PeopleSoft Interview Questions

Some questions that can be quickly refreshed before interviews:

Question on Page Definitions:

Question : How many level based controls (Scroll Area, Scroll Bar, Grid) you can have at the same level ?
Answer : PeopleSoft allows you to have any number of level based controls at the same level.

Question: Whether you can place a grid in a scroll area ?
Answer: Yes we can. You can nest a grid in a scroll area, but you cannot nest a scroll area in a grid  or a grid in another grid.

Question: What are the different types of prompts you can associate with a field ?
Answer: PeopleSoft supports three types of prompts:

1.  Drop-down list box
2. Calendar prompt
3. Lookup button (on EditBox fields that are associated with prompt tables)

Question: What is Related Edit Field ? How is it different from Related Display Field?

Answer: Related display field is for display purposes only—it always references a row that’s being updated from the current page. 

Related edits enable users to enter descriptive values instead of code values and enable prompting on those descriptive values. Changing the value in the control field updates the related edit field, and changing the value in the related edit field updates the value in the control field. If appropriate, the control field can be display-only or even invisible to hide code values from the user.

At runtime, when a user edits a related edit field, it is treated as if the user changed the control field directly. Edits, including any assigned PeopleCode, are run on the control field. PeopleCode is not run for the related edit field.

Question: If you specify a field as invisible in PeopleSoft Application Designer, Whether is it possible to make it visible through PeopleCode.

Answer: You cannot make it visible using the UnHide property in PeopleCode.

Question: What is expert entry ? How to enable expert entry for a user ?
Answer: The Expert Entry feature enables users to change from interactive to deferred mode at runtime for appropriate transactions.To use Expert Entry, select:

• The Allow Expert Entry check box on the Internet tab of the Component Properties dialog box.
• The Enable Expert Entry check box in the user's profile.

If these check boxes are selected, an Expert Entry check box appears at the bottom of the page at runtime. If users select this check box, the transaction runs in deferred mode, regardless of the setting on the component, page or field property.


Question: How will you enable view all link in the navigation bar of a grid by default ?
Answer: In grid properties general tab, check unlimited Occurs Count(rows), that will show all the rows by default.

Questions on Process Scheduler:

Question: What is the use of Master Scheduler?
Answer: Master Scheduler is an optional server that enables you to distribute workload across multiple Process Schedulers. When any process scheduler server failure, a Master Scheduler can redistribute queued requests among the remaining active Process Scheduler servers.

When a Master Scheduler is available, all active PeopleSoft Process Scheduler Servers switch into a remote server mode. Master Scheduler registers and monitors any active remote servers. After the active Master Scheduler prioritizes all new queued requests, it checks all available servers to decide which remote server is the most appropriate for running a particular request at run time. It attempts to evenly load balance workload across all available servers, enabling the most effective use of overall computing resources.


Question: When a user schedules a job but didn't specify the server name. How the process scheduler handle this job?
Answer: PeopleSoft process scheduler will assign this job to one of the process scheduler server that is running in primary operating system.

Question: How to schedule a process in process scheduler to run last day of the month?
Answer: Enter 31 to have the process run on the last day of every month. The system automatically adjusts for the varying number of days in each month.

Question: How you will let your scheduled PeopleSoft process to determine whether to queue the process for next run when current run is in error status ?
Answer: Recurrence definition option "Schedule next Recurrence When" determines when to schedule the next run. PeopleSoft provides two options "When current request is initiated"  and "When prior recurrence has completed"

Questions on Application Engine:

Question: When you are renaming an existing application engine what will be the possible impact?
Answer: If the renamed program is called in a dynamic Do action, then the reference is not modified automatically. You should manually check and modify any embedded references to the new program name in CallAppEngine or other PeopleCode functions.


Question: What does property "Share Tables in Online Mode" mean in application engine properties?
Answer: Checking this option enable online temporary table sharing. When an online Application Engine instance cannot allocate itself a dedicated temporary table, this instance will share a temporary table already used by another instance(s), improving the online performance.

Question: How you will determine which section type to select for your new sections?
Answer: If the new section controls a procedure that, if not run to completion, could corrupt or desynchronize your data, then select Critical Updates. Otherwise, accept the default value of Prepare Only.

