Understanding Current Context

All PeopleCode programs, with the exception of programs associated with standard menu items, execute in a current context. The current context determines which buffer fields can be contextually referenced from PeopleCode, and which row of data is the current row on each scroll level at the time a PeopleCode program is executing.

The current context comprises a subset of the buffer fields in the component buffer, determined by the row of data where a PeopleCode program is executing. The current context includes:

• All buffer fields in the row of data where the PeopleCode program is executing.

• All buffer fields in rows that are hierarchically superior to the row where the PeopleCode program is executing.

In the following diagram, all rows enclosed in dotted rectangles are part of the current context:

In the preceding diagram, a PeopleCode program is executing in a buffer field on row R3 on scroll level two. The rows in scroll level two are dependent on row R2 on scroll level one. The rows in scroll level one are dependent on the single row at scroll level zero. The current context consists of all the buffer fields at level two row R3, level one row R2, and level zero row R1. The rows in the current context on levels one and two are the current rows on their respective scroll areas. The single row on level zero is always current and is included in any current context. All rows other than the current rows and the level zero row are outside the current context. No current row can be determined on scroll areas below the one where the PeopleCode is executing.

With PeopleTools 8, contextual references work within the structure of a rowset object, and can include references to all field objects, record objects, row objects, and rowset objects in the current context.

Contextual Reference Processing Order

PeopleCode resolves contextual references at runtime by first checking the row where the PeopleCode program is executing. If PeopleCode does not find an appropriate buffer field, it looks in progressively higher rows in the current context. The following diagram indicates this processing order:

The following diagram indicates the processing order of a contextual reference by PeopleCode program.

In typical pages, this processing order is not significant; however, if the same record occurs on more than one level of a page, you should understand how the direct reference is resolved.