...

// use Meta-SQL to simplify retrieving SQL from
// stored SQL object
Func.SQLExec("%SQL(MYSQLOBJECT)", parms);

...
}


Advantages of using
PeopleCode Data Objects from Java

• Avoid JDBC configuration, data access,
authentication, etc
• Simplicity of SQLExec
• Simplicity of SQL objects/cursors
• Meta-SQL expansion
• Avoid updating PS database directly


Access PeopleSoft from Java
Aditional References

• Enterprise PeopleTools 8.49 PeopleBook:
PeopleCode API Reference > Java Class
• http://tinyurl.com/2vzv9w (links to my blog)



Extend the Web Server


Extensible Options

• Standard J2EE web server options
– Servlet filters
– JSP
– JSF
– Custom Servlets
– CGI


Standard Request Response Cycle...
… and then ServletFilters

Web Server App Server
Request

est
Requ

Client/Browser
Response
se
pon
Res
Web Server
Modify Request
ServletFilter Servlet

Request

Response

Modify Response


ServletFilters

• Allow you to modify the HTTP request or response
• Examples
– Authentication
– Injection
• Monkeygrease
– Add additional HTML/JavaScript/CSS to pages
– Compression
– URLRewriting
– Encryption
– Encoding
– Request/Response header modification


Monkeygrease Examples
ServletFilter

• Highlight the active field
– http://jjmpsj.blogspot.com/2006/09/where-am-i.html
• Keyboard navigation
– http://tinyurl.com/yrwsap (links to Grey Sparling blog)
• Override CSS without customizing PeopleSoft
stylesheets


Authentication Examples
ServletFilter

• Use jCIFS to pass Windows authentication token to
web server using NTLM
– http://tinyurl.com/yuk8bl (links to my blog)



Extend Integration
Broker


Integration Broker SDK
Custom Connectors

• Create connectors to send Integration Broker
messages to targets not covered by delivered
connectors
– Databases via JDBC (JDBCTargetConnector)
– Other TCP/IP based protocols
– Anywhere, in any electronic way
• JavaTargetConnector
• ScriptTargetConnector


Vendor Batch Integration Scenario

• Open cursor on vendor table
• For each row, select row from target
– If exist, compare values
• If changed, update
– If not exist, insert
• How often do you run this?
– Too often for the system to handle (resource intensive)
– Not often enough for the user


JavaTargetConnector
Prototype

package com.peoplesoft.pt.integrationgateway.targetconnector;
import ...;

public class JavaTargetConnector implements TargetConnector {
// respond to "pings"
public IBResponse ping(IBRequest request) throws ... {
...
}
// send the message
public IBResponse send(IBRequest request) throws ... {
// look up Java class handler from config and use reflection
// to call registered Java class
}
// provide connector setup info for gateway and node setup
public ConnectorDataCollection introspectConnector() {
...
}
}


Custom Connector Advantages

• Real time integration
• Reuse PeopleSoft delivered integration points
• Changes are published at save time, you don’t need
complex logic to find them.


Custom Connectors
Custom Connectors Documentation and Examples

• SDK location: web server’s /PSIGW/SDK directory
• Java IDE configuration tips
– See /PSIGW/SDK/docs/SDK/ReadMe.txt
• Contains tips on configuring your classpath
– Most important, add /PSIGW/WEB-INF/classes to your
classpath



IScripts – The Swiss
Army Knife


What is an IScript?

• A function that can be called from a URL
• http:…/EMPLOYEE/EMPL/s/WEBLIB_ADS_FB.ISCRIPT1
.FieldFormula.IScript_GetFriends
• Takes no parameters and does not return a value
Function IScript_GetFriends()
...
End-Function;

• Contained in a record named WEBLIB_XXXXXXXX

• Provides access to %Request and %Response


What can they Do?

• Custom user interfaces
– Not bound to Page/Component paradigm
• Ajax/Flex/Applet request/response handlers
– Serve JSON, XML, or HTML in response to Ajax requests
• Excellent for testing PeopleCode snippets
• Just about anything… but choose wisely (see
disadvantages)


IScript Examples

• Bookmarklets
– Turn on session tracing
– Switch the language
– Switch users
– Get component CREF name
– Lookup component search record
• Data source for a Flex grid
• Data source for an extjs Ajax grid (http://extjs.com/)


Get Component Search Record
IScript Example

• IScript to query database
• JavaScript Bookmarklet to gather parameters


The IScript
(Declare function and variables)

Function IScript_GetSearchRecname()
Local string &menu = %Request.GetParameter("m");
Local string &component = %Request.GetParameter("c");
Local string &market = %Request.GetParameter("mk");
Local string &recname;
Local string &barname;
Local boolean &override = True;

REM continued on next slide;


The IScript
(Continued – Query the Database)

REM continued from previous slide;

REM ** select search record name override from menu defn;
SQLExec("SELECT SEARCHRECNAME, BARNAME FROM PSMENUITEM WHERE
MENUNAME = :1 AND PNLGRPNAME = :2 AND MARKET = :3", &menu,
&component, &market, &recname, &barname);

