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SparkyaiPeopleSoft

describe_component

describe_component shows how a component is put together: its pages and search record, the records on those pages, where it appears in navigation, and the PeopleCode that runs in it, grouped by event in the order the Component Processor fires them. It’s the starting point for questions about how a page actually behaves.

Use it for

Section titled “Use it for”
  • “Which PeopleCode runs when a user saves the Job Data component, and in what order?”
  • “What pages are in ZZ_TRAINING_REQ, and which records do they use?”
  • “Where is this component in the menu?”

Input

Section titled “Input”
Argument Type Required Description
component string Yes The component name, such as JOB_DATA. Up to 18 characters.
market string No The market. Default: GBL.
include_peoplecode boolean No List the PeopleCode programs that run in the component. Default: true.
Input schema
{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "component": {
      "type": "string",
      "pattern": "^[A-Za-z][A-Za-z0-9_]{0,17}$",
      "description": "Component name, for example JOB_DATA"
    },
    "market": {
      "type": "string",
      "pattern": "^[A-Za-z0-9]{3}$",
      "default": "GBL",
      "description": "Market, for example GBL"
    },
    "include_peoplecode": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "default": true,
      "description": "List the PeopleCode programs in the component"
    }
  },
  "required": ["component"],
  "additionalProperties": false
}

Output

Section titled “Output”
Field Description
component, market The component and its market
description The component’s description
searchRecord The search record
addSearchRecord The search record for Add mode, when it’s different
pages The pages, in order, each with name, label, and hidden when the page is hidden
records The records on the component’s pages, including subpages
navigation Navigation entries that open the component, each with label and path
menus Menu registrations, each with menu, bar, and item
peoplecode PeopleCode programs, grouped by event in firing order (see below)
lastUpdated, lastUpdatedBy When the component definition last changed, and who changed it

Each peoplecode entry has the event, the level it’s defined at, and the record, field, or page it’s attached to. It also has a path in the format that get_peoplecode accepts. The levels are record field, component record field, component record, component, and page.

Events are grouped in the order the Component Processor fires them:

  • Building the component: SearchInit, SearchSave, RowSelect, PreBuild, FieldDefault, FieldFormula, RowInit, PostBuild, Activate
  • While the user works: FieldEdit, FieldChange, RowInsert, RowDelete, PrePopup, ItemSelected
  • Saving: SaveEdit, SavePreChange, Workflow, SavePostChange
Example: component 'zz_training_req' (abbreviated)
{
  "component": "ZZ_TRAINING_REQ",
  "market": "GBL",
  "description": "Training Request",
  "searchRecord": "ZZ_TRAIN_SRCH",
  "pages": [
    { "name": "ZZ_TRAIN_REQ", "label": "Request" },
    { "name": "ZZ_TRAIN_APPR", "label": "Approval", "hidden": true }
  ],
  "records": ["ZZ_TRAIN_REQ", "ZZ_TRAIN_APPR", "ZZ_TRAIN_WRK"],
  "navigation": [
    {
      "label": "Training Request",
      "path": "Manager Self Service > Training > Training Request"
    }
  ],
  "peoplecode": [
    {
      "event": "RowInit",
      "level": "record field",
      "record": "ZZ_TRAIN_REQ",
      "field": "ZZ_TRAIN_STATUS",
      "path": "ZZ_TRAIN_REQ.ZZ_TRAIN_STATUS.RowInit"
    },
    {
      "event": "FieldChange",
      "level": "record field",
      "record": "ZZ_TRAIN_REQ",
      "field": "COURSE",
      "path": "ZZ_TRAIN_REQ.COURSE.FieldChange"
    },
    {
      "event": "SavePreChange",
      "level": "component",
      "path": "ZZ_TRAINING_REQ.GBL.SavePreChange"
    }
  ]
}

How it works

Section titled “How it works”

The tool reads these tables, with the component and market as bind variables:

Part of the result Table Notes
Header PSPNLGRPDEFN DESCR, SEARCHRECNAME, ADDSRCHRECNAME
Pages PSPNLGROUP In SUBITEMNUM order, with ITEMLABEL and HIDDEN
Records PSPNLFIELD For every page, expanding subpages (SUBPNLNAME) recursively
Navigation PSPRSMDEFN Content references whose PORTAL_URI_SEG2 and PORTAL_URI_SEG3 match
Menus PSMENUITEM Menu items whose PNLGRPNAME is the component
PeopleCode PSPCMPROG Component-level programs, plus record field programs on the records it uses
Records on the component's pages (Oracle Database)
SELECT DISTINCT F.RECNAME
  FROM PSPNLGROUP G
  JOIN PSPNLFIELD F
    ON F.PNLNAME = G.PNLNAME
 WHERE G.PNLGRPNAME = :component
   AND G.MARKET = :market
   AND F.RECNAME <> ' '

Controls that aren’t bound to a record, such as static text and frames, have a blank RECNAME, which PeopleSoft stores as a single space. Subpages appear as rows with SUBPNLNAME filled in, and the server runs the same query for each subpage.

Component-level programs are keyed by the component (10) and market (39). What follows the market tells the level: an event (12) straight after the market is component PeopleCode, a record (1) is component record PeopleCode, and a record and field (1, 2) is component record field PeopleCode.

Component-level programs (Oracle Database)
SELECT DISTINCT OBJECTID3, OBJECTVALUE3,
                OBJECTID4, OBJECTVALUE4,
                OBJECTID5, OBJECTVALUE5
  FROM PSPCMPROG
 WHERE OBJECTID1 = 10 AND OBJECTVALUE1 = :component
   AND OBJECTID2 = 39 AND OBJECTVALUE2 = :market

Record field programs on the component’s records use the record (1), field (2), and event (12) key path, with one bind variable per record:

Record field programs (Oracle Database)
SELECT DISTINCT OBJECTVALUE1 AS RECNAME,
                OBJECTVALUE2 AS FIELDNAME,
                OBJECTVALUE3 AS EVENT
  FROM PSPCMPROG
 WHERE OBJECTID1 = 1
   AND OBJECTVALUE1 IN (:rec1, :rec2, :rec3)
   AND OBJECTID2 = 2
   AND OBJECTID3 = 12

Page programs, such as Activate, use the page (9) and event (12) key path. The PeopleTools metadata primer lists every key path.

Limits and errors

Section titled “Limits and errors”
  • The tool lists the programs that run in the component, but not their code. Use get_peoplecode with an entry’s path to read one.
  • Records are found through the component’s pages. Records used only in PeopleCode, for example through CreateRecord, aren’t listed; search_code finds those.
  • PeopleCode that the component’s programs call, such as application classes and functions in other records, isn’t listed.
  • A component that doesn’t exist in the given market returns a tool execution error that lists the markets it does exist in, or the closest component names.
Section titled “Related tools”