PeopleSoft Query Tips and Tricks
Contents
Oracle Nuances
Oracle dates in the field list
The DB2 DATE() function corresponds to TRUNC() in Oracle, but TRUNC() will not work on a DateTm field once PeopleTools has (automatically) wrapped it in "TO_CHAR([datetime],'YYYY-MM-DD-HH24.MI.SS."000000"'). Instead, doing a SUBSTR([datetime], 1, 10) will return an actual date, which PeopleTools formats as 'MM/DD/YYYY', giving the same effective result as the DB2 DATE().
The DB2 functions YEAR(), HOUR(), etc. correspond to EXTRACT(YEAR FROM [date]) and EXTRACT(HOUR FROM [timestamp]) in Oracle, but PeopleTools does not allow these functions because of the FROM keyword. Use SUBSTR() to get the desired portion of the field.
Oracle dates in the criteria
In v8, DateTm fields were wrapped in a DB2 DATE() function when used in criteria. In v9, TRUNC() is the equivalent function, but is not always necessary. Most comparisons (<, <=, etc) can be done on the field itself. If the criterion is = (equal to), you may not get any results unless you truncate the DateTm.
PSQuery Limitations
Maximum of 26 records
PSQuery can have a maximum of 26 records in a query. This limitation is a result of how aliases are assigned to the recrods, namely via the alphabet [A-Z], and there is no handling for what happens after the "Zth" table is added. It does not assign an alias and the query breaks.
Other PSQuery Tips
Adding Oracle Hints to PSQueries
I haven't tried it yet, but here is a step-by-step on adding an Oracle hint to a PSQuery
