Setting Up the Definition Table

To set up the Definition Table, use the Definition Table (INTRFC_DEFINITION) component.

Page Name

Definition Name

Usage

Interface Definition File Page

PI_FILE1_PNL

Set up a file layout for the import or export file.

Interface Definition Record Page

PI_FILE2_PNL

Set up the records in a file.

Interface Definition Fields Page

PI_FILE3_PNL

Set up the fields in a record.

Use the Definition Table component to define the physical structure of the export or import file, including the records in the file and the fields in the records. Any field defined in the Field Definition Table component can be added to the Definition Table component.

Note: Each record in the file must include the field that is defined as the EMPLID on the System Table component.

Warning! If you use PeopleSoft Application Designer to change any of the tables or fields set up using the PS Tables component, you must make sure that these changes are reflected in the PS Tables component as well. If you think that a change that you have made has not taken affect, delete the database cache file and log back into the system.

See PeopleTools: Application Designer Developer’s Guide

Use the Interface Definition File page (PI_FILE1_PNL) to set up a file layout for the import or export file.

Navigation:

Set Up HCM > Product Related > Payroll Interface > Interface Controls > Definition Table > Interface Definition File

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Interface Definition File page.

Interface Definition File page

File ID Definition

Field or Control

Description

System ID

Select the system ID for the third-party payroll system.

Convert Case

Select this check box to have the system automatically select the Conv. Case check box for each new field that you enter on the Interface Definition Fields page of this component. If you need to update the value of the Conv. Case check box for existing fields, you must manually select or deselect that check box on the Interface Definition Fields page for each of those fields. Selecting or deselecting the check box on this page does not update existing values.

Include Header

Is on or off by default according to values that are set up on the System Table component for the selected system ID.

PI Record Length

Select to enter the record length for the file type. For comma-separated (CSV), tab-delimited, and other delimited file types, the value must be zero.

Max Fields Per Output Rec (maximum fields per output record)

Used for logical records. Select the value that is defined by the third-party payroll system.

External Field ID Indicator

Used for logical records. When this check box is selected, the data records contain the external field ID as defined on the Interface Field1 page for all of the fields that are defined in the interface definition record.

Use the Interface Definition Record page (PI_FILE2_PNL) to set up the records in a file.

Navigation:

Set Up HCM > Product Related > Payroll Interface > Interface Controls > Definition Table > Interface Definition Record

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Interface Definition Record page.

Interface Definition Record page

Field or Control

Description

Rec Seq Nbr (record sequence number)

Select to indicate the sequence of each record within the file.

Note: The system assigns sequence numbers as you add or delete records. If your external system requires a specific record sequence, make sure the sequence reflects that.

Record ID

Each record definition should have a unique ID. Record definitions are used for organizing data for the Export process and for defining the export file. So you are likely to have more record definitions on this table than are described by your payroll system documentation.

If the third-party payroll system has its own record IDs, you might want to use those.

Record Type

Select from the following:

  • Header: Written out first to identify the beginning of a file. Multiple headers are allowed.

  • Trailer: Written out last to identify the end of a file.

  • Data: Imported or exported data. A data record must have a primary PS record.

  • Process: Record definitions used by a COBOL process and associated with specific process events, such as stop deductions. Process records must also identify theBase Rec field (base record).

  • Not Procd (not processed): Used for import files only. This indicates a payroll system record within the import file that is not processed by Payroll Interface.

    If you select any type other than Process, then the row builds a record type within the file.

    If you have multiple data-type records, the first data record should have the Primary PS Record set to Job.

    Note: (for CSV files) Each data-type record needs to be assigned to a separate, individual interface definition file. If you have multiple records (and interface definitions), assign each of them to the appropriate PI Configuration ID.

PS Record

Select to identify the PeopleSoft table that is selected from (for export) or inserted into (for import) as the primary PeopleSoft table for this interface record.

Note: Each data record must contain the field that is defined as the employee field ID on the System Table component.

Base Rec (base record)

Available for process record types.

The data value that is used in the Base Rec field is a record sequence number from another row on this table. The base record ties the indicated process to another sequence number row. For example, if the row that is labeled with sequence number 80 concerns deduction data and the row that is labeled 140 defines the process ID that is used to stop the deduction, then 80 is the base record for record sequence number 140.

Occur Ind (occurrence indicator)

Select to identify the correspondence between rows in the PS record and the records in the export file.

