Any Interest in Program?

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I have been tinkering around with a little Java application I started for running queries against a PeopleSoft database.  I was just curious if there was any interest in such an application.  Here is a screenshot of what I have so far:

So far the program connects to SQL Server databases and Apache Databases.  It runs queries and loads the data into the JTable at the bottom.

I have a SQL “preprocessor” that evaluates the SQL right before it passes it to the database.  Currently, the only thing it does is to pull the semi-colon off of the end.  But, I plan to have it resolve meta-sql such as %Table() and %CurrentDateIn, etc.

Also, I would like to build SQL tools in that understand the SQL syntax.  I would like tools that automatically generate effective date criteria.  Another feature would be nice to have where it would join a table into a SQL statement.

Query Tool that includes Meta-SQL

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Once I learned about SQL Developer, I switched from using Toad as my Query Tool.   If I were to improve one thing though, it would be that the query tool understand Meta-SQL.  Now, if I copy SQL from PeopleSoft, say from an Application Engine, I have to remove all of the Meta-SQL tags that PeopleTools understands before I can run it.  Then, I have to replace them before copying back to PeopleTools.

I have thought about trying to write an extension for SQL Developer.  Does anyone know of any documentation about writing extensions or plug-ins for SQL Developer?  This might be a place to start.  Another route I have thought about is an open source tool called Squirrel SQL hosted on Source Forge.  It looks like it has a way to write plug-ins or extensions, but I haven’t been able to get it to connect to any of my databases yet.  To be fair, I haven’t given it a thorough run-through yet.

If you have any ideas or information, please let me know.

PeopleTools Reference: Common Meta-SQL

If you were to learn just a select few Meta-SQL, these are the ones that I would recommend:
%SelectAll
%SelectAllByKey & %SelectAllByKeyEffdt
%Table
%DateIn & %DateOut
%Insert
%Update
%Delete

There are many others. Please refer to the PeopleTools PeopleBook for more information.

PeopleTools Reference: Meta-SQL %Update

generates an update statement to change the database to match the values in the record object.

Example

Local Record &recJob;
&recJob.EMPLID.value = &emplid;
&recJob.EMPL_RCD.value = &empl_rcd;
SQLExec(“%SelectByKeyEffdt(:1)”, &recJob, %Date, &recJob);
&recJob.DEPTID.value = &deptid;
SQLExec(“%Update(:1)”, &recJob);

PeopleTools Reference: Meta-SQL %Delete

generates a delete statement using the values from a record object

This command will pull the record name, the key fields, and the values for those key fields to generate the delete statement. This will result in the statement deleting one row from the database since the statement includes all of the keys for the record.

Example

Local Record &recJob;
&recJob.EMPLID.value = &emplid;
&recJob.EMPL_RCD.value = &empl_rcd;
&recJob.EFFDT.value = &effdt;
&recJob.EFFSEQ.value = 0;
SqlExec(“%Delete(:1)”, &recJob);

PeopleTools Reference: Meta-SQL %Insert

generates an Insert statement to insert the data from a record object into the database.

Remember that a record object (not a record definition) stores both the record structure (table name and field name) and the field values. Therefore, the system has everything it needs to write an insert statement: insert( … field list … ) values ( … options …).

Examples

Local Record &myRecord;
&myRecord.KEY1.value = “Key Value”;
&myRecord.FIELD1.value = “Field Value”;
SQLExec(“%Insert(:1)”, &myRecord);

PeopleTools Reference: Meta-SQL %SelectByKey

generates a select statement based on the given record definition.

Remember that a record object (not a record definition) stores both the record structure (table name and field name) and the field values. Therefore, the system has everything it needs to write a select statement: select … list of fields … from … table name … where … key field name … = … value for that field … and so on.

Related: %SelectByKeyEffdt

does the same thing except it adds the effective dating criteria to limit it to the most recent rows.

Examples

Local Record &recJob;
&recJob = CreateRecord(RECORD.JOB);
&recJob.EMPLID.value = &emplid;
&recJob.EMPL_RCD.value = &empl_rcd;
&recJob.EFFDT.value = &effdt;
&recJob.EFFSEQ.value = &effseq;
SqlExec(“%SelectByKey(:1)”, &recJob, &recJob);
WinMessage(“Job Code: ” | &recJob.JOBCODE.value);

Local Record &recNames, &recOutput;
&recNames = CreateRecord(RECORD.NAMES);
&recOutput = CreateRecord(RECORD.NAMES);
&recNames.EMPLID.value = &emplid;
&recNames.NAME_TYPE.value = “PRI”;
SqlExec(“%SelectByKeyEffdt(:1)”, &recNames, %Date, &recOutput);

PeopleTools Reference: Meta-SQL %SelectAll

Generates a select statement that selects all the fields from a chosen record.

Typically, when you use the %SelectAll, you would use a record object to store the results. That way you don’t have to know how many fields your result will return.

Examples

%SelectAll(JOB)

Local Record &myRecord;
&myRecord = CreateRecord(RECORD.MY_RECORD);
SQLExec(“%SelectAll(:1) WHERE MY_KEY = :2”, &myRecord, “My Key”, &myRecord);

Local Record &myInstallation;
&myRecord = CreateRecord(RECORD.INSTALLATION);
SQLExec(“%SelectAll(:1)”, &RECORD.INSTALLATION, &myInstallation);

PeopleTools Reference: Meta-SQL %Table

%Table

Replaces with the actual table name of the given record.

Generally, this just means adding a “PS_” to the front of the record name. But, PeopleTools actually checks the alternate table name from the Record Type tab to see if a value is there first.

Two Uses:

• Access a table with a reference or record object rather than embedding a table name in the SQL; PeopleTools will not index the table/record in a string literal.
• Reference the Temporary table in an App Engine; %Table is the only way to reference the table because the table name is assign dynamically at run time.

Examples:

SELECT * FROM %Table(JOB) WHERE EMPLID = :1

SqlExec(“SELECT NAME FROM %Table(:1) WHERE EMPLID = :2”, Record.NAMES, &emplid, &name);

&sql = CreateSql(“SELECT * FROM %Table(:1) WHERE EMPLID = :2”, &MyRecord, &emplid);

INSERT INTO %Table(MYTEMP_TAO)
SELECT * FROM PS_MYDATATABLE

PeopleTools Reference: Meta-SQL DateIn/DateOut

DateIn

Description

Converts a date into the form the database uses.
Used for:

• Where clauses
• Insert/Update

Remember DateIn passes a date into the database.

DateOut

Description

Converts a date into the form that PeopleTools uses.
Used for:

• Select clause

Examples

SELECT %DateOut(MAX(EFFDT))
FROM PS_JOB
WHERE EMPLID = :1
AND EMPL_RCD = :2
AND EFFDT

INSERT INTO PS_MY_RNCTL(OPRID, RUN_CONTROL_ID, AS_OF_DATE)
VALUES(:1, :2, %DateIn(:3))

UPDATE PS_MY_TABLE
SET MY_DATE = %DateIn(:1)
WHERE MY_DATE