Understanding Online Views

Views in PeopleSoft applications are comparable to views used in traditional relational database management system (RDBMS) technology. A view, in essence, is a virtual table. It is created from the results of a query run against one or more tables.

When you create views to use online, you must keep the views synchronized with the database. Like SQL tables, you must have a record definition for online views because the system checks the record definitions for online processing rules. You must build the view before you can use or reference it online.

If you use a view as the basis for a page, you select existing information to display on the page. Therefore, when you create the record definition for your view, you can clone an existing record definition, delete any fields that are not used in the view, and proceed to define the view. Query views are processed the same way as view text, which is defined as part of the record.

The order in which PeopleTools creates views is based on the build sequence number that you set on the Record Type tab while the record is open. The default build sequence number is 1. For the dependent views to be created first, the build sequence number should be 0. This way, all of the 0 views are created first, then the 1 views, and finally the views that are greater than 1. The maximum build sequence that can be set is 99. Although the views are sorted alphabetically in the project, they are created based on the build sequence number.