  • Multi Recs to Multi Defn Recs (multiple records to multiple definition records)

    Data is pulled from a PeopleSoft record that may have multiple records (or rows) of information to multiple definition payroll system records (or rows) of information. The Occurrence Key field is required to distinguish each occurrence.

    Example: Ded Calc and Additional Pay may have more than one row of employee data that the system needs to read to determine whether data changed. You would pull all rows of data and write them to multiple rows on the payroll system data file.

    Example:

    (SSN, Ded Code, Ded Amount)

    "354567980","401K",200.00

    "354567980","HEALTH",150.00

    "354567980","UWAY",50.00

    "354567980","VISION",25.00

    or

    (SSN, Pay Code, Pay Amount)

    "354567980","CAR",200.00

    "354567980","DIEM",250.00

    "354567980","FLEX",60.00

  • Multi Recs to Single Defn Rec (multiple records to single definition record)

    Data is pulled from a PeopleSoft record that may have multiple records (or rows) of information to a single payroll system record (or row) of information.

    Example: Direct Deposit may have more than one row of employee data that the system needs to read in order to determine whether the data changed. You would want to pull all rows of data from PeopleSoft and write them to one row on the payroll system data file.

    Example:

    (SSN, Trans/ABA, Account #, Account Type, Amount)

    "354567980","123456789","85987-00","C",500.00,"123456789",85987-001","S",200.00,"123456789","85987-002","S",50.0

  • Single Rec to Single Defn Rec (single record to single definition record)

    Data is pulled from a single PeopleSoft record (or row) and put in a single payroll system record (or row) of information.

    Example:

    (Name, Address, City, Country)

    "Doe,Jane","854 Mill Rd","Anywhere","USA"

Instance ID

Defined on the Instance Table - Interface Instance Table page.

Process ID

Select when a special COBOL process is required to correctly translate or format PeopleSoft values for your payroll system.

Payroll Interface delivers process IDs for several special events. These events set an indicator that can be used later by another special process indicator:

See Reviewing Delivered COBOL Processes for Special Events.

Record Terminated Value and Record Terminated Length

Available for data entry only if the file type selected on the Interface Definition File page is Physical or Logical. Enter a value only if your external payroll system needs a specific value to identify the end of the record.

Use the Interface Definition Fields page (PI_FILE3_PNL) to set up the fields in a record.

Navigation:

Set Up HCM > Product Related > Payroll Interface > Interface Controls > Definition Table > Interface Definition Fields

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Interface Definition Fields page.

Interface Definition Fields page

Fields

Use the options in the Fields group box to define, order, and group the individual fields in a record.

Field or Control

Description

Field Sequence (field sequence number) and Field ID

Select to enter a field and its position within the record (field IDs are defined on the Field Definition Table component).

Note: When you set up a transaction and its corresponding stop transaction, the field sequences in both records must match.

Redefine (redefine)

If the field's position in a record is also used by a subsequent field for a different purpose, use this check box to select the secondary field for later use. The secondary field must immediately follow the first definition with this position in the record.

Start Position, Field Length, and Field1 Name

Calculated from the Interface Field Table.

For physical files, the starting position and field length can be used to validate that the length of the fields has been set in the correct layout.

Convert Case

Used for ASCII files only. Select to override the case default for a field.

Reverse Sign

Select if the field is signed numeric type and the payroll system requires that the sign be reversed.

Key Field

Select from the following values:

  • None: Indicates a data-only field.

    Non Key: Indicates a non-key field.

  • Record: Defines a field as a primary record key. The system formats only one record per employee.

    Note: To make a field a record key, every key value in every row above the field must also be defined as a record key. The system delivers a COBOL error message if you order the key field in a manner such as Non Key, Record, and Non Key.

  • Occurrence: Defines a field as an occurrence key. Occurrence key processing allows multiple records to be formatted.

    See Working with Key Fields.

  • Effdt: Defines a field as an effective-date key. An effective-date key is special type of occurrence key. In addition to occurrence key functionality, further processing eliminates redundant information.

    See Working with Key Fields.

  • Company: If a field is defined as Company and the value on the System Table, Interface System Table 1 page - Process Filter field is set to Company, the system activates a filtering mechanism. Only rows with a Company value matching the processing company (the company tied to the run ID) are formatted and passed to the interface.

    See Working with Company Filtering.

Group ID

Select to indicate that the field belongs to a group of fields. All fields in the record with the same group ID are exported or imported together (if a data change occurs to one field in the group, all fields in the group are exported).