If (None(&recname)) Then
&override = False;
REM ** select search record name from component;
SQLExec("SELECT SEARCHRECNAME FROM PSPNLGRPDEFN WHERE
PNLGRPNAME = :1 AND MARKET = :2", &component, &market, &recname);
End-If;

REM continued on next slide;


The IScript
(Continued – Write the response)

REM continued from previous slide;

%Response.SetHeader("Content-Type", "text/plain");
%Response.Write("The search record is " | &recname);
If (&override) Then
%Response.Write(" and is overridden on menu " | &menu | " in
bar " | &barname);
End-If;
%Response.Write(".");

End-Function;


The Bookmarklet

javascript:
(function(){
var v1 = frames['TargetContent'].strCurrUrl;

// parse the menu, component, market
var v2 = v1.match(
//c/([w_]+?).([w_]+?).([w_]+?)b/);

// parse the url components
var v3 = v1.match(
/^(https?://)(.+?/).+?/(.+?/)(.+?/)(.+?/)/);

// open the new results window
window.open(v3[1] + v3[2] + 'psc/' + v3[3] + v3[4] + v3[5] +
's/WEBLIB_ADS_UTIL.ISCRIPT1.FieldFormula.IScript_GetSearchRecname?m=
' + v2[1] + '&c=' + v2[2] + '&mk=' + v2[3], 'results',
'width=400,height=100');
})();


The Bookmarklet
Compressed

javascript:(function(){var v1=frames['TargetContent'].strCurrUrl;var
v2=v1.match(//c/([w_]+?).([w_]+?).([w_]+?)b/);var
v3=v1.match(/^(https?://)(.+?/).+?/(.+?/)(.+?/)(.+?/)/);wind
ow.open(v3[1]+v3[2]+'psc/'+v3[3]+v3[4]+v3[5]+'s/WEBLIB_ADS_UTIL.ISC
RIPT1.FieldFormula.IScript_GetSearchRecname?m='+v2[1]+'&c='+v2[2]+'
&mk='+v2[3],'results', 'width=400,height=100');})()


Advantages of IScripts

• Unstructured Request/Response handling
– PeopleCode version of JSP/ASP
– Very few rules
• Full PeopleCode/Database access
• Leverage PeopleSoft security model
• Great for non-UI development


Disadvantages of IScripts

• No META-DATA
• No upgrade
• No component processor
– Event processing
• More difficult to develop and maintain



Ajax


Keep the User Logged In
Ajax Replacement for Timeout Warning

• Relevant JavaScript variables
timeOutURL
warningTimeoutMilliseconds
timeoutWarningID

• Clear the existing timeout and timeout warning
window.clearTimeout(timeoutWarningID);
window.clearTimeout(timeoutID);

• Ajax request to reset timeout at warning timeout interval
// Ajax URL that will reset the timeout on the server
timeOutURL.replace(/expire$/, "resettimeout");

• Set timeout interval low (5 min) and warning interval low (4 min)


The JavaScript Globals

/* clear old timeout after 30 seconds
* macs don't set timeout until 1000 ms
*/
window.setTimeout('ads_setupTimeout()', 30000);

var ads_timeoutIntervalId;
var ads_resetUrl = null;


The Setup Function

function ads_setupTimeout() {
/* some pages don't have timeouts defined */
if(typeof(timeOutURL) != "undefined") {
if(timeOutURL.length > 0) {
ads_resetUrl = timeOutURL.replace(/expire$/, "resettimeout");
if(totalTimeoutMilliseconds != null) {
window.clearTimeout(timeoutWarningID);
window.clearTimeout(timeoutID);
ads_timeoutIntervalId =
window.setInterval('ads_resetTimeout()',
warningTimeoutMilliseconds);
}
}
}
}


Injection Methods

• Modify the header HTML object
– PeopleTools Header: PORTAL_UNI_HEADER_NNS
(potential upgrade issue)
– Enterprise Portal Header:
• PAPPBR_HTMLHDR4_TOOLS
• Custom HTML object
• Monkeygrease (http://monkeygrease.org)
– Servlet filter that allows you to inject HTML into the
PeopleSoft response


Pagelet Ajax Example
Facebook (Social Networking)

• Putting it all together
– Java API, Ajax UI, IScripts


References

• Bookmarklets
– http://www.subsimple.com/bookmarklets/default.asp
• Excellent tutorial, rules, and builder
– http://www.bookmarklets.com/
• Ajax
– http://jquery.org
– http://monkeygrease.org
• Blogs with PeopleTools Tips
– http://jjmpsj.blogspot.com (My blog)
– http://blog.greysparling.com/
– http://blogs.oracle.com/peopletools/


The preceding is intended to outline our general
product direction. It is intended for information
purposes only, and may not be incorporated into any
contract. It is not a commitment to deliver any
material, code, or functionality, and should not be
relied upon in making purchasing decisions.
The development, release, and timing of any
features or functionality described for Oracle’s
products remains at the sole discretion of Oracle.


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