OpenWorld Presentations Available

The 2009 PeopleTools Tips and Tricks session I presented is available (audio and slides) on Oracle OpenWorld On Demand. Unfortunately there are no screenshots for the demos.

Change the Advanced Search Page Default Search Operator

In my OOW presentation yesterday I showed that it is possible to change the default search operator for a specific advanced search page. The JavaScript required to implement this behavior follows:

<script type="text/javascript">
  $(document).ready(function() {
    var newValue = 9;
    var coll = $("select[name='APT_UI_SCRIPTS_MENUNAME$op']");
    if(coll.val() != newValue) {
      coll.val(newValue).change();
    }
  });
</script>

Note: The code above uses jQuery for event handling and therefore requires that you inject jQuery along with the JavaScript above. I demonstrate how to accomplish this in the injection blog post referenced below.

In my PeopleTools book I provide full details for implementing this behavior, but if you want to get a head start, I'll give you some hints. First, you need a mechanism for injecting this JavaScript into a search page. To learn more about injection, read my post Injecting JavaScript Libraries into PeopleSoft Pages. Next, you need a way to target a specific component. For this, see my post JavaScript complement of PeopleCode Global Vars. Your final step is to write some JavaScript to determine if the open page is a search page. I determine this by testing for the existence of an object named #ICSearch.

To determine the numerical code for a search page operator (9 = between), open the HTML source of any advanced search page and search for the option child nodes of PSDROPDOWNLIST.

Learn Development Tips and Techniques at OpenWorld 2009

Next Wednesday, October 14th, I will be sharing PeopleTools Tips and Tricks from 11:45 to 12:45 in Moscone West room 2002/2004 (level 2). In this session I will share with you some very practical development tips (TDD, design patterns, best practices, etc) as well as demonstrate exotic user interface customizations using AJAX and Flex. Time permitting, I will share with you some real-time integration solutions for legacy (non web service) applications and I won't use DB links or SQR.

What type of AJAX demonstrations do I have this year?

• Using Thickbox/lightbox with PeopleSoft
• Creating a custom toolbar
• Change the search page default search operator

Best of all, these AJAX examples are configurable, except for 10 lines of JavaScript added to one PeopleSoft delivered definition. Yes, that is right! By adding 10 lines of JavaScript to a single delivered definition, I can add code to any PeopleSoft page without modifying the page in AppDesigner. Furthermore, using Meta-data, I can configure page specific customizations or global customizations.

If you have room in your OpenWorld schedule, I highly recommend this Tips and Tricks session.

On Thursday at 10:30, come by the Create a Rich Internet UI for Oracle Applications with Oracle Application Development Framework hands on session at the Marriott Golden Gate A3 to see a demonstration of how to build mobile applications for PeopleSoft using Oracle ADF.

Here is a list of other sessions I recommend:

• How to Customize PeopleSoft Applications Safely
• Got Enhancements for PeopleSoft PeopleTools?
• PeopleSoft PeopleTools: A Panel Discussion
• PeopleSoft PeopleTools 8.50: Highlights for Application Developers
• Any other PeopleTools Session

PeopleTools 8.50 Released!

The PeopleTools team just announced the general availability of PeopleTools 8.50. I have had the fortunate opportunity to work with PeopleTools 8.50 for a couple of months and I am very pleased with the enhancements provided in this new release. For more information, please read the PeopleTools Team's blog post.

Cast your Vote for the next PeopleTools Features

Greg Kelley from PeopleTools Product Strategy just posted a request for PeopleTools enhancement ideas and votes. If you have an idea, post it in the PeopleTools Strategy Mix Group. What's that you say? You don't have any ideas? Log in to Mix anyway and vote for ideas submitted by other developers. The best ideas will be discussed at an OOW session on Wednesday, October 14th from 1:00 - 1:30 PM.

Rich Text Editor for PT 8.4x

Todd Kummer, a regular contributor to IT Toolbox, just posted a wiki that describes how to insert the FCKEditor into PeopleSoft Pages.

JavaScript complement of PeopleCode Global Vars

While writing some JavaScript for my new PeopleTools book, I came up with a JavaScript complement to some of the common PeopleCode global variables. Here is the code:

jjmpsj.sysVars = (function(url) {
  var matches = url.match(
    /ps[pc]\/(.+?)(?:_\d)*?\/(.+?)\/(.+?)\/c\/(.+?)\.(.+?)\.(.+?)$/);
  return {
    getSite: function() {
      return matches[1];
    },
    getPortal: function() {
      return matches[2];
    },
    getNode: function() {
      return matches[3];
    },
    getMenu: function() {
      return matches[4];
    },
    getComponent: function() {
      return matches[5];
    },
    getMarket: function() {
      return matches[6];
    }
  }
})(window.location.pathname);

Now, wouldn't you just love to know how I intend to use this code... to learn that you will have to wait for the book.