About work notes

[yuchen zhang]

Hello everyone.
I would like to know if servicenow can do the following with worknotes.
For example, if user A contributes something in wokrnotes, user B can contribute against user A's comments (similar to slack's thread feature).

Thanks in advance.

[AnveshKumar M]

Hi @yuchen zhang ,

ServiceNow doesn't support threaded work notes yet.

You can observe the structure of sys_journal_field table. It doesn't have any such field even. See the below XML of a journal record.

<xml>

<sys_journal_field>

<element>comments</element>

<element_id>4ed2c54d97022110ebdc3341f053af8d</element_id>

<name>catalog_category_request</name>

<sys_created_by>admin</sys_created_by>

<sys_created_on>2023-04-05 05:37:05</sys_created_on>

<sys_id>6ce20d4d97022110ebdc3341f053afcf</sys_id>

<value>Test</value>

</sys_journal_field>

</xml>

Please mark my answer helpful 👍 / accept as solution ✅ if helped you.

Thanks,

Anvesh

[yuchen zhang]

Thank you for your reply, is there any way if I don't use worknotes and fully customize the above features?
Looking forward to your reply!

[AnveshKumar M · Accepted solution]

@yuchen zhang 

You can give a try by,

1. Create a new table which extends the sys_journal_field table.
2. In the new table add an extra field called parent.
3. Reply to a particular comment/notes will have the parent field value as the sys_id of this parent comment/notes record.
4. Design a new custom formatter (All -> System UI -> Formatters) to handle the threaded display of the notes/comments.
5. Add the formatter to Form using form design.

This is high level design, but at micro level it takes lot's of efforts as we need to develop all the functionality which OOB work_notes is having.

[Ankit Rawat]

Hi @yuchen zhang ,

I think in native view using a field it is not possible.

But there is a way you can show comments and replies in your form by creating  2 custom tables, in which 1st table will be for comments which will store all the comments of a record and 2nd table will be for reply which will store all the replies of the comments. 

1. How to show these records in a xyz form?

Then you have to create a related list of comments in xyz form which will show comments and there will be a new button to add more comments.

2. How to show reply of those comments?

Now you have to create a Related List on Comments table (1st table) which will show all the replies of that comment and there will be a new button to add more.

Now the structure is like , there is a form where user can see a Related List called Comments where he can see all the comments of that records and he can add more comments and if he want to reply on any of the comment he can open that record and he will find a related list of Replies where he can see all the replies and can also reply. 

Please mark my answer correct/helpful if it helps to solve your problem.

Thanks,

Ankit