Understanding Field Definitions
Fields are the basic building blocks in your PeopleSoft system; in database terms, they represent columns in a table or view. Field definitions are stand-alone development definitions, defined in PeopleSoft Application Designer, and can be shared across multiple record definitions. Changes to field properties affect all records that include that field.
Each field definition includes attributes, such as data type, field name, long name, short name, field length, and various formatting values.
Fields in Record Definitions
By grouping fields that share a common theme, you build a record definition. For example, a department table (record definition) might include a department ID field, department name field, location field, and so on.
For each field definition that you add to a record definition, you define additional characteristics, called record field properties, that are specific to the way the field is used in that particular record. Record field properties are not shared with other records in which the field is used.