SCT Banner Financial Aid / TRM Supplement / 7.3

3 APIs
Overview
Chapter 3
APIs
Overview
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) enhance processing and simplify code.
The API is actually a program comprised of four different packages: a primary
package containing query functions and create, update, and delete procedures, a
Rules package containing subprograms that support the primary package, a Strings
package containing error messages, and an associated DML package that performs
the actual database maintenance of the edited data.
In addition to the API packages, there are three supporting package types.
• Utility - Provides utility functions and procedures for the Banner APIs.
• Validation - Contains standard functions and procedures for a specific
validation table.
• Support - Contains supporting programs that may be called by other APIs and
error messages related to these edits.
The APIs are called by programs within Banner (for example, forms, C processes,
self-service packages), and may be called by external systems that need to create,
update, or delete information stored in Banner tables.
Various institutions requested that SunGard SCT support school-specific validation
logic with the APIs. The Banner APIs include connection points that you can use to
interface with your own code to enable your validation logic without having to
change baseline code.
For additional information, refer to the API Technical Documentation available on
the ActionWeb.
August 2005 Financial Aid Release 7.3
Confidential TRM Supplement 3-1