PeopleSoft FinancialsBasic Query Training

Financial Information Systems and ReportingController’s Division

Agenda

• What is a Query?• Query Viewer• Query Manager• Good Practices for Running Queries

What is a Query?

A query is a requestfor information from a database.

A database is astructured collectionof records or datathat is stored in acomputer system.

4

Projects (grants)Projects (grants)

Journal Lines / General Ledger / Commitment ControlJournal Lines / General Ledger / Commitment Control

Purchase Order (Purchasing)

Purchase Order (Purchasing)

Requisition (ePro)Requisition (ePro)

Asset ManagementAsset Management

ARBARB

AR BannerAR Banner

PeopleSoft HRMSPeopleSoft HRMS

Receipts (Purchasing)

Receipts (Purchasing)

Accounts Payable

Accounts Payable

Relationships Among PS Financials Modules

PS Financials Key Records Document

• Available on GRU PeopleSoft Website > PeopleSoft Documentation > Query Documentation > Key Records in PeopleSoft Financials 8.9– Lists key records for each module– Lists key (indexed) fields for each record– Lists exceptions and rules when using the

record to make a query

Example of Record / Field Structure

PO_LINE - (record)

PO_LINE_SHIP - (record)

PO_HDR - (record)

Business_Unit

PO_ID PO_DT PO_STATUS

Other data…

12000 D15245001 07/15/2014 D ………………

Business_Unit

PO_ID LINE_NBR

Description

Amount Other data…

12000 D15245001

1 White paper

25.00 ………………

12000 D15245001

2 Pens, black 8.99 ………………

Business_Unit

PO_ID LINE_NBR

SCHED_NBR

Location ShipTo

Other data…

12000 D15245001

1 1 AA2004 AA ………..

12000 D15245001

2 1 AA2004 AA ………..

Query Viewer for Basic Query

Query Viewer

• Allows a user to:– Run a Query to HTML or Excel– Schedule a Query– Add it to Query Favorites

• The navigation is:– Reporting Tools > Query > Query Viewer

Query Viewer – Search for a Query

• Search on a Query by:– Query Name– Uses Record Name– Uses Field Name

• Public Query Naming Standards– MCG_AP – Accounts Payable Queries– MCG_AM – Asset Management Queries– MCG_GL – General Ledger/Journal Queries– MCG_PO – Purchasing PO Queries– MCG_REQ – Purchasing Requisition Queries– MCG_BPA – Budget, Planning and Analysis

Queries– MCG_SPA – Sponsored Accounting Queries

Query Viewer – To Run a Query

• To Run a Query– Search on a Query– Click either the HTML or Excel hyperlink

beside the query that you want to run. – If there are prompts, you will be prompted to

enter your criteria before the query runs.

Query Viewer – Schedule a Query• Schedule a Query

1. Search on a Query2. Click on the Schedule hyperlink3. Name the Run Control ID, and Add it4. Write a description5. Choose Run Date & Recurrence6. Choose Type, Format and

Distribution7. Click OK

Query Viewer – Add to Favorites

• To add a query as a Favorite1. Search on a Query2. Click on the Favorite Hyperlink to the right of

the Query name• Note: Once a query is a favorite, then it will

come up when you open Query Viewer or Query Manager in a My Favorite Queries box

Query Manager for Basic Query

Fields

Criteria Prompts

Add a Record

Save as a

Private Query

Query Manager

• Allows a user to:– Run a Query to HTML or Excel (use hyperlinks)

– Schedule a Query (use hyperlinks)

– Copy a Private Query to Another User (use action box)

– Edit a Query (use hyperlinks)

• The navigation is:– Reporting Tools > Query > Query Manager

Query Manager – Edit a Query

• Edit a Query– Search on a Query– Click the Edit hyperlink beside the query that

you want to modify and save as private.

Edit a Query - Fields Tab• The Fields tab allows users to see the fields that

will be output when the query is run. • At this tab, you can:

– Change the order of the field output– Change the output column header– Show the XLAT translate values– Change to sort order

Button Reorder FieldsButton to Change Sort OrderButton to Edit Fields & Heading Text

Reorder / SortThis column is to setup the sort order

To make the sort descending order

This column is used to reorder the output columns

Edit a Query - Criteria Tab

• The Criteria Tab allows users to:– Create Criteria statements using mathematical

and logical conditions– Users can group criteria and reorder it

• You must have criteria to pull your data; otherwise, you will be trying to run a query on the entire institution’s data

Button to Edit Criteria

Edit a Query - Prompts Tab• The Prompts Tab allows users to create prompts

for users to type in run-time criteria.• Most prompts can be built on the criteria tab

while building the criteria statement, EXCEPT for criteria statements using the condition of BETWEEN.

Button to Edit Prompt

Edit a Query - Save As A Private Query

• To save a Query as a Private Query– Click on the Save As hyperlink at the bottom

of the query tool– Rename the query to change the name

slightly (can add your initials to beginning or end)

– At the Owner drop-down box, select Private – this should be defaulted for most users

Good Business Practices for Running Queries

• If your query runs and times-out, by exiting you from PS Financials, then your query could still be running on the database, and taking up most of the processor of the database server.

• Contact PS_FINANCIALS@gru.edu, so that we can have IT cancel your query that is still running.

Good Business Practices for Running Queries – Cont’d

• Start with a public query, and modify it to make a private query. Do not start from scratch.

• DO NOT run query for an entire year or more of data on the entire institution’s data.– Use department specific criteria– Test running on one month’s worth of data,

before many months.

QUESTIONS

More Advanced Edit Query – How to Add a Record

• To add another record to a query, you need to Click on the Records Tab:– Search for the Record to Use– Click on Join Record– Click on the Record to Join the Record to– Accept the Auto-join criteria

• Then the fields can be added to the query from the new record.

More Advanced Edit Query - Joining Records

• SQL JOINs are used to query data from two or more records, based on a relationship between certain columns in these records.

• Use a JOIN with joining most records for your queries. Accept auto-join criteria in most instances.– JRNL_HEADER.JOURNAL_ID =

JRNL_LN.JOURNAL_ID.