About Finance Queries

Queries are ad-hoc "questions" asked of the database tables that deliver "answers" in tabular format. Users can run pre-written public queries in PS Finance at any time, and then print the results or save them to their own desktops as Excel spreadsheets. General endusers are not permitted to write their own queries.

Queries Offer the Following Advantages

  • Easy to develop and maintain locally, making them ideal for providing quick answers to specific questions
  • Provide access to tables and information that for logistical or security reasons aren’t offered to endusers via other means
  • Easy way to export data from the PS Finance tables into user desktop tools like Excel

Queries Have the Following Drawbacks

  • Crude formatting
  • Only deliver one level of detail at a time, requiring multiple queries for detail, subtotals, and totals
  • Processing limitations, including a limitation on the size of the result (number of rows)
  • While capable of accepting runtime parameters, not flexible about optional parameters

Available Queries

Finance inquiry endusers can see and run hundreds of public queries, including queries delivered by PeopleSoft and CSU as well as queries written locally at HSU. Most of the Humboldt queries are for internal Finance operations and are of no interest to endusers.

Running Queries

Access the Query Viewer tool at Reporting Tools-Query-Query Viewer. You will be asked to locate specific queries via the Search page (for example, Name begins with HUM). You must press the Search button to activate a search; pressing Enter has no effect on this page.

You may run a PS Finance query by:

  • Click on one of the options links to the right of the query name and description.

If a query has runtime parameters, you will be prompted for values. You must enter values for all parameters prompted and press OK (or, Enter) to run. If you leave a parameter blank, Query will match only rows which actually have no value for this field; there is no "all values" default.

Viewing Query Results

The query result set has the same online navigation features as any PS list, including, for large results, the View All and chunking navigation links.

The result page also provides a Download to Excel link. When this link is selected, you will be asked to Open or Save; and upon Saving, you will be asked to browse to a desktop location where the spreadsheet will be stored.