Understanding PeopleSoft Browser-Based Applications

You use PeopleSoft applications in a purely internet environment called the PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture, which is a server-centric architecture that requires only that a web browser be installed on individual user machines.

With your browser, you sign in to the PeopleSoft system as you would when opening any other website. After you sign in, your default homepage is displayed by the PeopleSoft system. Whether your default homepage is a fluid homepage or a classic homepage depends on system-wide settings as well as the device you use to access the PeopleSoft system.

For more information on navigating in the PeopleSoft system from a fluid homepage, see Working with Fluid Homepages and Dashboards. (For more information on navigating in prior versions of the PeopleSoft user interface, see Using the Universal Navigation Header.)

Your PeopleSoft application is delivered with a demonstration database that includes sample data to help you see how the system works. You can also use the demonstration database to experiment with specific PeopleSoft applications. The product documentation for the various applications frequently refer to the demonstration information to clarify concepts and provide a common frame of reference for examples.

While you can use your browser as you would with most websites, do not use these browser features when signed into a PeopleSoft system:

• The back button — Using the browser’s back button does not trigger standard component processing and can result in the loss of data, corruption of the navigation history stack, and other processing errors. Instead, only use the Back button that is displayed in the fluid banner or the fluid-like portal header. See Using the Back Button for more information.

• The refresh button — Using the browser’s refresh button can result in duplicate entries into the navigation history stack, the loss of data, and other processing errors. Instead, navigate away from the page and then back again.

• The Open Link in New Tab (or New Window) link — These links are available in the browser’s pop-up menu when you right-click a link. Using these links does not properly establish a new session and processing errors can occur as a result. Instead, only use the New Window link if it is available in the pagebar, which is a feature of classic pages only. See Using the Pagebar for more information.