C Using Component Interfaces

This appendix describes how to create new and modify existing component interfaces for use with Oracle Application Adapter for PeopleSoft. It also describes how to apply security to those component interfaces and how to test them.

You can:

Before using your component interface you must apply security to it and test it.

After securing and testing a component interface, you must generate its API, see Appendix A, "Generating Component Interface APIs" for more information.

Note:

This section is intended as a helpful supplement; it is not a substitute for PeopleSoft documentation. For complete and up-to-date information about PeopleSoft component interfaces, see the PeopleSoft Online Library for your PeopleSoft system.

Creating a Component Interface

You create component interfaces using the PeopleSoft Application Designer. For more information about Application Designer, see your PeopleSoft documentation.

Working With Properties

You can add properties from the records in the component view. You can delete a property in the component interface that you do not want to expose. You can rename properties by clicking the property and then clicking again until you can enter a new name. If you rename a property, it can be referenced in the component interface only by the new name, not by the underlying component name.

Properties may have various icons adjacent to them. For example, EMPLID has an icon indicating that it is a key field from the underlying record. NAME has an icon indicating that it is an alternate key field from the underlying record. For a complete list of property icons, see the PeopleBooks documentation.

Creating a New Component Interface

To create a component interface:

  1. Open the PeopleSoft Application Designer.

  2. Select New from the File menu.

    The New dialog is displayed.

    New dialog box
    Description of the illustration bea_pstu_201.gif

    Perform the following steps:

    1. Select Component Interface.

    2. Click OK.

      The Select Source Component for Component Interface dialog is displayed.

    Select source component.
    Description of the illustration bea_pstu_202.gif

  3. Highlight the component to use as a basis for the component interface and click Select.

    The Application Designer dialog is displayed.

    Application Designer dialog box
    Description of the illustration bea_pstu_203.gif

    Note:

    If the component interface is large, expose the component properties manually.

  4. To create the component interface without displaying properties and to expose component properties manually, click No.

    Perform the following steps:

    1. Drag the relevant fields from the left pane to the right pane.

    2. To select various functions to perform, right-click either the right or left pane, depending on which pane is active.

      For a complete list of functions, see the PeopleBooks documentation.

  5. To create the component interface and display the properties of the underlying component interface, click Yes.

    Component Interface
    Description of the illustration bea_pstu_204.gif

Standard Methods

The standard methods for the component interface are:

  • Create

  • Find

  • Get

  • Save

Only those methods in the underlying component are available. For example, if the underlying component does not contain Add capabilities, Create is not available.

Viewing or Changing Available Methods

To view or change available methods:

  1. Display the Component Interface Properties dialog.

    Component Interface Properties dialog box
    Description of the illustration bea_pstu_205.gif

  2. Click the Standard Methods tab.

  3. Select the desired methods.

Securing a Component Interface

You must set up security for the component interface before you can begin testing.

Configuring Component Interface Security for PeopleSoft Version 8.1x

The following procedure describes how to configure component interface security for PeopleSoft Version 8.1 in 2- and 3-tier mode.

To configure component interface security:

component interface security dialog box
Description of the illustration bea_pstu_206.gif

  1. From the Use menu, select Permission Lists, Component Interface, and then click Update/Display.

    The Permission Lists dialog is displayed. Permission Lists dialog box
    Description of the illustration i_updatedisplay.gif

    Before Security can be set, you must identify the permission lists.

  2. Select the relevant permission list and click OK.

    For more information on permission lists, see the PeopleBooks documentation.

    The following pane is displayed.

    permissions list
    Description of the illustration i_maintainsecurityuser.gif

  3. Insert the new component interface that you created.

  4. Click Edit.

    When you select the component interface, all available methods appear, including user-defined methods. You can specify whether this particular Permission List must have full or partial access.

    In the following example, the ALLPORTL Permission List has full access to all methods.

    ALLPORTL permission list
    Description of the illustration i_permissionassign.gif

  5. Select the desired level of access.

  6. Click OK.

Configuring Component Interface Security for PeopleSoft Version 8.4 or Higher

The following procedure describes how to configure component interface security for PeopleSoft Version 8.4 or higher.

To configure interface security:

component interface security
Description of the illustration bea_pstu_841.gif

  1. Expand PeopleTools, Security, User Profiles, and Permissions & Roles and then click Permission Lists.

  2. Click Search.

    The Permission Lists Search pane is displayed.

  3. Select the relevant permission list.

    The following pane is displayed.

    permission lists pane
    Description of the illustration bea_pstu_843.gif

  4. Click the right arrow next to the Sign-on Times tab.

    The Component Interfaces tab appears.

    Component Interfaces tab
    Description of the illustration bea_pstu_844.gif

  5. Click the Component Interfaces tab.

  6. Click + to add a new row to the Component Interfaces list.

    A field appears where you can enter the component interface name.

    component interface name field
    Description of the illustration i_compinterfacelist.gif

  7. Enter the component interface name and click Edit.

    This example uses the component interface AR_ITEM_AGENT.

    AR_ITEM_AGENT component interface
    Description of the illustration i_ar_item_agent.gif

  8. From the lists, select the desired access level for each method.

  9. Click OK.

    The following pane is displayed.

    access level
    Description of the illustration bea_pstu_848.gif

  10. Scroll down in the right pane and click Save.

Testing a Component Interface

Oracle Application Adapter for PeopleSoft uses PeopleSoft metadata and component interfaces; therefore, it can accommodate new or modified component interfaces. The adapter makes no assumptions about component interfaces except that they are logical and valid. Each component interface must be tested before being used as a source for the adapter.

If changes are made to the underlying application by the user or by a PeopleSoft upgrade and the changes invalidate a component interface, the user must repair the invalid component interface before the adapter uses it.

Testing a Component Interface

To test a component interface:

  1. In Application Designer, select Test Component Interface from the Tools menu.

    The Component Interface Tester dialog is displayed.

    Component Interface Tester dialog box
    Description of the illustration i_compinterfacetester.gif

  2. If required, click the Component Interface Tester dialog to bring it to the foreground.

  3. To test the component interface, use one the following methods.

    • To test the component interface using the Find method, click Find.

      The Component Interface Tester - Find Results dialog displays all of the possible entries for the underlying component. If there are more than 300 entries, a message appears.

      Component Interface Tester - Find Result dialog box
      Description of the illustration i_interfacetestresults.gif

    • In the left pane of the Find Results dialog, select a field.

    • To display the relevant data for that particular field, click Get Selected.

      The following dialog is displayed.

      changing results
      Description of the illustration i_datadisplay.gif

    • If the security settings permit, you can change the values in the individual fields.

  4. To test the component interface using the Get method, perform the following steps:

    1. Enter the existing key(s).

    2. Click Get Existing.

      This returns the exposed properties for the key that you entered. You can change values if Update access was specified.

    Alternatively, you can test using the Create method. Create method
    Description of the illustration i_compinterfacetester2.gif

    Perform the following steps:

    1. Enter all required key values.

    2. Click Create New.

      When you enter valid values in Create keys, a pane showing the JOBCODE data is displayed after the Table name is expanded with default data in place.

      JOBCODE data
      Description of the illustration i_jobcodedatadisplay.gif

      You can change fields at this point. Changes are validated against the component's underlying business logic.

    3. After you finish making changes, right-click the top item in the pane.

  5. To save your changes, click Save.

    The keys used to create the record can be used with the Get method for viewing data. The data that was added can be viewed in the PeopleSoft Component as shown in the following example. The Effective Date is one of the default values.

You have finished testing the component interface. Before using the component interface, you must generate its API. See Appendix A, "Generating Component Interface APIs" for more information.