PTF: Recorder is unable to load... Now What?

I love PTF! With Selective Adoption, Continuous Delivery, and Customization Isolation strategies, PTF is more important than ever. Since Event Mapping, Drop Zones, and Page and Field Configurator don't appear on compare reports (and that is the point), we need a tool like PTF to expose regressions we would have found through the traditional retrofit analysis. The traditional retrofit approach required us to analyze and retrofit every customization. Event Mapping, Drop Zones, and Page and Field Configurator free us to focus on just what broke during the upgrade. And this is why PTF exists. The PTF regression test is how we find what broke. PTF is the linchpin that holds the whole isolated customization strategy together. Without it, we either go live with undiscovered errors or we continue to analyze and retrofit everything.

But what if you launch the PTF recorder and suddenly see this?

What happened? The PTF recorder is a Chrome/Edge plugin. That plugin needs to be loaded for the recorder to function. The PTF application attempts to install this plugin each time it launches the recorder. Depending on your enterprise settings, however, Chrome may deny that request. This is what happened to me. Enterprise customers have been dealing with this since PeopleSoft switched to the Chrome recorder. However, this is what surprised me: I'm simply using a standard Chrome download on an unmanaged server. In fact, PTF used to work just fine on this very server, and this behavior is a recent development. Perhaps Chrome altered its security policy?

Fortunately, this is a known and documented issue. Enterprise customers with highly controlled Chrome environments have been experiencing this issue since PTF switched to the Chrome recorder. Take a look at MOS Doc ID 2922127.1. This document outlines the steps necessary to correct the issue. Following those steps, I launched Chrome as an Administrator by:

1. Typing Chrome into the Windows Menu and
2. Right-clicking the Google Chrome entry and choosing Run as Administrator from the popup menu

I then navigated to chrome://extensions/ and turned on Developer Mode:

Finally, I dragged the Chrome extension psTstRecCh.crx file onto the Chrome extension window:

But after a restart, it still didn't work. I could now see the extension listed in Chrome, but it was disabled, and no matter how many times I clicked, it wouldn't enable itself!

Even though the extension was installed, Chrome wouldn't trust it. Even as an Administrator, I could not enable the extension. The final step is to override Chrome's behavior by encouraging it to trust Oracle's PTF extension. We do this through the Windows Registry. The appropriate Windows Registry keys are listed in PeopleBooks under Installing a PTF Client > Configuring Browser Settings. Here is the contents of my *.reg file I imported into my Windows Registry.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionAllowedTypes]
"1"="extension"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallAllowlist]
"1"="boainbfkaibcfobfdncejkcbmfcckljh"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Google\Chrome\ExtensionInstallBlocklist]
"1"="*"

Please note that editing the Windows registry can be risky and potentially cause serious problems, including system instability or even rendering Windows unbootable. Therefore, it's crucial to proceed with extreme caution and only if you are confident in your actions. Always back up the registry before making any changes, and keep detailed records of modifications.

And that was all it took! My PTF recorder is now working as well as ever!

At JSMpros, we teach PeopleSoft tips like this every week. Check out our schedule to see what we are offering next! Have a large group you would like to train? Contact us for scheduling and group pricing.

Stop Retrofitting and Analyzing Every Customization!

When applying maintenance, we must retrofit every customization. And we will have to continue analyzing and retrofitting as long as we have customizations. The process involves running Compare Reports to identify changes, analyzing customizations, and copying/pasting our old solutions into Oracle's new code base. Occasionally, we must alter a customization to account for Oracle's changes. My point is that we must touch every single customization identified in a Compare Report. The alternative is modern isolation strategies, such as  Page and Field Configurator, Event Mapping, and Drop Zones. We call these isolated customizations because changes are isolated from Oracle's delivered code base. They don't appear in Compare Reports. But should they still be analyzed? Do they require retrofits? Do they break during maintenance?

Without a Compare Report, how do you find isolated customizations? Do you need to find them? We have been discussing this lack of transparency since Event Mapping was released in PeopleTools 8.55. In fact, we've written SQL to help you locate code that includes Event Mapping that was touched by maintenance. But do we need to review every isolated customization? Here is an example. In 2016, I used Event Mapping to change the appearance of the Addresses Page. Notice the iconography next to the Home and Mailing Address in the following screenshot:

I haven't touched this isolated customization in 7 years. That is 7 years and possibly 21 "Get Currents" without a single care for this Isolated Customization! And then, I applied HCM PUM 46. Here is the result:

I've Waited 7 years for this to happen! Shouldn't a compare report have caught this? No. That is the point of an isolated customization. Our code is isolated from Oracle's code. Therefore, there is no Compare Report. But as you can see, sometimes our code still breaks after maintenance.

