Actions

You can specify multiple types of actions for inclusion within a step. Multiple actions are commonly associated with a single step.

Do Actions

Do actions contain a SQL Select statement designed to return results on which subsequent actions depend. For instance, if a Select statement returns no rows, then subsequent actions may not need to execute. A Do action is equivalent to a COBOL Perform statement and has similar constructs.

The four types of Do actions are:

  • Do While

  • Do When

  • Do Select

  • Do Until

SQL

Most SQL actions contain a single SQL statement. These actions can perform the following types of SQL statements:

  • Update

  • Delete

  • Insert

  • Select

    A SQL action differs from a Do action, which also contain SQL, in that the SQL action does not control the flow of the program.

PeopleCode

You can include PeopleCode in a PeopleCode action. Application Engine PeopleCode provides an excellent way to build dynamic SQL, perform simple if/else edits, set defaults, and other operations that do not require a trip to the database. It also enables you to reference and change active Application Engine state records.

Most importantly, PeopleCode provides access to the PeopleSoft integration technologies, such as PeopleSoft Integration Broker, Component Interfaces, Business Interlinks, and file processing.

Log Message

You use a Log Message action to write a message to the message log based on a condition in your program. This functionality gives your program multi-language capability. The system stores the message generically as a message set, message number, and parameter values. When a user views the messages using the Application Engine Message Log page, the system retrieves the appropriate message string from the message catalog based on the user’s language preference.

Call Section

You can also insert an action that calls another section. The called section can be in the same program as the calling section, or it can be in an external program. This capability enables you to chunk your program into more maintainable, reusable pieces. If a section already exists in one program, then rather than copying it into another program you can just call it.

Note:

Application Engine supports up to 99 levels of nested Call Section actions. For example, the first called section can call a second, which can call a third, and so on up to 99 calls.