Understanding Service Types

The PeopleSoft Related Content Framework supports nine explicitly definable service types. Each type is defined by the characteristics of its data source, which determines the information to form the complete URL that locates and requests the actual data.

When you select a service URL type, various service parameters appear for you to configure. The service parameters differ based on the service type that you select. For example, when you select Embeddable Pagelet, the Node and Pagelet Name fields appear as service parameters because the framework must know the name of the node where the pagelet resides and the name of the pagelet to construct the URL that retrieves the pagelet and its data.

In addition to system-defined service parameters, you can enter user-defined parameters, which offers maximum flexibility in configuring the service to meet business requirements.

Definable Service Types

You can explicitly define the following related content service types:

Term Definition

Application Class

Use this service type to define a PeopleCode application class as a related content service. Application class services can:

  • Access data in the component buffer.

  • Run any PeopleCode program that is valid in the FieldChange event, for example, transferring the user to another page, opening a modal window, or modifying data in the component buffer.

  • Be assigned as related actions only. With the exception of the delivered Analytic Service (for use on fluid pages only), application class services cannot be targeted to the Related Content frame because the target frame and the Related Content frame maintain separate sessions and separate buffer structures.

Embeddable Pagelet

Use this service type to define a Pagelet Wizard pagelet that has been published as an embeddable pagelet as a related content service.

Generic PeopleSoft URL

Use this service type to define any PeopleSoft object (iScript, component, and so on) as a related content service. Choose to use this option rather than the specific iScript or component type when you are not required to inherit the security specified on that object.

Non-PeopleSoft URL

Use this service type to define any non-PeopleSoft pages, external content, or services as a related content service.

Note: Use this service type to deploy Oracle User Productivity Kit (UPK) modules and topics as related content. See Creating UPK-Based Related Content Service Definitions.

OBIEE Pagelet

Use this service type to define a published OBIEE pagelet as a related content service.

You use Pagelet Wizard to create and publish OBIEE pagelets that use OBIEE reports as the data source. These OBIEE analytics reports are then consumable in the PeopleSoft system.

PeopleSoft Component

Use this service type to define a PeopleSoft component as a related content service.

The component can be from the local PeopleSoft system or from a remote PeopleSoft system. The node name specifies whether the service resides in the local or remote PeopleSoft system.

The framework also enables you to assign most PeopleSoft components as anonymous services without first creating a service definition.

However, in certain circumstances, you must create a PeopleSoft component service definition. See Explicit Definition Versus Anonymous Services.

PeopleSoft Query

Use this service type to define a PeopleSoft query as a related content service.

The query results can also be filtered based on the query definition and the parameters that it requires.

PeopleSoft Script

Use this service type to define an iScript as a related content service.

Use this service type in situations in which an iScript has been used to develop the application functionality based on PeopleSoft data or non-PeopleSoft data, such as stock quotes or weather information.

PeopleSoft Tile

Use this service type to use a tile definition as a related content service.

See Understanding Tile Definitions and the Tile Repository

The information that the system uses to construct the nine service types differs for each type and is described in the following sections.

Related Content Services as Action Items

Action items in activity guides can be explicitly defined as related content services. When creating the service definition for an action item, you can ignore the display options and the security options. The basic PeopleTools transaction security model (user-role-permission list) is used to provide user access to the service. The following service types can be used as action items:

  • Application class

  • Non-PeopleSoft URL

  • PeopleSoft component

  • PeopleSoft query

  • PeopleSoft script

See Creating and Maintaining Action Items.