Bootstrap 4 - Why are we so far behind

ShaneFr · ‎01-22-2021

So from a standpoint of current releases... Bootstrap 3.3.6 (custom) is still "base".

Now I get it the entire site uses it including the backend. However, Bootstrap 3 was released in 2013 and work was stopped in 2016/ Bootstrap 4 has been out fully since 2018 and it still uses jQuery. Bootstrap 5 is currently in development and the biggest change they are dumpling jQuery support, not sure how that will work with ServiceNow.

So the question is why hasn't the base of ServiceNow use Bootstrap 4 which was finalized in 2018? Using Bootstrap 3.3.6 is limiting the key functionally of the new code and HTML/CSS techniques? What is hampering ServiceNow from moving forward with the base CSS being replaced? Is there any insight into this topic from anyone @Servicenow Development team?

DirkRedeker · ‎01-23-2021

Hi

When I stepped into the details of Portal Development, I came up with the same question. Here are my findings, and why can absolutely understand the current status of included libraries.

When I look at the web, you can find new libraries growing AND falling nearly every month, week or day?

Upgrading your suite with the latest versions may always be a rush, due to breaking changes, that may and will arise (at least some times). That is, why you often can download the "LTS" (Long time support) and stable version of a product OR the latest, which may bring some extra pain with it.

Looking not directly to Bootstrap, but at AngularJS, which is also part of the Portal development, you know that the companies invent AND drop existing functionalities today - especially about JavaScript / Web Libraries. You almost "cannot see the tree in the forest" 🙂

AngularJS was canceled very soon, so changing everything built so far will not only be a pain for ServiceNow, but also for all customers, who finished, started, or plan to implement their custom solutions on the NOW platform.

I prefer the way, ServiceNow acts, because I do not need to follow this crazy stuff each release.

And, as @Tommy Jensen stated, there will be ways, how to integrate any desired library in your custom development. But this is then up to you, and NOT a mandatory change that you need to follow from the vendor (ServiceNow) side of it.

So, what ServiceNow did in the past, is starting to build something completely NEW. This is, what is called the "NOW Experience Framework". This is completely aside from Service Portal development and uses more advanced technology.

If you are interested in starting with the development of now Experience Components, you can go to the Articles, that I wrote on starting with this. Follow the links below.

Article #11 - Fast Track to your first "Now Experience UI Framework Component"

Article #12 - Now UI Experience Part #2 - Workshop: Using multiple Component nesting & Parameter pas...

Article #13 - Action Adventure on Now UI Experience Part #3 - Workshop: Action Handling (Events)

Service Portal will NOT disappear and also Jelly will stay with us for another long time - that's what I guess.

YOu cannot just close the door and fool all the customers, who already built on it. BTW: Same happens for the Workflow Editor. I heard crowd jawning, that Workflow Editor will disappear as soon as Flow Designer came up. This will not happen!

The development of NEW features for Workflow Editor will be stopped - OK!

Maybe someday, the official support for Workflow Editor will be stopped as well, OK.

But the Workflow Engine will remain part of the platform for a very long time - that's what I expect to happen.

ServiceNow will not leave customers standing in the rain, who built a lot of solution on the Workflow Editor.

And the same will happen for the Service Portal. There are SO MANY Service Portals out, and they are amazing. You can build awesome Portals with the tools you find here. That was proven by hundreds of great Portals on ServiceNow.

Let me know, if that makes sense to you.

Let me know if that answers your question and mark my answer as correct and helpful.

BR

Dirk

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DrewW · ‎01-22-2021

I would say its because of two things. First they would have to do a lot of testing and fix a lot of things potentially and they do not want to sync the time into it. The second and and probably biggest reason is they have stopped all development for Service Portal and Platform UI unless there is a bug that must get fixed. They want to replace it all with the UI Framework they are building. ServiceNow does this a lot, they build something nice, get it to a point and then they move on to something new leaving us hoping and in some cases begging for improvements or fixes. There are some indications that this has changed somewhat in the last few years but I still remain skeptical when I see good ideas on the idea portal get 50+ or 100+ votes and it still do not move forward and get done.

Tommy Jensen · ‎01-23-2021

I did not hear they actually stopped developing for the Service Portal. But I agree the Now Experience Framework is the future and that is confirmed even more with the huge upgrade in Quebec. The future Service Portals will be built with UI Builder supplied with specialized custom components.

Ct111 · ‎01-23-2021

Hi Shane,

Check the belpw link it will be helpful to you if you are planning to use

version4 of this

https://community.servicenow.com/community?id=community_question&sys_id=58f18fa9db98dbc01dcaf3231f96191a

Mark my ANSWER as CORRECT and HELPFUL if it helps

Tommy Jensen · ‎01-23-2021

Even though the base system still use version 3 you can use version 5 in ServicePortal. I just did a quick test and it seems to work. Obviously I have not testet everything in 5 minutes.

This test includes the new Bootstrap Icons.

EDIT: I see that the content of the script tag was removed. You can get the cdn link from the bootstrap website.

<!-- JavaScript Bundle with Popper -->
<script></script>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/bootstrap-icons@1.3.0/font/bootstrap-icons.css">

<div>
<div class="btn-group" role="group" aria-label="Basic mixed styles example">
  <button type="button" class="btn btn-danger">Left</button>
  <button type="button" class="btn btn-warning">Middle</button>
  <button type="button" class="btn btn-success">Right</button>
</div>
  
  <div class="btn-toolbar" role="toolbar" aria-label="Toolbar with button groups">
  <div class="btn-group me-2" role="group" aria-label="First group">
    <button type="button" class="btn btn-primary">1</button>
    <button type="button" class="btn btn-primary">2</button>
    <button type="button" class="btn btn-primary">3</button>
    <button type="button" class="btn btn-primary">4</button>
  </div>
  <div class="btn-group me-2" role="group" aria-label="Second group">
    <button type="button" class="btn btn-secondary">5</button>
    <button type="button" class="btn btn-secondary">6</button>
    <button type="button" class="btn btn-secondary">7</button>
  </div>
  <div class="btn-group" role="group" aria-label="Third group">
    <button type="button" class="btn btn-info">8</button>
  </div>
</div>
  
  <i class="bi-alarm" style="font-size: 20rem; color: cornflowerblue;"></i>
  
</div>