Incident Reference field from a Custom table picks up choices from different column

[joymorales]

Hi Team.

I am feeling that I am overlooking a simple step, but I need help with the following. (My apology for the long posting).

I created a custom table via My Company Applications, App Engine and Tables module (kept re-creating and deleting the custom table via these options to see if I could figure out the issue) and tried the following with the same results on all three:

1. The table was created extended to the TASK table and also made the table extensible.
2. Uploaded the data from an Excel spreadsheet.
3. On the Application Access tab, selected All application scopes, and checked all options.
4. I selected "ITIL" for the ACL user role.

• I opened a blank Incident form, and opened Configure>Form Layout.  I created a couple of new fields, and made them both Reference fields, selected the custom table from the list of options, and added the fields to the Incident form.
• I clicked the magnifying glass on the first field named: County, to see the list of options and the columns that displayed were from the TASK table.  I changed this by opening Configure>Form Layout on this list and made my other columns be at the top of the list.  Now, I could see my custom columns on the list.
• When I clicked on one option from the list, the field populated with the ticket number from the custom table assigned to the record.
• I clicked the magnifying glass on the second field named: Court ID, and the list was the same as on the first field.  When I clicked on an option, the field populated with the ticket number from the custom table assigned to the record.
• I looked at the custom table to see if the "Number" column was being set as a primary or default column, but I did not find any setting about that.
• I changed the "Display" setting on the "County" field to "true" and left the others as "false".  Went back to the Incident form to check and same issue.
• I looked at the Configure>Dictionary of the Reference fields on the Incident table, and the right custom table is set as the Reference table.  I tried different things, like added a Dependent field name, added the field name in the "Reference key" field, but no success resolving the issue.
• I picked the fields from the Configure>Form Layout slushbucket and added fields using the Configure>Form Design, and no good either.
• I've read various documents, and training videos, but nothing that I have tried has let me to fixing the issue in that I cannot populate the fields with the correct column values/options.  It keeps defaulting to the custom table ticket number.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[Laszlo Balla]

Hello,

Do I understand correctly that you are trying to display different column from your custom table on the incident form?

First of all, a table will always have 1 display column: this is the column you will see in every reference field. For task and its extended tables it is indeed the number column. If you want to change that for your custom table, you will need to create a dictionary override, in which you specify your own display value, for your own table. As I mentioned, it will only change what it shown in referenced fields though.

If you want to display different columns from your custom table on the incident form, and you have already added a reference field to your custom table (with whatever display value), you can use this reference to "dot-walk" to column in your own table via that field. Here is an old article that describes the process in more detail:
https://www.servicenow.com/community/developer-blog/dot-walking-and-personalizing-forms/ba-p/2270800

The key really is to establish a relationship between the two tables (incident and your own), which you can do with the addition of the reference field. Once you have that, you have access to columns in the referenced table (and so on). This is an important concept when you want to use scripts as well.

Best of luck!

[joymorales]

Thank you @Laszlo Balla .  Thanks so much for your information and help.  I remember using the dot.walk to different columns after setting the first custom field as Reference, but the other fields kept only getting the record number as it did for the Reference field.  I'm going to create a dictionary override for the table, set the custom Reference field and then use the dot.walk for the subsequent custom fields and let you know the outcome.  Thanks again.

[joymorales]

Hi @Laszlo Balla .

I tried to create the dictionary override for the fields that I need populating with different options, but couldn't do it.  After additional research, it looks like the dictionary override will work if I'm using a field from the parent table on my custom (child) table.  But this is not the case.

The custom table that I created from Excel, has a set of data items that I want to display on the Incident form.  I made the custom table extended to the TASK table, so the Incident table and my custom table are "twins" extending from TASK table.  I went into the Configure>Layout List and tried all available dot.walk options on the slushbucket from my custom table into the Incident form, but we discussed above, the record # populates the fields instead of the column value that should correspond to each field.

Maybe I'm over-complicating what I want to accomplish.  If there is a better/easier way to do that I want to accomplish, please let me know.

Thanks again.

[Laszlo Balla]

I'm sorry to hear it's still not working. Any chance you could provide a screenshot that shows your List Layout editor with one of the field you are trying to add to the incident form with dot walking? I see no reason why that would not work.