Great Link: VB.Net posting to PeopleSoft

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I did some looking into using VB.Net with PeopleSoft.  If you are using VB6, you can look at the Excel to CI macros and find out how to post to an iScript, but VB.Net is different.  Here are some links that might help:

• Snippet: HTTP Post, POST XML FILE OVER HTTP POST (VB.NET)
• HttpWebResponse.StatusCode Property
• How to use HttpWebRequest to send POST request to another web server?
• Error: This header must be modified using the appropriate property
• HttpWebRequest.GetResponse() throwing 500 error
• how to resolve http error 504 code

New Resources Links

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http://psst0101.digitaleagle.net/2010/11/25/new-resources-links/

I just added two additional links to the Resources Page from my searching around recently:

• Kansas Government Help Desk
• California State University: PeopleSoft Student Administration Support

Thoughts on Developer Focus

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I just read this article from InfoWorld:

Google: Oracle lacks developer focus

The article kind of struck a chord with me.  I have long thought that PeopleSoft is sold to the executives and not to the developers.  Don’t get me wrong.  I think PeopleSoft is a great product, but it lacks a few developer features that I would like to see.  And, I would guess that the executives that make the decisions for purchasing aren’t going to pay for features like that.

The features I am talking about are things like code completion, refactoring, and indexing the code for searching.  Eclipse has many of those features with Java code.  Why can’t Application Designer do those things?  Is it because those features aren’t marketable to the executive?

The article makes the point that the product should be focused on the customer.  While I agree, I think placing some focus on the developer would provide some value to the customer.  Adding those features gives the software the ability adjust to changing business demands.  When users request a customization in PeopleSoft, what questions are asked?  How long with it take to develop versus how much benefit will it provide?  How maintainable is it going forward?

How many change requests are denied because the change would cost too much to develop or maintain?  Doesn’t the customer benefit by some level of developer focus?

So, while I think the customer should get focus, I don’t think the developer should be forgotten.  I would like Oracle to give the developer a little more focus in the PeopleSoft world.  But, hey, I am a little biased.

Great Link: Combined Sections Video

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Today, I was doing some research on how Combined Sections work.  I found this video from the University of Southern Mississippi:

PeopleSoft Class Schedule Entry: Combined Section

Watching the video helped me figure out what I needed to do.  The version was a little old, but I found the same page at Curriculum Management > Combined Sections > Identify Combined Sections (in version 9.0).

It looks like there are a lot more videos here that might prove helpful in the future, so I am bookmarking this page!

University of Southern Mississippi: PeopleSoft Class Schedule Entry

Tony DeLia’s Website

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A long time ago, I found Tony DeLia’s webite as a great resource for SQR.  I thought it was gone because I searched for once and couldn’t find it.  I don’t remember the circumstances now, but I ran across it just recently.

Here is the link:

SQR Tools / Tips

News: SAP Making Tracks

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I ran across these two articles today:

• InfoWorld: SAP to buy Sybase for $5.8 billion
• InfoWorld: SAP co-CEOs lay out ambitious technology plan

If SAP does buy Sybase that will put them in line with Oracle as far as owning both the database platform and the Application part.  I don’t know that much about SAP, but I was thinking they used Java in their framework.  I am curious about their feeling on Oracle owning Java.

Great Link: PeopleTools Book

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I ran across this blog post, and I thought it worth mentioning.  Jim Marion has written a book called PeopleSoft PeopleTools Tips and Techniques.   Sounds like a great book to me.  I guess I can’t get a copy just by linking to it?  Just kidding.

IniFiles in VB.Net

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I have been coding a VB.Net interface to PeopleSoft, and needed the ability to read and write INI Files. This link really helped me out:

Developer.com: INI Files Will Never Die: How-To in .NET

Instructions for Cloning a Database

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In an OTN Discussion Thread, I saw that Nicholas Gasparotto pointed out a document with instructions on cloning PeopleSoft instances.

The document is ID #643499.1 on support.oracle.com.  You can find it by pasting the document ID in the search box on the upper right-hand corner just after you login.

The information seemed like it had some great pointers, and if you haven’t already seen it, you might want to read through the steps to make sure you are taking all these things into account.  On the other hand, I think it is very important to keep a step by step list of tasks for your particular system that you keep up to date.  You will probably have specific things that you have to do for your environment that are unique to your installation.  For example, if you are cloning to a test environment, what about blanking out the email addresses so that test emails don’t get sent out as production emails.  Also, some people put a special message in the heading of the test instances so that it is obvious when you are in Test versus Production.

Thanks, Nicholas for the pointer — this is something I want to keep handy.

New Version in PeopleSoft

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I came across a couple of links regarding newer versions of PeopleSoft.

The first live version of HCM9.1 is Ricoh Electronics.  Sounds exciting — I am ready for a project like that 🙂

I also saw that Oracle is requesting feedback and stories on implementing PeopleTools 8.50.  I have my hands in that a little, but I wish I had more to report.