2. What is Component Interface?
A means to access the PeopleSoft application without using the
PeopleSoft pages.
It exposes a PeopleSoft component for synchronous access from
external application(peoplecode,c/cpp, java).
External applications need not be concerned with the details of page
structures and component definitions in order to access the underlying
data and business logic through component interfaces.
5. Elements of ComponentInterface
Every component interface has the following four main attributes
1)Name
2)Keys
GetKeys
Findkeys
CreateKeys
Generated in CI when the Use tab on the Component Properties dialog allows
the Add action
6. Elements of ComponentInterface(contd…)
3) Properties and collections (fields and records)
Provide access to both component data and component interface settings.
Two types of properties: Standard and User-defined.
• Standard properties can be set to true or false.
Examples : InteractiveMode, GetHistoryItems, EditHistoryItems.
7. Userdefined methods
• User-defined properties map to record fields on the PeopleSoft component and
are displayed in the PeopleSoft Application Designer.
• A component interface collection is a special type of property that corresponds to a
scroll.
4)Methods
• A method is a function that performs a specific task on a component interface at runtime.
• Two main types of methods: standard and user-defined.
8. Standard methods
• Standard methods are those that are available for all component interfaces.
1.Cancel: Cancels any changes made since the last save.
2.Create: Creates new instance of CI
3.Find :Performs partial key search on the particular instance of the CI
using search key at level zero.
4.Get :Retrieves a particular instance of CI.
5.Save : Saves an instance of the CI.
6.GetPropertyByName:Returns the value of the property specified by name.
7.SetPropertyName: Sets the value to the property specified by name.
9. Userdefined Methods
•Those that you can create to meet the requirements of an individual component
interface.
•A method is simply a PeopleCode function that you wish to make accessible through
the component interface
• Each method maps to a single People Code function
•The Component Interface object, instantiated from a session object, is created at
runtime as a way to access the data specified by the Component Interface.
&oSession = %Session;
&oSIdn1Ci = &oSession.GetCompIntfc(CompIntfc.S_IDN1_CI);
10. • When you populate a Component Interface with data, the first thing you fill out
are its keys, as you would in a component. These can be keys for getting an
existing instance of the data or for creating a new instance of the data.
• Component Interface properties provide access to the data in a component
buffer.
• Component Interface methods are functions that can be called to perform
operations on a Component Interface.
• Component Interface can map to only one component.
• A component can have any number of CIs.
12. Developing & Implementing CI
Design
Define Fields
Record Definition
Build Record
Defines Pages
Define Components
Define the Component Interface
Link the Component to the Menu
Authorize User Access (Security)
Test your Component Interface
• A component interface is a PeopleTools object that you create in Application
Designer.
• Add individual objects, or groups of objects, to the component interface by
dragging objects from the component view into the component interface view.
13. Creating & Working with a CI
To create a new component interface
Select File, New from the Application Designer menu.
Select the Component Interface object type from the New dialog.
Select the component on which this component interface will be based.
Save the component interface.
Add properties, collections, or methods to the component interface.
Set the security.
Test the component interface.
14. Working with Component Interface
Declaring a Component Interface Object
Component Interfaces are declared as type ApiObject. For
example: Local ApiObject &TESTCI;
Scope of a Component Interface Object
A Component Interface can be instantiated from PeopleCode, from a Visual
Basic program, from COM and C/C++.
Variables defined at Component and Global are only for Component Interface
15. Example
In this example, you are getting an existing instance of data for the EMPL_CHECK_CI
Component Interface, which is based on the EMPL_CHECKLIST component, for the
Update/Display mode.
Local ApiObject &TESTSESSION;
Local ApiObject &TESTCI;
&TESTSESSION = GetSession();
&TESTSESSION.Connect(1, "EXISTING", "", "", 0);
&TESTCI = &TESTSESSION.GetCompIntfc(COMPINTFC.EMPL_CHECK_CI);
&TESTCI.EMPLID= "8001";
&TESTCI.Get();
/* Get checklist Code */
&CHECKLIST_CD = &TESTCI.CHECKLIST_CD;
/* Set Effective date */
&TESTCI.EFFDT = "01-01-1990";
16. Component Interface
Working with a CI – Setting Security
Two ways to Secure Component Interfaces
1) Can be used to restrict access to individual methods or entire Component Interface
19. Using the CI Tester(contd..)
• Specify whether to run in Interactive mode.
In noninteractive mode, if you set a property, the property is not validated
until you perform the save. However, in interactive mode the property is
validated immediately.
• Specify whether to get or edit history items.
Selecting Get History Items retrieves history data
Selecting Edit History Items enables editing and saving of history data.
These options apply to effective-dated fields only
20. Runtime considerations
WinMessage Unavailable
You cannot use WinMessage in a component that will be used to build a
component interface. Use MsgGet() instead.
Email from a Component Interface
To use a component interface to send email, use TriggerBusinessEvent
People Code event, not SendMail.
Related Display
Related display fields are not available for use in a component interface
as they are not held in the buffer context that the component interface uses.
Row Inserts
If RowInserts have been disabled for a page, you must take care when
calling inserts against the corresponding component interface.
• Any PeopleCode associated with push buttons used on the page to add
rows will not be invoked by the component interface when an insert is
done.
21. Benefits of CI
Access to all business logic
Delivered PeopleSoft logic
Your customizations Insulated from complexities of application
Data relationships
Data Integrity
Upgradeable PeopleTools object
Result: Saves Time & Money
