Working With Browser-Based Applications

This chapter provides an overview of browser-based applications and discusses how to:

Sign in to PeopleSoft applications.
Use PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture navigation.
Use the universal navigation header.
Use the pagebar.
Process components.
Use buttons and links.
Use keyboard shortcuts.
Use accessibility features.

Understanding Browser-Based Applications

You use PeopleSoft applications in a purely internet environment, called PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture. PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture is a server-centric architecture that requires only that a web browser be installed on individual user machines.

The PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture is your "window" to PeopleSoft applications as well as other web-based applications and content. Within your browser, sign in to the PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture as you would when opening a website. The PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture uses a dynamic menu pagelet for navigation and a universal navigation header that includes the following navigational tools: Home, Worklist, MultiChannel Console, Add to Favorites, and Sign out. This navigation header appears at the top of every page as long as you are logged in.

PeopleSoft delivers your PeopleSoft application with a demonstration database that includes sample data to help you see how the system works. You can also use the demonstration database to experiment with specific PeopleSoft applications. The PeopleBooks for the various applications frequently refer to the demonstration information to clarify concepts and provide a common frame of reference for examples.

See Understanding the Universal Navigation Header.

PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture Terminology

PeopleSoft applications are made up of a navigational structure, components (groups of pages), and pages. Using these elements, you can enter new data or change, delete, and modify the existing data in your application. Using the PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture is similar to browsing web pages; it provides a simple, intuitive way of working with your database.

Here are some of the basic elements used in PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture:

Menu pagelet	The PeopleSoft navigation structure, located on the left side of your screen. The menu pagelet contains links to content references, which enable you to access transaction pages, from which you can carry out actions and modify your data. Links display in a hierarchical format, some leading directly to transaction pages and some leading to other links. Menu items can expand or contract, depending on their content.
Content Reference	A link in the menu pagelet that accesses a transaction page. A content reference is a reference to a uniform resource locator (URL) for the transaction page.
Keys	The display-only fields that uniquely identify your data. To display a page, you perform a search using the key fields, such as Empl ID (employee identification).
Page	The individual display and data-entry screens for each part of your PeopleSoft application. Pages appear in the browser window.

See Using Keys and Search Pages.

Signing In to PeopleSoft Applications

Signing in to a PeopleSoft application is like opening a secured page on a website.

To sign in to a PeopleSoft application:

Open your default browser window.
Enter the URL for your application, or select the bookmark for the page where you want to work.

The Sign In page appears.
Select the language in which you want your transaction pages to appear.
Enter your user ID and password.

Your user ID and password are case sensitive. For security reasons, passwords always appear as asterisks in the display as you enter them.
Press Tab and Enter, or click the Sign In button to sign in.

The PeopleSoft online system validates your user ID and password. If either the user ID or password is invalid, the system displays an error message below the Sign In button. You must reenter your user ID and password, or contact your security administrator for assistance.

After you sign in, the mouse pointer turns into a small hourglass, signifying that the online system is initiating your request. Whenever the system accesses data in the database, the hourglass appears on your desktop. If you entered valid sign in information, the system displays the homepage for your PeopleSoft system.

PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture structure provides "single signon" access, which allows you to work in multiple PeopleSoft applications and databases without having to sign in to each application. If your site has not implemented single signon, the system prompts you to enter a user ID and password each time that you access a different PeopleSoft application.

For security purposes, your PeopleSoft system logs you out of your application after a period of inactivity determined by your security administrator. Prior to your session timeout, the system might provide a warning that your browser session is about to expire. You can continue with your current session by clicking the OK button in the warning message. If you do not respond within two minutes, the session ends and the expired connection page opens. To return to your application, click the Sign in to PeopleSoft link. The Sign In page appears, and you can once again sign in to your application.

Important! To ensure data security in environments where multiple users have access to the same workstation, users should close the browser after logging out of PeopleSoft.

Using PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture Navigation

PeopleSoft's browser-based interface provides two means of accessing data in your database. This section discusses how to:

Use the menu pagelet.
Use navigation pages.

Using the Menu Pagelet

The PeopleSoft browser-based interface provides an intuitive way of updating or viewing data in your database. The menu pagelet consists of a hierarchy of folders and content references. Expanding and collapsing these folders, and selecting content references from within them, is the primary means of navigating within PeopleSoft applications.

The main level, also known as Home, contains a general list of the areas to which you can link in that application. From this point you can expand any folder to access additional folders or content references that open transaction pages.

Use the buttons at the top of the menu to refresh, minimize, or close the menu pagelet. The refresh button returns the menu to its default state. If you close the menu pagelet, you can reopen it from the Personalize Content page.

Using the Menu Pagelet Search Feature

Use the Search field to search for a registered content reference within the system. Enter the name of the page you want to find and press Enter or click the search button. This action opens the Search page displaying the results. If your search produces a large number of results, modify your search criteria, select the Search Within Results option, and then select Find to narrow your search further. Use the Customize Settings link to hide or show summaries of each search result and to control the number of search results that appear on each page.

Note. For the system to display search results, your system administrator must create a search index in PeopleTools. If you consistently do not get any search results, contact your system administrator for more information.

Using Navigation Pages

PeopleSoft applications may include navigation pages that serve as alternatives to the menu pagelet, providing task-driven pages that offer intuitive access to pages needed to complete your business processes. These navigation pages may incorporate icons to make it even easier for you to navigate your application.

You access navigation pages by clicking a folder in the menu pagelet. Elements embedded in the folder, including content references and other folders, are arranged in a graphical format on a navigation page displayed to the right of the menu pagelet. For example, clicking the Portal Utilities folder in the menu pagelet displays the Portal Utilities navigation page as shown here:

Important! Navigation pages are available starting with the 8.9 application release and with selected 8.8 applications.

Using the Universal Navigation Header

This section provides an overview of the universal navigation header and discusses how to:

Add favorites
Edit favorites

Understanding the Universal Navigation Header

The universal navigation header is located at the top of your PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture page and remains static as you navigate through the pages. The universal navigation header contains these links:

Home	Click to return to your homepage.
Worklist	Click to access the Worklist page, which provides summary information about all items on your personal worklist. This page also provides links enabling you to view additional details about the work, perform the indicated work, and reassign work items. See Working with Received Notifications.
MultiChannel Console	If you are defined as an agent in PeopleSoft MultiChannel Framework, click to access and manage tasks assigned to you. This is an optional setting that your system administrator enables. If you do not have access to this feature, the system displays a warning message to that effect.
Performance Trace	Click to monitor the performance of a business process that you typically complete. Because this is an optional setting that your system administrator enables using PeopleTools Security, it may not display to all users.
Add to Favorites	Click to add the current page to your favorites list for easy accessibility. The favorites list is like your own list of bookmarks to components and transaction pages that you use frequently. Once you add a favorite, it appears under the My Favorites folder in the menu. You can return to the page by expanding the My Favorites folder and clicking the link for the page that you want to view.
Sign out	Click to sign out of the application and return to the Sign In page. Important! For security purposes it is important that you sign out when you are finished with your PeopleSoft session rather than simply closing the browser window. Other users could potentially access your cached homepage from another portal if you do not sign out properly.

Note. Guest accounts do not have access to My Favorites or Add to Favorites. You must have the proper security before you can access favorites.

Adding Favorites

To add favorites:

Open the page that you want to designate as a favorite.
Click Add to Favorites in the universal navigation header.

The Add to Favorites page appears, with the page name as the default in the Description field.
If you like, update the description for the favorite.
Click OK.

The favorite is saved and displayed in the My Favorites folder.

Note. If pages are not registered in the portal registry, you cannot add them to the My Favorites folder. See your portal administrator for assistance.

Editing Favorites

On the Edit Favorites page you can relabel favorites, delete favorites, or modify the sequence in which they appear on your menu pagelet.

To edit favorites:

Expand the My Favorites folder in the menu pagelet.
Click Edit Favorites.

The Edit Favorites page appears, displaying a grid with the favorites that you selected and their sequence numbers. If there are no favorites currently saved, a message indicates this in place of the Favorites grid.
Locate the favorite that you want to modify, and make your changes.

To relabel a favorite, type a new name in the text box. To delete a favorite, press the Delete button associated with it. To reorder favorites, type an appropriate number in the Sequence number box.
Save your changes.

Using the Pagebar

Just below the universal navigation header sits the pagebar—a series of links and buttons that appear when you are on a transaction page. The availability of these options is controlled by the application developer. All options may not be available for each component.

Pagebar

New Window	Opens a new browser window. See Opening New Windows.
Help	Opens the online PeopleBooks help for the displayed transaction page.
Customize Page	Enables you to control the initial page display. Opens the Page Customization page, where you can: Select the initial page in the component to be displayed. Save the state of the expanded and collapsed sections. Save the state of the View All settings on the page for grids and scroll areas. Customize the page field tabbing order. Clear Tabbing Order. Removes the existing tabbing order. Restore Default. Restores the default tabbing order. Include In Tabbing Order. Click this option and then click a tabbed item to include it in the tabbing order. Remove From Order. Click this option and then click a tabbed item to remove it from the tabbing order. Move Up In Order. Click this option and then click a tabbed item to move it up in the tabbing order. Move Down In Order. Click this option and then click a tabbed item to move it down in the tabbing order. You can also elect to copy and share the settings that you have saved for the customized page. See Customizing Pages.
	Copies the current page URL to the clipboard so that it is available for pasting in emails or other applications. The copied URL includes page, action, and search key information to display in the context of the portal, if you are using the portal. If you did not pass through the portal, the system displays the page only without the portal frames. See Defining Content References.

Processing Components

This section discusses how to:

Access pages or components.
Link to related pages.
Open new windows.
Save pages.

Accessing Pages or Components

Components typically consist of several related pages within the same window, however, some components only contain one page. Typically, significant pages such as those containing required fields come early in the page order. As you finish with one page, you can select the folder tab of another page to open it. You can think of this as leafing through several pages of a single form.

In addition to selecting tabs, you can click the links at the bottom of each page in the component to move to other pages within the component. Alternatively, you can press the corresponding access keys.

See Using Access Keys.

To access a component:

Select the content reference from the menu pagelet or navigation page that relates to your page.
On the search page, enter search criteria to identify the row of data that you want to retrieve from the database.
Click Search to perform the search.

If your search returns multiple results, they appear in a grid from which you can select the data you want to view. If your search returns only one result, the system automatically displays that result in a page on the browser.

See Entering and Saving Search Criteria.

All pages in a group have the same search record, so the prompt in the initial search dialog box is the same regardless of which page you access first. You will not be prompted to enter new search criteria as you move from page to page in the component.

Likewise, during a save, pages in a component are treated as a single entity. When you click Save, the data on the pages is committed to the database. If you have not completed all required fields, the system prompts you to enter additional data.

Linking to Related Pages

Some pages, in addition to having links to other pages within the component, have links to related components or pages. The related links appear at the bottom of the transaction area above the toolbar. You can click any of these links to move easily to related transactions for the same key field so you can enter data without going through the search process again.

When you click a component link, the new transaction contains the same component links, enabling you to return to the original transaction. The component or page in which you are working appears in black text and is not underlined. Some applications may identify these related links in another way. For example, you might see the phrase "Go to:" along with the related links at the bottom of a page. You might also see a drop-down list box with "…More," which contains several more related transaction links.

Opening New Windows

The New Window link in the pagebar opens a new browser window or child window that displays the search page for the current component. From this window, you can view or enter new data. You can open as many child windows as needed by clicking the New Window link. Do not select File, New, Window from the browser menu. Doing so copies the current HTML from the parent window, instead of opening a new PeopleSoft-maintained window session.

When entering or viewing data in two different languages, use two separate instances of your browser program and sign in to each PeopleSoft session under the same user ID and password.

Important! When you open a window from within an application and then log out from there, PeopleSoft must log out from the application for security reasons. To remain logged into the application, you can just close the new window.

Saving Pages

After modifying the data on a page, you must click the Save button to commit your changes to the database. If you attempt to leave the page without saving—by clicking another content reference from the menu pagelet or by clicking a different toolbar button such as Next in List,—you see save warning appears. Click OK to return to the page to save your changes. Click Cancel to exit the page without saving.

There are, however, other ways to exit a page. In these cases, the system issues no save warning:

Clicking the Back button in the browser menu.

In some browsers you can return to the page with your edits intact by clicking the Forward button.
Closing the browser session.

Using Buttons and Links

This section provides an overview of buttons and links and discusses how to:

Use processing buttons.
Use toolbar buttons.
Use pop-up menus.

Understanding Buttons and Links

PeopleSoft Pure Internet Architecture provides buttons and links to help you navigate and process transactions. In general, if the action is related to navigation, it appears as a link. If the action is truly an action, such as save or process, it appears as a button. Click the button or link to carry out the command.

If a button appears grayed out, that action is currently not available. For example, when working in a transaction for the first dataset from a search list, you might see the following:

Active and inactive buttons

Your only option in this case is to click the Next in List button. Once you click Next in List, however, Previous in List will become available.

Similarly, links at the bottom of the page often enable you to move to another of the component's pages. In the following example, you can use the ID, Roles, and so on links to navigate to other pages. Notice that Workflow is not actually a link—it is not underlined—because it is the current page:

Page links in a component

Tool Tips

Tool tips are pop-up text messages that appear when your mouse pointer hovers over a button or link. Sometimes called hover text, tool tips display additional information about the action that the button or link performs. Typically, tool tips display what a button or link will do and may list its keyboard hot key, if applicable.

Using Processing Buttons

The following buttons process transactions.

	Click to apply the data input without returning to the main page, in case you want to perform additional searches. Usually found on a page that you open by clicking a prompt button.
	Click to accept the data input made on an auxiliary page and return to the main page.
	Click to clear the page and any data that you may have entered or changed without saving. When you click Cancel, the system does not warn you to save changes. Click Cancel if you entered data incorrectly and want to begin again.

UsingToolbar Buttons

The toolbar appears at the bottom of most pages. It can include search list navigation buttons, page navigation buttons, and page action buttons; it changes depending on the type of page that is active or the settings that the developer has put into place for a particular transaction. Not all buttons shown in the following table appear on every page. Likewise, some buttons may be unavailable for selection.

Note. In some cases, you may see different representations of a button, but the action is the same.

	Click to send the information that you have entered on the page to the database. You generally save when you come to the end of a component. The Save button updates the data for all pages in a component. When activated, the system displays the saved message in the upper-right corner of the page.
	Click to return to the search page.
	Displays the data for the previous data row in your search results grid. This button is unavailable if you did not select the data row from the search results grid, if there was only one row in the grid, or if the data that appears is the first row in the grid.
	Displays the information for the next data row in your search results grid. This button is unavailable if you did not select the data row from a search results grid, if there was only one row in the grid, or if the data that appears is the last row in the grid.
	Displays the next page in the current component. If you are in the last page of the component, this button is unavailable.
	Displays the previous page in the current component. If you are in the first page of the component, this button is unavailable.
	Click to access existing rows of data in the database. If data is effective-dated, only current and future rows appear.
	Click to display all rows of data: current, future, and history.
	Click to access existing rows of data in the database and display all effective-dated rows. Enables you to update all rows, including history rows. Note. This button is available only if you have the proper permission.
	Click to add a row of data to the database for the current transaction.
	Click to force a trip to the server, validating any data that has been entered and processing any deferred PeopleCode changes. Note. This button is displayed only for components that are enabled for deferred mode processing.
	Displays when several pages are related to the current page. Click to access a new page containing a list of related page links.
	Click to open the Send Notification page, where you can specify names, email addresses, or worklists to which to send notifications.
	Click to activate the spell check for all spell check enabled fields on the page. Each field is checked individually. As each field is checked, processing continues to the next field, displaying the spell check page if there are errors. If there are no errors, the No misspellings found message appears. See Using Spell Check.

Using Pop-Up Menus

Pop-up menu buttons appear next to fields on a page.

Click to access a new page to select among the menu items listed.

Appears if the pop-up menu contains more than one item.

Click to access the new transaction page directly.

Appears if the pop-up menu contains only one menu item.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts

This section provides an overview of keyboard shortcuts and discusses how to:

Use hot keys.
Use access keys.

Understanding Keyboard Shortcuts

Working in a browser-based environment can often be mouse intensive. However, PeopleSoft offers keyboard navigation alternatives to using the mouse. These shortcuts are classified into two categories: hot keys and access keys.

To view a printable list of these shortcuts while online, press Ctrl+K while on a search or transaction page.

Note. Certain browsers may treat access keys and hot keys differently. See“Troubleshooting Browser Limitations” on Customer Connection for more specific information on browser differences.

Using Hot Keys

Hot keys perform immediate actions. When you press one, the designated action occurs. Note that several hot keys perform different functions depending on the page that you are on, such as a transaction page or a search page.

ALT+1	Saves a page in a transaction. Moves to the Search or Add button on a search or look up page. Moves to the OK button on a secondary page.
ALT+2	Returns to the search page from the transaction page.
ALT+3	View the next row in the list when the button is active.
ALT+4	View the previous row the in list when the button is active.
ALT+5	Accesses the Look Up page. Opens the calendar prompt.
ALT+6	Opens the pop-up window on a page.
ALT+7	Inserts a row in a grid or scroll area.
ALT+8	Deletes a row in a grid or scroll area.
ALT+0	When in Expert Entry mode, activates the Refresh button, which validates the data entered on the page.
ALT+ .	View the next set of rows in a grid or scroll area.
ALT+ ,	View a previous set of rows in a grid or scroll area.
ALT+ /	Finds data in a grid or scroll area.
ALT+ ‘	View all rows of data in a grid, scroll area, or search page results list.
ALT+ \	Toggles between Add a New Value and Find an Existing Value on a search page.
CTRL+ J	Displays the system information page.
CTRL+ K	When on a search or transaction page, accesses a page with a list of keyboard navigation shortcuts using hot keys and access keys.
CTRL+ Y	Toggles the menu pagelet between collapse and expand.
CTRL+TAB	Toggles the focus through the frame set.
ENTER	Activates the OK button, where appropriate. On a search page, activates the Search button. On a look up page, activates the lookup button.
ESC	Activates the Cancel button, where appropriate.

Using Access Keys

Access keys move the focus of your cursor to a particular button on a page, at which point you can press Enter to carry out the command. This is equivalent to clicking the appropriate button.

The following table outlines the shortcuts that you can use in place of clicking the equivalent action button. After pressing the desired key combination, you must press Enter to carry out the action. For example, to save a page press Alt+1 followed by Enter. Note that some access keys have multiple actions assigned to them, and the usage depends on the currently active page.

You can also use access keys for page tabs to help you move between pages in a component. Identify these access keys by noting the underlined letter in the page tab name. To access a page, press Alt plus the underlined letter, and then press Enter.

ALT+9	Accesses the Help line.
ALT+ \	Toggles between Update/Display, Include History, and Correct History action modes on the toolbar on a transaction page.
CTRL+Z	Accesses the menu search box.

Menu Pagelet Access Keys

Navigate between menus by pressing Ctrl+Z, which moves the focus of your cursor to the menu pagelet. From the menu, press Tab (or Shift+Tab for reverse direction) to navigate through the menu.

Using Accessibility Features

This section provides an overview of accessibility features and discusses how to enable accessibility features.

Understanding Accessibility Features

PeopleSoft applications include several accessibility features to help people with disabilities. These features support the use of assistive technologies, such as screen readers for blind users.

PeopleSoft accessibility features include the following:

Alternate text for images, group boxes, buttons, navigation buttons for grids and scroll areas, collapsible section icons, hide and expand grid tabs, prompt buttons, and scroll left or right buttons.
Additional links and anchors that enable screen reader software to bypass navigation content, such as page tabs.
The removal of page links from the bottom of pages to reduce redundancy when using screen reader software.
A feature that presents the elements on the body of a page in a linear format (for blind users operating a screen reader only).

Your system administrator grants access to the Accessibility Features option in PeopleTools. However, you can turn this option on or off in My Personalizations.

In accessibility mode, all pages except the home page include invisible links that can help you skip repetitive links in the content frame:

"Skip over navigation links," the first link in the content frame, lets you skip the content navigation links—such as New Window or Customize Page—that appear on all pages. You can access this link quickly with a screen reader by skipping to the content frame, in which case the link is the first one in the frame. You can also use a window listing all the links on the page, in which case you use can type "J" and look for "Jump over navigation links."
"Go to navigation links," located after the content navigation link, sends you back to the "Jump over navigation links " link located before the content navigation links.

Note. If the Accessibility Features option does not appear on the Personalizations page, contact your system administrator to enable this feature.

Enabling Accessibility Features

To enable accessibility features:

Click the My Personalizations content reference in the menu pagelet.

The Personalizations page appears.
In Personalization Categories, click the Personalize Option button that is next to the General Options description.

The Option Category: General Options page appears.
Select one of the following options from the Accessibility Features the drop-down list box:
1. Select Use accessible layout mode to alter the display of a page for maximum efficiency.
2. Select Use standard layout mode to use the standard page layout.
3. Select Accessibility features off option to disable the accessibility features.
  
  This option is selected by default.
Click OK to save your changes.

To verify that your accessibility settings are in place, sign out of the system and sign in again.