Prerequisites for Creating Rule Templates

Before you can create a rule template, you must create or select the following rule template components:

  • Rule Objects.

  • A presentation page.

  • An explanation message.

  • A derived record, or parameter holder.

Creating or Selecting Rule Objects

Most working steps in a template require a SQL object or an action. For any SQL object you create, designate a name, several descriptions, and the type of object you are building.

Template-serving objects are typically named for the template they support, for example TMPL030_U10.

See Creating SQL Objects.

Creating or Selecting a Presentation Page

This is the page used to present the detail parameters that are specific to a rule from the Template-Built Rules component. Oracle delivered templates use a number of different pages on the TL_TA_RULE_TMPLT component that may cater to the parameters required for your new template. However, rather than adding pages to the Oracle delivered and maintained component, you may prefer to use a generic user interface. Oracle provides the TL_TEMPLATE_GEN and TL_TEMPLATE_GRID, pages for those users that may not want to modify the delivered component object. Selecting either TL_TEMPLATE_GEN or TL_TEMPLATE_GRID as a presentation page means that you do not need to create a new page.

See PeopleTools 8.52: PeopleSoft Application Designer Developers Guide PeopleBook, Creating Page Definitions

Creating or Selecting an Explanation Message

This is the text that is displayed as the explanation for the rule, and is updated and stored along with each rule created based on this template. Select or create the message catalog entry as a template for the rule explanation. The message catalog entries for Oracle delivered templates all reside in the 13507 message set.

Note: The messages typically contain placeholders where rule-specific parameters are entered for each new rule. Each placeholder starts with a placeholder number, (n), and contains an uninterrupted text string that is intended to guide the user in creating the new rule. A space, period, comma, or semi-colon are all recognized as characters that define the end of the placeholder text.

See the product documentation for PeopleTools: System and Server Administration

Creating or Selecting a Derived Record

Oracle delivered templates use the record DERIVED_TL_TMPL, which contains fields that are suited for most templates. You should create your own record and place all parameters linked to a given template on the same record.