Announcing the Co-Operative PeopleTools Table Reference

Update 20.6.2019: I have published on Github the code used to generate the PeopleTools Table reference described here.  The element of co-operation is should be easier via updates to the metadata scripts in Github.  See blog post PeopleTools Table Reference Generator.

I have created a reference to the PeopleTools tables and views on my website. 

In the course of my work on PeopleSoft, I spend a lot of time looking at the PeopleTools tables. They contain meta-data about the PeopleSoft application. Much of the application is stored in various tables that are maintained by Application Designer. Some tables provide information about the Data Model. Others contain configuration data that is maintained via PeopleTools components in the PIA.

Many of my utility scripts query information from PeopleTools tables and some also update them. Of course, that is strictly not supported, but if you understand how the tables fit together it can be done relatively safely.  So, it is very helpful to be able to understand what is in these tables.

In PeopleSoft for the Oracle DBA, I discussed some of the PeopleTools tables that are of regular interest. I included the tables that correspond to the database catalogue, and I discussed what happens during the PeopleSoft login procedure, submission of process requests to the Process Scheduler and PS/Query. The tables that are maintained by the process scheduler are valuable because they contain information about who ran what process when, and how long they ran.

I am not the only person to have started to document the PeopleTools tables on their website or blog, most people have picked a few tables that are of particular interest. However, I want to tackle the problem in a slightly different way. There are over 3000 PeopleTools tables and views (as defined by the PeopleTools object security group in PSOBJGROUP). Tackling all of them manually would be a monumental task.

Nevertheless, I do want a complete reference. So, I have written code to dynamically generate a page for each PeopleTools table and view, and I have put as much information about these records as I can find in the PeopleTools tables themselves. Reference to related objects, including objects referenced in the text of views, appear as links to those pages.

I have started to manually add my own annotation to the generated pages.  So far I have only added descriptions to a few tables (marked with an asterisk). However, I would like to make this a collaborative project, and I have already had updates to some pages.

• There is a page for each PeopleTools table and view. If you save that page, add descriptions, and return it to me, I will upload it to the site.
• You can also add links to related websites and blog pages to your entries.
• Please put your name and, if you wish, a link to your website to the bottom of the pages you author.
• Let me know if you think you have found a mistake. 

I hope you find it useful.