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Query Manager Enables users to easily build and run SQL queries directly against the
PeopleSoft database.
Crystal Reports A reporting tool that enables report writers to format data from PS Query
reports into an easily readable layout.
SQR A programming language that enables a report writer to build formatted reports.
nVision A PeopleSoft reporting tool used to create financial statements for the Financials
system.
Crystal Reports, SQR, and nVision are all run from specific run control pages. In order for a user to have
access to run these reports the user must have access to view and modify the run control pages.
The Query Manager tool is only available to those users that have good knowledge of SQL, relational
databases, and are deemed qualified by the IT department.
However, every user has access to the Query Viewer tool. This class will focus on three main goals:
1. Give an overview of the Query Viewer tool and teach users how to run query reports from this
tool.
2. Give a high level overview of the Query Manager tool so that users will understand the limits of
this tool when they request a report.
3. Introduce a form for requesting new or modified queries and discuss how to fill out the form.
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In this example we will look for a <Client> custom query. Choose the option of Query Name from the
Search By field. Enter the value PCC and click search.
Tip - All queries written specifically for <Client> will start with 'PCC'.
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You can also use the Advanced Search page to find queries to run.
If you find a query that you know you will want to run at some point in the future you can set it as your
Favorite. Set a query as your favorite by clicking the Favorite link.
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When you add a query as a favorite, the query will always show up at the bottom of the page when you
navigate to the Query Viewer page.
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If you run the query to HTML the system will open another browser window with your query results. From
the HTML browser window you can also download the query results into Excel or a CSV file.
If you run the query to Excel or if you download query results into Excel from the HTML window, then the
results of the query will open in an excel window. The query tool automatically formats the results for
Excel.
Download the query results to Excel.
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Tip - After your query results have downloaded to Excel you should use the Save As Excel function to
save the query with a specific name and to a specific location that is useful to you.
Run a Query with a Prompt
Some queries that you run may have prompts. Prompts are used as run-time criteria so that you will be
able to limit the result set to specific values that you enter. For example, date prompts are often used to
enable the user to select data from a specified date range.
When you run a query report that has prompts a page will display where you will need to enter information
into the prompts before results are returned.
Tip There is a limit to the number of rows a query can return. Sometimes there are prompts that allow
the user to select a range. When the range selected is too large you may run into an error that indicates
that not all of your results have been returned. In this case, select a smaller range in the prompts and try
again.
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Next, use the AutoFilter functionality. To use 'AutoFilter' follow these steps:
Select the columns that you want to have the ability to filter.
Go to the Data menu.
Select the Filter option
Select the AutoFilter option.
Now you can easily sort the data using values from all of the columns you have highlighted.
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Fields Page
The report writer can select fields from multiple tables by joining the tables together on their common 'key
fields'. The Query Manager tool does a very good job of automatically joining tables together on their
common key fields when a report writer selects multiple tables. In fact, PeopleSoft tables often have predefined table joins visible when a report writer views selected tables in the Query Manager tool.
However, Query Manager does not always join tables correctly. This will most often occur when the
report writer is attempting to gather information from tables that are not closely related. For example, if a
user is requesting data from both the HR and FIN systems together in one query the tables may have no
key fields in common to create a join.
If a report writer selects data from multiple tables and does not join the tables together on their common
'key fields' the result will be a Cartesian join. A Cartesian join produces a row for every possible
combination of the tables joined. This is otherwise known as a runaway query. A Cartesian join causes
the results of the query to be the product of the total number of rows on each table not joined. For
example, if a user selects data from Table A with 100 rows and Table B with 1000 rows, and Table A and
Table B are not joined, the results will be 100,000 rows.
Avoiding Cartesian joins is one of the primary reasons why IT departments typically restrict access to the
Query Manager tool. The other primary reason is that most PeopleSoft users do not know on which
tables the data they are looking for exists.
Tip - A user of Query Manager typically does not have access to every table in the database. In most
PeopleSoft installations a security team will decide which tables different groups of Query Manager users
will have access to. For example, a user that creates reports for the Finance department may only have
access to all the tables related to entering journal lines.
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Edit a Query
The main benefit of the Query Manager tool is that it enables a report writer to very easily build a query in
a short amount of time using a graphical user interface. The report writer will typically not need to write
any SQL when building a query using Query Manager.
Add/Delete Fields & Tables
A report writer can very easily add or delete tables and/or fields in a query from the 'Query' page. As an
example we have built a query to return all terms and their descriptions. See the below screenshot for
examples of adding and deleting fields from this query. The query writer can also delete tables from a
query on this page.
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In order to add tables the report writer will use the 'Records' page to find the correct table needed for the
query.
Add/Delete Criteria
A report writer can filter the results of a query by adding criteria on the 'Criteria' page. Adding criteria to a
query limits the results returned by the report. Criteria will limit the rows returned in a report by only
selecting rows where a field is restricted to the value(s) entered in the criteria.
For example, let's add some criteria to our example query. For this criterion we only want to return rows
where the term is fall.
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Now let's look at the results of the query. As you can see the rows returned are limited to only terms
where the description is 'Fall'.
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Add a Prompt
A report writer can enable the query user to filter the results at run-time by adding prompts to a query. A
prompt is criteria for a field where the query user chooses the value(s) before running the query. As an
example let's add a prompt on the term field for our example query.
Now lets see what happens when we run this query with the newly created prompt.
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Requester Name & Campus Who are you and what campus do you work at?
Requester Email Address and Phone # - The IT team may have to contact the requester for more
information.
If this is a request for the modification of an existing query, what is the query name?
Description of New Query or Modification to Existing Query - Please give a detailed description of
the query you want built or changed. Include an overview of the data you are trying to gather for
the report.
Fields Added to Query - Please enter the fields that you need added to the query. It is extremely
helpful if you indicate the pages where the fields you are requesting exist. This gives the report
writer the ability to quickly identify where in the database the requested data exists. To indicate
the page, navigate to the page in PeopleSoft where the field you are looking to report on exists.
While you are viewing this page click CTRL and J at the same time. A new page will display.
You will be able to see the name of the page as well as other information.
Describe the Criteria Needed for the Query Please give a detailed description of the filter
criteria needed for the query.
Describe Any Prompts Needed for the Query Please give a detailed description of any prompt
fields needed for the query.
Reason for Request - Please enter the reason you are requesting the query. This will help the
report writer determine if the data requested is correct. It will also enable the IT team to prioritize
query requests.
Sometimes the user may not know on what pages the requested data exists. If this is the case the user
must give a detailed description of the data needed in the query. It is likely that the report writer will
contact the query requester if the requirements for the query are not clear.
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