Jim Marion

I had a little trouble creating my first App Class criteria so I thought I would share some tips on how to write an App Class for use as AWE criteria. Here are the primary secrets:

• Your App Class must extend EOAW_CRITERIA:DEFINITION:CriteriaBase (PTAF_CRITERIA:DEFINITION:CriteriaBase for 9.0 apps).
• Your constructor must take a Record definition as a parameter.
• Your constructor must set %Super by passing the criteria's ID. The following example uses the criteria ID value specified in the parameter record.
• Your App Class must implement the Check(&bindRec_ As Record) Returns boolean method.

Here is a sample template:

import EOAW_CRITERIA:DEFINITION:CriteriaBase;

class MyCriteria extends EOAW_CRITERIA:DEFINITION:CriteriaBase
   method MyCriteria(&REC_ As Record);
   method Check(&bindRec_ As Record) Returns boolean;
end-class;

method MyCriteria
   /+ &REC_ as Record +/
   %Super = create EOAW_CRITERIA:DEFINITION:CriteriaBase(&REC_.EOAWCRTA_ID.Value);
end-method;

method Check
   /+ &bindRec_ as Record +/
   /+ Returns Boolean +/
   /+ Extends/implements EOAW_CRITERIA:DEFINITION:CriteriaBase.Check +/
   REM ** TODO evaluate something here;
   Return True;
end-method;

I have a few blog posts that show how to use jQuery plugins on PeopleSoft homepages. When designing those pagelets in Pagelet Wizard, it is important that your XSL/HTML include jQuery and any necessary plugins within your pagelet's HTML/XSL. This is how my Slideshow and Accordion Navigation templates work. Including jQuery and required plugins in each pagelet, however, means that a homepage using these pagelets will have multiple instances of jQuery. jQuery is designed to load once, with plugin scripts loaded as needed. Since each pagelet has its own pointer to jQuery, as each pagelet loads, the browser tries to reload jQuery, redefining the jQuery and $ global variables and resetting the collection of previously loaded plugins. The end result is that a homepage with multiple jQuery based pagelets will only have one working pagelet. The rest will have been invalidated by the last pagelet to load jQuery.

The jQuery documentation discourages the presence of multiple instances of jQuery within the same page. The theoretical concept is that each page should load jQuery once, and sites should be written to include only one jQuery script tag. The nature of homepages with their independently managed fragments doesn't allow for this. The way I work around this is to wrap the jQuery JavaScript library in something akin to the C-style header #ifndef include guards.

if(!window.jQuery) {
/* downloaded, compressed/minified jQuery content goes here */
}

I make the same change to jQuery plugins because they often include their own setup and usage data, but, of course, testing for a different variable. Here is my jQuery UI processing protection:

if(!window.jQuery.ui) {
/* downloaded, compressed/minified jQuery UI content goes here */
}

This minor change to the jQuery JavaScript library and plugin files keeps the browser from re-interpreting these JavaScript libraries. The browser interprets these file once, and then fails the conditional for each subsequent script tag that points to that particular library. This allows plugins to load as needed and all plugin setup and usage data to persist across multiple pagelets.

Of course, the best solution would be to just have each JavaScript file referenced once. Since that isn't practical on a homepage, this solution at least ensures the files are only processed once.

It is almost time for Collaborate 2013. For those of you attending, here is my schedule:

• Wed. Apr. 10 8:15 am - 9:15 am session 107650 Delivering a Great User Experience via PeopleSoft Applications Portal
• Wed. Apr. 10 12:15 pm - 1:00 pm book signing at the Digital Guru on-site bookstore
• Wed. Apr. 10 4:15 pm - 5:15 pm session 107610 PeopleTools Developer: Tips & Techniques

I will also be working in the Oracle User Experience demo pod and visiting in the PeopleTools demo pod. I look forward to seeing you there!

We put together a podcast with a short Q&A from our latest book PeopleSoft PeopleTools Data Management and Upgrade Handbook. If you have been wondering whether or not to buy the book, listen to this podcast. Perhaps it will help you make an informed decision.