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PeopleCode Events and Firing Order Reference

This table lists PeopleCode events in the order the component processor fires them, with where each is defined, typical use and whether Error and Warning belong there. It applies to PeopleTools 8.5x and 8.6x classic and Fluid components.

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Order	Processing phase	Event	Defined on	When it fires	Typical use	Error / Warning	Common gotcha
1	Search processing	SearchInit	Record field, component record (search record)	Before the search page is displayed	Default search key values, hide or gray search fields, skip the search page with SetSearchDialogBehavior	Avoid	Only fires for fields on the component search record
2	Search processing	SearchSave	Record field, component record (search record)	When the user clicks Search, before rows are fetched	Require at least one search criterion, validate search values	Yes: Error keeps the user on the search page, Warning lets them continue	Does not fire when the search page is bypassed
3	Component build	PreBuild	Component	Before the rest of the component build events	Set component-scoped variables, hide pages, set up data that build events depend on	Avoid	Runs once per component build, not per row
4	Component build	RowSelect	Record field, component record	As each row is read into the component buffer	Filter rows from the buffer with DiscardRow or StopFetching	Use DiscardRow / StopFetching instead	Slow on large scrolls; filtering in SQL or the view is usually better. Think-time functions not allowed
5	Component build	FieldDefault	Record field, component record field	During default processing when a field is blank	Set a default value that cannot be set in the record field properties	Avoid (not for messages)	Only runs when the field has no value; for every-row logic use RowInit
6	Component build	FieldFormula	Record field	During default processing, on many actions	Legacy place for function libraries (FUNCLIB records)	Avoid	Delivered guidance is to keep only functions here; code here runs often and slows pages
7	Component build	RowInit	Record field, component record	First time each row is loaded into the buffer, and for new rows	Set display-only state, calculate derived fields, hide fields per row	No: Error or Warning here causes a runtime error	Fires per row and per record field, so heavy SQL here multiplies across rows
8	Component build	PostBuild	Component	After all component build events	Final setup once buffers are loaded, hide pages based on loaded data	Avoid	Good place for logic that needs the full buffer
9	Component build	Activate	Page	Each time the page is displayed or the user tabs to it	Page-level show or hide, page-specific initialisation	Avoid	Fires again on each page visit, so keep it light
10	Field action	FieldEdit	Record field, component record field	When the user changes a field value and leaves the field	Validate the new value	Yes: Error rejects the value and highlights the field, Warning lets the user accept	Validates only the changed field; cross-field rules belong in SaveEdit
11	Field action	FieldChange	Record field, component record field	After FieldEdit succeeds, or when a push button is clicked	Recalculate, populate other fields, button logic	Avoid (validate in FieldEdit)	Changing the same field here can trigger confusing loops
12	Row action	RowInsert	Record field, component record	When the user inserts a row in a scroll or grid	Default values on a new row	Avoid	RowInit also fires for the new row, so do not duplicate logic
13	Row action	RowDelete	Record field, component record	When the user deletes a row	Prevent deletion when dependent data exists, adjust totals	Yes: Error stops the delete, Warning asks to confirm	Child rows are deleted too, and RowDelete fires for them
14	Pop-up menu	PrePopup	Record field, component record field	Before a pop-up menu is displayed	Hide, gray or check pop-up menu items	Avoid	Only relevant where a pop-up menu is attached to the field
15	Pop-up menu	ItemSelected	Menu item (pop-up menu)	When the user selects a pop-up menu item	Run the action behind the menu item	Avoid	Code lives on the menu definition, not the record
16	Save processing	SaveEdit	Record field, component record, component	When the user saves, for each row in the buffer	Cross-field and cross-row validation before data is written	Yes: Error stops the save, Warning lets the user cancel or continue	The right place for validation; pair errors with SetCursorPos or field highlighting so users find the problem
17	Save processing	SavePreChange	Record field, component record, component	After SaveEdit, before the database is updated	Final field changes before write, assign keys or sequence numbers	Error rolls back the save; validate in SaveEdit instead	Think-time functions not allowed
18	Save processing	Workflow	Record field, component record, component	After SavePreChange, before the database update	Workflow routing and triggering business events	Avoid	Think-time functions not allowed
19	Save processing	SavePostChange	Record field, component record, component	After the database is updated, before commit	Update other tables, publish Integration Broker messages, call component interfaces	Avoid: data is already written	Think-time functions not allowed; failures here leave users confused because the main data saved

