HR API User Hooks - Can I use to change a value in the table the API for?

Question

I am trying to initialize a descriptive flexfield on per_all_people_f. I originally tried doing the initialization using a “before row insert” database trigger directly on the table per_all_people_f. Seems to work great in the People form (PERWSHRG), but does not seem to work consistently when a new employee is entered through a template like Enter Employees (PERWSQHM).
Does anyone know if you can use an API User Hook to initialize a value on one o the tables the API is inserting? For example, could I put a "Before Process" user hook on the "Create_ Employee" API to change the value of a descriptive flexfield?
Any other good ideas?
Currently I have a concurrent request that runs once every 30 minutes to default the descriptive flexfield. The delay is causing issues.

Answer 1

In such cases you should write the code to default the values in the front end PUIs. As one person pointed out, User hooks are provided either to validate the already entered values, or to insert/update data in some custom tables but not for updating values in the same table where data is being inserted/updated.
BTW for your information:-
Person form (People Enter and Maintain) does not use APIs so anything written inside the user hook would be ignored by the application when this form is used. (The reason is this is one of the oldest form in HRMS, was created even before the concept of user hook came).
Template form PERWSQHM uses APIs, so user hook is called when this form is used to create/update the data.
Hope this is useful.