So what is the solution? How do we identify isolated customizations that broke while applying maintenance? Regression Tests. The solution to this challenge is the PTF Regression Test. Each time you create an Event Mapping, Drop Zone, or Page and Field Configurator solution, you should create a corresponding PTF regression test to prove your solution still works. A PTF Regression Test would have caught the error message and instantly failed the test. I would then analyze and retrofit just this one broken solution, not every single system change.

Compare Reports for Event Mapping, Drop Zones, and Page and Field Configurator? Do you really need them? Wouldn't a proper Regression Testing strategy save you hours, even days, of analysis by avoiding report reviews?

At JSMpros, we teach developers and business analysts how to create PTF Regression Tests through our two-day PeopleSoft Test Framework course. Find out when we are offering it next, or learn at your own pace through on-demand!

PeopleTools 8.60 PTF: Where is IE 11?

I was just reviewing the fantastic PeopleTools 8.60 Highlights video and noticed something missing from the PTF Execution/Runtime Options. Here is a screenshot

Do you see something missing? Where is Internet Explorer? Internet Explorer retired on June 15, 2022, and is no longer a "supported" browser (see MOS Doc 2834591.1). Releases of 8.59 still allowed us to use IE for recording and playback as long as we chose IE from the browser list, even after support ended. But as you can see, IE 11 is not in the 8.60 screenshot. This is an important consideration as you evaluate PeopleTools 8.60. What do you think of this change? Share your thoughts in the comments! Here is a thought that I have: Dropping IE 11 as a playback and record browser means the PeopleTools team may use modern CSS features, such as Flexbox and CSS variables, without concern for legacy browsers.

Ready to learn more about PeopleSoft's Test Framework and the Chrome-based recorder? Check out our on-demand recorded and live virtual offerings. Want to train your whole team? Contact us for group pricing and scheduling.

Not sure how to get started with PTF? Here is what we recommend: As a developer, start by recording regression tests. Every time you apply a Drop Zone, Event Mapping, or Page and Field Configuration, record a simple regression test to prove your alteration still works. This approach will help you build an amazing maintainable regression test library over time.

PTF Chrome Recorder

PeopleSoft Test Framework now records with Google Chrome! As of PeopleTools 8.59.07, Google Chrome replaces Internet Explorer 11 as the PTF recorder. This is great news considering Internet Explorer 11 retires from most Windows operating systems on June 15th, 2022. We took the new recorder for a test drive and have some findings to share with you. Check it out on our YouTube channel.

Be sure to subscribe to our channel so you don't miss future updates!

The biggest changes seem to be the replacement of the "always-on-top" recorder with a side window and a right-click pop-up menu.

Are you ready for June 15th? Details about the new PTF recorder are available in My Oracle Support document 2834568.1. At this time, Oracle plans to backport the Chrome recorder to 8.58.18. The document also shares details about potentially recording with the Edge browser in a future PeopleTools release.

What are customers saying? If your site disables Chrome extension installation, then you may experience challenges with the new Chrome recorder. It appears to self-install and run when launching the PTF recorder. You may find limited details about the Chrome extension issue in MOS doc 2648652.1.

With Event Mapping, Drop Zones, and other customization isolation solutions, PTF is more important than ever! Since we no longer customize directly, compare reports don't identify potential impacts. PTF regression tests are how modern PeopleSoft developers locate isolated customizations issues. Are you ready to learn more? Check out our live and recorded PTF courses online! Do you have a team you would like to train? Contact us with the details, and let's get something scheduled.

Do You "Regression Test" Your Configurations?

Do you have customzations? Do customizations slow down selective adoption? The answer, of course, is "Yes" to both questions. Our best practice is to move customizations into configurations through Event Mapping, Page and Field Configurator, Drop Zones, etc. Configuration alternatives remove changes from lifecycle management, allowing us to alter the PeopleSoft experience without the impact and overhead of a customization... or do they? It is true; configuration alternatives don't show on compare reports. They move our "customizations" into a separate layer, a runtime injected layer, allowing Oracle to swap the backend code. Another way to think of it is that configuration alternatives automate applying customizations.