Order shows the default flow of the component processor: search, build, field and row actions as the user works, then save. Within one event, PeopleCode runs on record field level before component record field and component record level, in buffer order. Confirm details for your release in PeopleBooks, 'PeopleCode and the Component Processor'.

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How to use it

Search for an event name or a task such as default, validate or hide. Read across: the defined-on column tells you where to place the code in Application Designer (record field, component record field, component record, component, page or menu), and the gotcha column covers the mistakes reviewers flag. Use the order column when debugging: if a value is wrong at save, work back through the events that ran before. Export to Excel for a team coding standard.

Validation of a single field: FieldEdit
Validation across fields or rows: SaveEdit
Updates to other tables after save: SavePostChange

Where events are defined

Record field PeopleCode sits on the record and runs in every component that uses the record, so it suits rules that are always true. Component record field and component record PeopleCode sit on the component and run only there, which is safer for component-specific logic. Component events (PreBuild, PostBuild, SaveEdit, SavePreChange, SavePostChange, Workflow) run once at component level. Page Activate runs when the page shows. ItemSelected lives on pop-up menu items. In PSPCMPROG, OBJECTVALUE columns hold the record, field and event names, which is how you find code by event.

Worked example: validate a date range and highlight the field

A custom page has BEGIN_DT and END_DT. Placing the check in END_DT FieldEdit catches a bad end date as soon as the user leaves the field: Error stops the value and highlights END_DT. But if the user changes BEGIN_DT afterwards, FieldEdit on END_DT does not fire again, so put the cross-field check in SaveEdit too. When code updates buffer fields outside normal user input and the component should treat the data as changed, SetComponentChanged() marks the component changed so the save prompt and save processing run.

Gotchas

Think-time functions, those that wait for the user such as DoModal, a message box needing a reply, or Prompt, are not allowed in SavePreChange, SavePostChange, Workflow and RowSelect. Error and Warning in RowInit cause a runtime error. Heavy SQL in RowInit or FieldFormula runs once per row and per page visit, which is the most common cause of slow pages. Component interfaces run the same component PeopleCode without the user interface, so code assuming a user can respond to a prompt breaks in integrations and Application Engine calls.

Keep FieldFormula for function libraries only
Test logic through component interfaces as well as online
Use SetComponentChanged only when buffer changes need saving

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the order of PeopleCode events?

Search processing runs SearchInit then SearchSave. Component build runs PreBuild, RowSelect, FieldDefault, FieldFormula, RowInit, PostBuild and page Activate. While the user works, FieldEdit and FieldChange fire on field changes and RowInsert or RowDelete on rows. Save runs SaveEdit, SavePreChange, Workflow and SavePostChange.

When should I use SaveEdit in PeopleCode?

Use SaveEdit for validations that depend on more than one field or row, or that must be checked every time before data is written. An Error in SaveEdit stops the save and returns the user to the page, and a Warning lets them choose to continue. It runs before SavePreChange and before any database update.

How do I highlight a field with an error in PeopleCode?

An Error statement in FieldEdit rejects the value and highlights the field that triggered it. In SaveEdit, Error placed in record field PeopleCode is associated with that field and row. For component-level save errors, use SetCursorPos to move the user to the field that needs correcting.

What does SetComponentChanged do?

SetComponentChanged() marks the current component as changed, so the save warning appears if the user leaves and save processing runs when they save. It is used when PeopleCode changes data in a way the component processor would not detect as a user change, for example values set in derived records or work fields.

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