Previously, I’ve presented a technique on how to effectively append javascript execution in your PeopleSoft pages. The technique could be used to append a stylesheet to a PS page; or run code to beautify the page, perhaps adding fancy functionality like drag-and-drop to the elements. Javascript execution using the technique, however, is static. It applies to those scenarios where you want the custom javascript to run at every page load.
Yet another thing I learned this week. It is possible to open a component directly, bypassing the search page — of course after logging in — from a URL link. In the URL, just add the search key field values in the query string. You’ll have to specify the exact search key fieldname and value pairs: ?EMPLID=AA01234&EFFSEQ=1
This could be useful when sending notifications to users via email, and you want to provide a link directly to the specific page and data.
I have recently completed prototyping a rather challenging problem that involves printing a document from a PeopleSoft page. The challenge is to find a way to print a separate document directly from the page. The functional SME somehow has an expectation that this functionality should behave like a native application — where by a click a button on the page, he will be presented by the Windows print dialog; the user can proceed and a document that is not the page being displayed will be printed on the user’s printer. Now, PIA applications are accessed via a web browser. Because of this, the features available to the application is limited by the web browser it is running on.
PeopleSoft pages use CSS-based stylesheets for defining the look (style) of each page element. CSS is a web standard for defining the presentation of a webpage. If you’re new to this concept and want to know more, there’s tons of tutorials and articles. PeopleSoft StyleSheets are created in Application Designer using a GUI editor which looks somewhat similar to Nvu’s CSS Editor:
One way to customize a PeopleSoft page is to execute javascript to manipulate the DOM. Some possible scenarios that may make this necessary: