Managing Related Content Configurations and Data

This section provides an overview of related content assignment, and discusses how to manage related content for content references and pivot grids.

Use the Manage Related Content for Content References page to manage related content and related action configurations for content references.

Navigation:

PeopleTools > Portal > Related Content Services > Manage Related Content Service

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Manage Related Content for Content References page. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

 Manage Related Content for Content References page

Field or Control

Description

Search

Enter a search term or phrase and click the Search button to filter the list of content references using the search terms.

Search terms are case insensitive and results are returned for partial word matches. For example, both dep and dept will match the Department (DEPT_TBL.GBL) content reference. When you click the Search button, a database search is performed on the following values:

  • Content reference name

  • Content reference label

  • Values stored in the KEYWORD content reference attribute.

See “Content Reference Attributes” in Defining Content References.

Content Reference

Click a content reference link to access the actual transaction page, which allows you to test any configured related content.

Edit

Click an Edit button to edit an existing related content configuration.

See Assigning Related Content to Classic Components and Pages, Assigning Related Content to Fluid Components and Pages, or Assigning Related Actions to Classic Pages, Fluid Pages, and Pivot Grids.

Remove

Click a Remove button to remove an existing related content configuration.

Assign Related Content to an Application Page

Click this link to access the Select a Content Reference page to create a new related content assignment.

Create a New Related Content Service

Click the link to access the Define Related Content Service page.

See Creating and Managing Related Content Service Definitions.

Add to Project

Click the Add to Project link to access the Add To Project page to insert one or more related content configurations by component into an ADS project. See Adding Data Set Instances from Object Designer Pages for more information.

Selecting an Application Page (Content Reference)

Use the Select a Content Reference page to select a content reference for configuration.

Navigation:

On the Manage Related Content for Content References page, click the Assign Related Content to an Application Page link.

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Select a Content Reference page. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

 Select a Content Reference page

Field or Control

Description

Include hidden Crefs

Select to make hidden content references available for assignment.

Note: The tree shows both PeopleSoft component URLs and PeopleSoft component-based generic URLs.

Folder expand button

Click to expand the folder and display child folders and links.

Folder collapse button

Click to collapse the folder and hide all children.

[link]

Click a content reference link to select that content reference to which related content will be assigned.

After selecting a content reference, continue by assigning and configuring related content or related actions.

Use the Manage Related Actions for Pivot Grids to manage related action configurations for pivot grids.

Navigation:

  1. PeopleTools > Portal > Related Content Services > Manage Related Content Service

  2. Select the Pivot Grids tab.

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Manage Related Actions for Pivot Grids page. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

 Manage Related Actions for Pivot Grids page

Field or Control

Description

Search

Enter a search term or phrase and click the Search button to filter the list of pivot grids using the search terms.

Search terms are case insensitive and results are returned for partial word matches. For example, both gri and pv_gr will match the Sales Grid (PV_GRID) pivot grid. When you click the Search button, a database search is performed on the following values:

  • Pivot grid name

  • Pivot grid title

Pivot Grid

Click a pivot grid link to open this pivot grid in the Pivot Grid Viewer, which allows you to test any configured related actions.

Edit

Click an Edit button to edit an existing related actions configuration.

See Assigning Related Actions to Classic Pages, Fluid Pages, and Pivot Grids.

Remove

Click a Remove button to remove an existing related actions configuration.

Assign Related Actions to a Pivot Grid

Click this link to select a pivot grid for a new related actions assignment.

Create a New Related Content Service

Click the link to access the Define Related Content Service page.

See Creating and Managing Related Content Service Definitions.

Add to Project

Click the Add to Project link to access the Add To Project page to insert this related content service definition into an ADS project. See Adding Data Set Instances from Object Designer Pages for more information.

Selecting a Pivot Grid for a New Configuration

To select a pivot grid for a new related actions assignment:

  1. Click the Assign Related Actions to a Pivot Grid link on the Manage Related Actions for Pivot Grids page.

  2. On the Add a New Value tab, click the Look up Pivot Grid button.

  3. Select a pivot grid on the Look Up Pivot Grid page:

    Search and select a pivot grid:

     Look Up Pivot Grid page

  4. Click the Add button to begin assigning and configuring related actions to the selected pivot grid.

  5. See Assigning Related Actions to Classic Pages, Fluid Pages, and Pivot Grids.

Using ADS definitions for upgrading or migrating Related Content Framework data, you can preserve affected configurations and personalizations on a target database. The ADS relationship framework and ADS merge framework preserve configurations and personalizations on a target database.

You can use Data Migration Workbench to migrate related content data. Data Migration Workbench identifies configurable changes that are preserved during upgrade and non-reconcilable changes that are not preserved during upgrade. The configurable and non-reconcilable changes are associated with database tables and its fields that contain related content service definitions and related content services data.

Oracle recommends that you:

  • Do not delete any PeopleSoft delivered objects.

  • Restrict your configurations to configurable fields specified for each table because these configurations are preserved.

  • Avoid modification to any field that is in the non-reconcilable section because any modification to these fields is considered to be a customization and will not be restored.

The following table lists the configurable and non-reconcilable changes associated with related content service definitions. The database tables and their configurable and non-reconcilable fields associated with related content services are described later.

Configurable Changes

Non-reconcilable Changes

Modification to service name of a definition.

Changing the URL type of a service definition

Customer modifies the node name to match the environment

Deleting a required parameter of a service definition

Modification to service definition’s description and help text

Adding a required parameter of a service definition

Modification to the display options: refresh and/or new window

Modifying the following options:

  • URL escape parameters

  • Post mapping definition

  • Security options

Modifying the parameter’s description

Modifying a parameter name

The following table lists the configurable and non-reconcilable changes associated with related content and related action configuration.

Configurable Changes

Non-reconcilable Changes

Modification of ‘layout options’ (open in expanded view)

Deleting a CREF association.

Modification of the ‘related content location’ of related content frame

Deleting an existing configuration from a CREF.

Modification of the service label of related content/action

Mapping type of parameter of a configuration (key field, fixed etc).

Making/ removing the default service of an related content

Changing the page field menu option.

Modifying the service target of an related action

Deleting a PeopleSoft-delivered folder.

Enabling or disabling a related content / action

Modifying the values of service filter (package, path, class ID) app package

Modifying the options of the related content frame to be minimized when it is displayed.

Modifying the ‘display in field menu’ option for related action

Modifying ‘refresh service on change’ option

Modifying ‘is value required?’ option

Reordering the sequence of folders.

The following sections list the database tables and its configurable and non-reconcilable fields.

PSPTCSSRVDEFN (Service Definition)

This table holds the service definition data.

The following table lists the configurable fields. Any modification to these fields is preserved.

Field

Comment

PTCS_SERVICENAME

Service Name

DESCR254

Description

MSGNODENAME

Node Name

PTCS_SRVHELPTEXT

Help Text

USEEDIT

Display Options

PORTAL_URL_ADM

URL (for URL Type == Non PeopleSoft URL)

The following table lists the non-reconcilable fields. These fields contain metadata and might be required for the functionality to work; any modification is considered as customization.

Field

Comment

PTCS_SERVICEURLTYP

URL Type

PTCS_ESCAPEPARAM

Escape URL parameters option

PTCS_POST_MAPDATA

Post Mapping Definition Data option

PTCS_SECUSEEDIT

Security options

PSPTCS_PARAMS (Parameters table)

This is the child table of the service definition table, which holds the parameters details defined for the service definition. This is a metadata table and hence the scope for secondary merge is very limited. PeopleSoft recommends that users do not delete any of the delivered parameters, update the parameter name and modify the required flag options.

The following table lists the configurable fields. Any modification to these fields is preserved.

Field

Comment

PTCS_DESCR128

Description

SEQNUM

Parameter’s order of definition

The following table lists the non-reconcilable fields. These fields contain metadata and might be required for the functionality to work; any modification is considered as customization.

Field

Comment

PTCS_PARAMETERNAME

Parameter Name

REQUIRED_FLG

Required Flag

PSPTCS_SRVCFG

This table stores the top-level related content metadata for all the content references that have related content associated with them. It also stores the metadata of how the related content frame is displayed (Right Frame or Bottom Frame).

Any changes, other than the ones specified in the following table are non-reconcilable.

Field

Comment

PTCS_EXPANDFRAME

Open in Expanded View Options

PTCS_RCFRAMELOC

Related Content Frame Location

PSPTCSSRVCONF (Service Configurations)

This is the actual table that stores the relationship between instances of service definitions and content references.

The following table lists the configurable fields. Any modification to these fields is preserved.

Field

Comment

IS_DEFAULT

Default service

PTCS_INSTANCELBL

Service Label

PTCS_URLTARGET

Service Target

PACKAGEROOT

Service Filter – Package

QUALIFYPATH

Service Filter – Path

APPCLASSID

Service Filter – Class ID

PTCS_INITMIN

RC Frame to be open minimized

PTCS_ENABLE

Enable/Disable Related Content/Actions

The following table lists the non-reconcilable fields. These fields contain metadata and might be required for the functionality to work; any modification is considered as customization.

Field

Comment

SEQNUM

Customer cannot recreate this configuration as the instance ID will be different.

PTCS_MAPFIELDTYPE

Mapping Type of the parameter

PTCS_FIELDMENUOPT

Applicable for Related Actions as this is the field to which the glyph is associated.

PSPTCS_MAPFLDS

This is a child table of PSPTCSSRVCONF and stores the field mappings.

The following table lists the configurable fields. Any modification to these fields is preserved.

Field

Comment

PTCS_FIELDMENUOPT

Display In Field Menu option. Applicable for related Actions

PTCSREFRESHSERVICE

Refresh Service on Change option. Applicable for Related Content.

PTCS_MAPNULLVALUE

Is Value Required Option

The following table lists the non-reconcilable fields. These fields contain metadata and might be required for the functionality to work; any modification is considered as customization.

Field

Comment

PTCS_MAPFIELDTYPE

Mapping Type

PTCS_PNLFLDNAME

Page Field Menu Option

PSPTCS_MNUFLDRS (Folders)

This table stores the data of the folders and their sequencing. A maximum of one child folder for a non root folder is allowed. From the user interface, a user can add or delete folders, but cannot rename a folder. Also, a user can reorder the folder sequence by using the Move Up and Move Down options.

Note: Deleting a delivered folder is a non-reconcilable change.

The following table lists the configurable fields. Any modification to these fields is preserved.

Field

Comment

PTCS_FOLDERSEQNUM

Sequence/ ordering of folder

ADS Definitions for Related Content Data

PeopleSoft delivers the following ADS definitions for related content data:

ADS Definition

Description

RCF_SERVICE_DEFINITIONS (RC Service Definition)

Defines the related content services that can be any collaborative, analytical, or informational content, which is useful for completing business tasks.

RCF_SERVICES (RC Services)

Encapsulates the content reference for which the services are assigned along with the configuration data (Related Content Configuration) and how they are displayed in the related content frame (Related Content Layout).

This ADS data set should be used for shipping Related Content Framework service changes from PeopleTools 8.54 onwards.

In PeopleTools 8.53, this ADS data set was recommended for delivering new services only. In PeopleTools 8.54, this restriction is not valid, and this data set can be used for any update or new service.

You can also use Add To Project links available on Related Content Framework pages to add specific definitions to existing ADS projects.

Rather than using Add to Project links and ADS definitions, you can use prior methodologies when your situation warrants their use.

Copying Related Content Data

You can use PeopleSoft Application Designer to create upgrade projects that contain these types of related content data:

  • Related Content Definitions (that is, services defined on the Define Related Content Service page)

    Also select the Application Package related definition when the service type of the selected related content service is Application Class.

  • Related Content Services (that is, service assignments made through the Manage Related Content Service menu item).

    • Always select the Related Content Configurations related definitions.

    • Also select the Related Content Layouts related definitions when the service was added to or deleted from a menu, or when the menu order was changed.

You can save these projects to files or copy them directly to other PeopleSoft databases.

See Inserting Definitions Into Projects.

Upgrading Related Content Data from PeopleTools 8.51 or PeopleTools 8.50

Use the Upgrade Related Content page to complete the import and upgrade of related content data from PeopleTools 8.51 or PeopleTools 8.50.

To upgrade related content data from PeopleTools 8.51 or PeopleTools 8.50:

  1. On the system on the prior release, use PeopleSoft Data Mover to export the related content data.

  2. On your system on the current release, use PeopleSoft Data Mover to import the related content data.

  3. Access the Upgrade Related Content page (PeopleTools > Portal > Related Content Service > Upgrade Related Content).

  4. Click the Run button to upgrade the imported related content data.