Question: What is the precedence application engine follows when you call a section in another application engine?  Say that the called section name is defined with different markets, platforms and various effective dates.
Answer: When you execute an Application Engine program, it executes sections based on the following order of precedence:
If a section for the current market exists, then run it.Otherwise, execute the default GBL (global) market section.
If a section for the current platform, or database exists, execute it.Otherwise, execute the default database platform section.
If multiple effective-dated sections exist, execute the section with the most recent effective date based on the current (run) date.

Question: What is XSLT type action?
Answer: XSLT type actions are for application engine programs defined as Transformation types.

Question: What is common between actions SQL, Do When, Do While, Do Until, Do Select?
Answer: These actions support SQL statements and execute based on the return value of the SQL statements and they have one common action property "Reuse Statement".

Question: What is the use of ReUse Statement property?
Answer: ReUse Statement property helps to optimize the SQL in your batch program.

Question: You have created a SQL select statment that used %BIND reference in the where condition and have included this statment in Do Select and selected the property "Reuse Statement". Explain how application handles this statement during compile and run-time?
Answer: A ReUse Statement converts any %BIND references to state record fields into real bind variables (:1, :2, and so on), enabling the Application Engine runtime process to compile the statement once, and create a dedicated cursor.

Question: What is the use of %ClearCursor function?
Answer: You can have Application Engine recompile a reused statement by using the %ClearCursor function.

Questions on SQR's:

Question: What is the difference between the SQR commands Position and next-listing ? 

Answer: Position and next-listing both move the print position on the page.The main difference is the position command does not change the line numbers.Next-listing moves the print position down and also changes the current line number (after the move) to be line 1. Position command can move both up and down, but next listing can only move down. 

Question: What is SQR Portable format file (SPF)?

Answer: SPF is a printer-independent file format that supports all of the SQR graphical features, including fonts, lines, boxes, shaded areas, charts, bar codes, and images. Producing SPF output enables you to decide later where to print it. Use SQR Viewer or SQR Print to print an SPF file.SQR portable files have a default extension of .spf or .snn (for multiple reports). 

Question: What is the difference between declaring default as shown below and not doing the declaration in the code? 

begin-setup 

 declare-layout default 

 end-declare 

end-setup 

Answer: The purpose of specifying the default layout is to use its margin settings, which are defined as 1/2 inch. Without DECLARE LAYOUT, the report would have no margins. 

Question: What are the difference between ASK and INPUT commands? 

Answer: ASK command can be only used in SETUP section. INPUT can be used inside loops. You can validate the length and type of data input and reprompt if it is not valid by using INPUT command. 

Variable in which the user input is captured using ASK command is used as substitution variable in the program. 

Variable in which the user input is captured using INPUT command is used as normal String or numeric variable in the program. 

Question: Name some of the SQR reserved variables 

Answer: $sql-error, $sqr-program, $username, $username

Questions on Security:

Question: In Component properties you have selected "correction" as the default serach action. As user who don't "Correction" level access tries to access this component. What will be the system behaviour in this case ?

Answer: User will always get an error when trying to access the component as the user doesn't have "Correction" level access.

Questions on HRMS:

Question: How to configure automatic termination?

Answer: In installation table component (SetUp HRMS > Install > Installation Table > Product Specific), in Human Resources group box select "Automatic Job Termination". After have this setup enabled specify "Expected Job End Date" in Job Data page for the employees.

Running the PeopleSoft delivered application engine process HR_REACTVTER (Workforce Administration > Job Information > Temporary Assignments > Reactivate/Update Termination ) does the below following: 

1)  Creates the reactivation of suspended substantive jobs that has been put on hold. 

2)  Creates a termination row for the suspended substantive jobs. 

3)  Creates a termination row for those non-temporary assignment jobs that has a job end date.


Question: How will you track the number of users who have accessed a particular component buffer?
Answer: Below are few approaches:
a) You can trigger a Integration Broker message when default page of the component is loaded. This message will update table that can keep track of the access count.
b) Simple insert SQL's in page activate to track the count.

Note: Have to consider duplicate access of the page without moving out of current component buffer.


Question:  What are the required core tables in HRMS ?
Answer: Core Person Tables: PERSON, PERS_DATA_EFFDT, NAMES
Organizational Relationship tables: PER_ORG_INST, PER_ORG_ASGN
Job Relationship Tables: JOB, JOB_JR

Questions on Oracle:

Question: How to identify SQL text that was executed by user in Oracle database?
Answer: You can retrive the SQL text from V$session and V$sqlarea by linking SQL_ID. Below is the query:
select * from v$sqlarea V1, v$session V2 where v1.SQL_ID = v2.SQL_ID
and V2.username =