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PsoftToXML Application Class

The psoftToXML Application Class converts PeopleSoft objects (Rowsets, Rows, Records) to XML for use in web services. It serves as an alternative to Rowset-based messages, providing more flexibility in organizing the output while still leveraging standard PeopleSoft data objects.

Why Use This?

When providing XML web services from PeopleSoft, your encoding options are:

  • PeopleCode XML class - Create bespoke XML documents manually. Required when clients need a specific XML structure.
  • Rowset-based messages - Let PeopleSoft handle the encoding. The XML structure is tightly coupled to the record structures.
  • psoftToXML - A middle ground that encodes PeopleSoft objects to XML dynamically, with some flexibility over what gets included.

The psoftToXML class is useful when:

  • You are providing raw PeopleSoft data to a 3rd party that can handle the PeopleSoft data structure
  • You want to avoid maintaining a bunch of Rowset-based messages every time you add a new table to an export
  • You need dynamic content where a Rowset-based message is tied to a specific record

Class Signature

class psoftToXML
   method RowsetToXML(&parentNode As XmlNode, &rowSetIn As Rowset) Returns XmlNode;
   method RecordToXML(&parentNode As XmlNode, &recordIn As Record) Returns XmlNode;
   method FieldToXML(&ParentNode As XmlNode, &fieldIn As Field) Returns XmlNode;
   method RowToXML(&ParentNode As XmlNode, &rowIn As Row) Returns XmlNode;
   method psoftToXML();
   property array of string fieldsToSkip;
end-class;

Import: import CHG_XML:psoftToXML;

Example 1 - Return Person Rowset

Encode a rowset with the PERSON record for one person:

&response = CreateMessage(Operation.CHG_PERSON_GET, %IntBroker_Response);

Local CHG_XML:psoftToXML &p2XML = create CHG_XML:psoftToXML();

Local XmlDoc &xmlout;
Local XmlNode &childNode;

&xmlout = CreateXmlDoc("<?xml version='1.0'?><response/>");

Local Rowset &rsPerson = CreateRowset(Record.PERSON);

&rsPerson.Fill("WHERE EMPLID = :1 ", &paramEMPLID);
&childNode = &p2XML.RowsetToXML(&xmlout.DocumentElement, &rsPerson);

&response.SetXmlDoc(&xmlout);

Output:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<response>
    <PERSON PSOBJECTTYPE="ROWSET">
        <ROW PSOBJECTTYPE="ROW" RowNumber="1">
            <PERSON PSOBJECTTYPE="RECORD">
                <EMPLID PSFIELDTYPE="CHAR" PSOBJECTTYPE="FIELD">L00013</EMPLID>
                <BIRTHDATE PSFIELDTYPE="DATE" PSOBJECTTYPE="FIELD">1950-04-01</BIRTHDATE>
                <BIRTHCOUNTRY PSFIELDTYPE="CHAR" PSOBJECTTYPE="FIELD">USA</BIRTHCOUNTRY>
                <LAST_CHILD_UPDDTM PSFIELDTYPE="DATETIME" PSOBJECTTYPE="FIELD">2009-04-14-10.26.08.000000</LAST_CHILD_UPDDTM>
            </PERSON>
        </ROW>
    </PERSON>
</response>

Example 2 - Encode a Single Record

You can also encode just one record object:

Local Record &recPerson = CreateRecord(Record.PERSON);
&recPerson.EMPLID.Value = &paramEMPLID;
&recPerson.SelectByKey();

&childNode = &p2XML.RecordToXML(&xmlout.DocumentElement, &recPerson);

Example 3 - Nested Rowsets

The RowsetToXML method recursively encodes child rowsets. In this example, we create a PERSON -> ADDRESSES hierarchy:

Local Rowset &rsPerson2 = CreateRowset(Record.PERSON, CreateRowset(Record.ADDRESSES));
&rsPerson2.Fill("WHERE EMPLID = :1 ", &paramEMPLID);
&rsPerson2.GetRow(1).GetRowset(Scroll.ADDRESSES).Fill("WHERE EMPLID = :1 ", &paramEMPLID);

&childNode = &p2XML.RowsetToXML(&xmlout.DocumentElement, &rsPerson2);

This produces nested XML with the PERSON record and all ADDRESS rows as child elements.

Example 4 - Excluding Fields

You can exclude fields by pushing field names to the fieldsToSkip array. This is useful for fields that are sensitive or you don’t want to expose to a client:

&p2XML.fieldsToSkip.Push("DT_OF_DEATH");
&p2XML.fieldsToSkip.Push("BIRTHDATE");

Local Record &recPerson4 = CreateRecord(Record.PERSON);
&recPerson4.EMPLID.Value = &paramEMPLID;
&recPerson4.SelectByKey();
&childNode = &p2XML.RecordToXML(&xmlout.DocumentElement, &recPerson4);

The excluded fields will not appear in the output.

Example 5 - Custom XML Structure

All encoding methods take an XML parent node as a parameter, so you can organize the output under different XML elements:

Local Record &recPerson5 = CreateRecord(Record.PERSON);
&recPerson5.EMPLID.Value = &paramEMPLID;
&recPerson5.SelectByKey();

Local XmlNode &tempNode;

&tempNode = &xmlout.DocumentElement.AddElement("PERSON_DATA");
&childNode = &p2XML.RecordToXML(&tempNode, &recPerson5);

&tempNode = &xmlout.DocumentElement.AddElement("SECURITY_DATA");
Local Record &recOPR5 = CreateRecord(Record.PSOPRDEFN);
SQLExec("%selectall(:1) WHERE PSOPRDEFN.EMPLID = :2", &recOPR5, &paramEMPLID, &recOPR5);
&childNode = &p2XML.RecordToXML(&tempNode, &recOPR5);

This produces XML with PERSON_DATA and SECURITY_DATA as separate parent sections.

Getting the Code

The PeopleSoft project is available on GitHub: psoftToXML

Author Info
Chris Malek

Chris Malek s a PeopleTools® Technical Consultant with over two decades of experience working on PeopleSoft enterprise software projects. He is available for consulting engagements.

Work with Chris