Let's review a quick scenario. Let's say there is a field on a page, and you are supposed to remove it. Simple task. The PeopleCode would be record.field.visible = False; If we customized, we would add that code to a design-time event, such as PostBuild. As a configuration, however, we would put that code in an App Class and then use Event Mapping to inject the code at runtime. So the value of configuration is that you don't have to reapply code changes. They are injected at runtime.

So here is a question:

When you re-apply a customization, is design-time code merge (copy/paste) the only thing you do?

Of course not! You also analyze. You investigate. Is the customization still necessary? Is it still relevant? Do you need to refactor around Oracle's changes? You still need to ask all of those questions. Even as a configuration, not a customization, you still must answer the same questions because it is the same code. It is the same solution. It solves the same problem. And, if you customized, you would have a compare report showing you what to review and where. Context. This is proactive. But with configuration? Silence. Without a compare report, how do you know what to review? How do you know what changed? Wait for testers to catch it? Wait for go-live? This is reactive.

Let's continue with the hidden field/Event Mapping example, and you go through a selective adoption or get current cycle. Since you used Event Mapping, your code is still there. But again, should you review it? How do you know what to review? What if Oracle agrees with our "hidden field" assessment and removes that field? Because we used Event Mapping, our code is still there, but it would refer to a field that is no longer in the component buffer, and will fail. What proactive lifecycle management tool is going to help you identify this issue? Without a compare report, how do you know what requires analysis? These are fantastic questions!

One way to locate conflicts is through regression tests. Each time I create a configuration (Drop Zone, Event Mapping, Page and Field Configurator, etc.), I record a test. That test proves my configuration still works. After each get current, I can run my regression test suite and see what fails. Test metadata will point to the change request, etc. so I know what to repair and where. I bet you are already doing regression testing. Everyone does. We usually call it "End User Testing." It might be a formal process but may not include change request documentation, etc. It is more like, "Hey, that thing that used to work is broken again." Alternatively, we recommend PeopleSoft Test Framework (PTF). The PTF metadata (comments, etc.) would contain the change request details. When the test fails, we can easily drill to the supporting documentation. This is proactive.

At this point, you might be saying, "We would LOVE to do that, but we haven't implemented PTF." But here is my question. Do you have to "implement" PTF to use it? Can't you, as a developer, just start recording regression tests against your configurations? That is what we recommend, and that is what we teach in our two-day PTF training course. You already have it. It's just waiting for you to start using it.

Our next PTF course starts in a couple of days, so be sure to register here ASAP! Or, purchase our On-demand PTF training course and get 60-days access to digitally mastered content to learn PTF whenever and wherever.

New to configuration? We regularly offer event mapping, drop zones, and Page and Field Configurator classes. Check out our website to see what we are offering next! Prefer On-demand? Take a look at our new On-demand Drop Zones course and learn on your own time.

Announcing PeopleSoft Fluid Day! A one-day Fluid Webinar

Announcing PeopleSoft Integration Day! Are you ready to learn Fluid? Or, do you already know Fluid, but want to learn more? Join us online Thursday, May 20, 2021 for a full day Fluid Development Experience! Space is limited so register now!

Register Now!

Here are some of the topics we will cover and questions we will answer:

Classic versus Fluid

Both Classic and Fluid use App Designer to create solutions. Both support drag and drop page design. So what are the differences? And if you know Classic, what do I need to learn to be proficient with Fluid?

Mobile

Isn't Fluid mobile? If so, why aren't my grids responsive? What mobile-friendly options exist for grids?

Drag and Drop

PeopleSoft homepages allow us to drag and drop tiles. AWE allows us to drag and drop fields. How can I implement Drag and Drop on my own Fluid pages?

Branding

What does it take to create a branding theme for a PeopleSoft instance? How do you brand both Classic and Fluid? Do I have to use Branding Macros with Fluid? Are there alternatives?

Drop Zones

Where can I use Drop Zones? What can I do with them? What if a component doesn't have Drop Zones? Are there limitations with Drop Zones? Since Drop Zones and Event Mapping don't appear in compare reports, how do we know what to review after a system update?

PeopleSoft Test Framework (PTF)

How do you implement PTF? Are there any challenges to using PTF with Fluid? Are there special considerations for PTF with Event Mapping and Drop Zones?

Do you have a group of 10 or more? Contact us at info@jsmpros.com for a quantity discount!

Register Now!