What is the main difference between Studio, App Engine Studio and UI Builder?

Kenneth3 · ‎04-26-2021

Hi All,

With the release of Quebec, we have new tools like App Engine Studio and UI Builder.

I am a little bit confused which tool I can use best for developping a simple App (in my case this is a simple dashboard App that have to be available in the ServiceNow Store).

I am able to build this in Studio, but with this new tools, is it not better to use these? Will Studio slowly disappears?

Hope somebody can clarify this for me.

Thanks,

Kenneth

DirkRedeker · ‎04-26-2021

Hi

All of these tools works hand-in-hand. They do not exclude each other and you can / need to use the tools depending on your need and level of no-code / low-code / procode.

AppEngine Studio (AES) is the new No-Code /Low-Code starting point for citizen developers, which helps easily to jump-start creating new applications. There is a growing number of application templates, you can leverage to build your own custom solutions on.

The resulting artifacts, created during / with AES are also accessible and changeable through ServiceNow Studio, as each new App will be located in it's own Application scope.

It is recommended to get as far as possible with AES, but you surely can continue to extend your custom applications with Studio.

So, for more advanced pro-code development, you may (today) need to switch from AES to Studio.

I never have heard, that Studio will disappear and will be replaced by AES. As said above, AES is the one-stop shop for citizen developers, to grow into application development.

Take a look at it, it is a GREAT extension to ServiceNow!

UI Builder is just the designer tool for the new UI Experience, which was first used in Agent Workspace and now is opened more and more to the public for development. With Quebec, the UI Builder now ships with a huge number of components OOB, which you can use to build your custom workspaces.

Workspaces may, but do not need to replace the Service Portal experience in ServiceNow.

It is just the next gen environment, with a fresh new environment for building your (customer and internally facing) custom UIs. UI Builder is a great new tools, and you also can create your own custom UI Experience Components to be used IN UI Builder.

So, just like designing Classic UI Pages with UI Designer, or Service Portsl Pages with the Portal Editor, you will use the UI Builder to create and manage you New Workspace like UI Experience Pages/Sites.

In this way, UI Builder adds as a new tool to ServiceNow and does NOT replace any existing tool.

If you are interested in how to jump start building your own UIX Components, you can have a look at my article following the link below:

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

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

Have fun building on ServiceNow and

BR

Dirk

View solution in original post

Kenneth3 · ‎04-27-2021

Hi Dirk,

If I may be so bold, I like to ask you one more question. I read your article about UI Framework Component. This applies for use in Agent Workspaces.

I have build now a simple dashboard (see screenshots) where I am using two portal pages to show my reports on and finally have this dashboard App to be available in the ServiceNow Store.

What I really don't know, is how to customize the layout and design with Studio. I think I'm little bit overwhemled by all the possibilities (and I am fairly new with Studio), but this must be possible to change the layout and design in this use case.

Can you point me in the right direction?

Thanks,

Kenneth

DirkRedeker · ‎04-28-2021

Hi

As far as I can see, you created a CMS (Content Management) Page (and NOT a Service Portal).

Content Management (CMS) was available BEFORE Service Portal was launched and was supposed to be the new kid on the block - those days when Service Portal came out.

Looking a bit back in history:

ServiceNow came initially out with the (today called) "Classic UI".
This is what builds all the Lists and Forms, which can be customized with UI Pages and UI Macros (which all is part of the Classic UI Client Development)
Because the need to build more "custom pages" came up, CMS was introduced, which mainly used the same framework and technology like the Classic UI
Both Classic UI and CMS build upon "JELLY", which is a kind of preprocessor to convert XML Files (including HTML mixed with Code and Jelly Tags) into executable Client Pages. There is not THAT much info on Jelly around, unfortunately.
Because not SOOO many developers out the crowds have been capable of JELLY Coding, Service Portal was introduced, which uses "AngularJS" and "BOOTSTRAP" as public known libraries to build portal pages with.
Service Portal was and still is a "top-notch" product and will stick around for a long time in the future - I am sure of, but even "AngularJS" and "BOOTSTRAP 3" are getting old meanwhile.
The fact, that the creators of those libraries are dropping their own tech and therefore leave their users cold, lead to the decision at ServiceNow, to create a modern NEW and OWN environment, which is the base technology for Workspaces.
This is called the "Now UI Experience Framework", and now is racing on the runway to take off for a great journey.

What you created looks like the "CMS" (Jelly based, backend pages), which I personally did not develop with right now, but I am aware of Jelly & Co.

So, if you like, you can send me a bit more details, and I can try to elaborate and investigate to help you with that.

BR

Dirk

Kenneth3 · ‎04-28-2021

Hello Dirk,

Also very valuable information for me. Thanks for this!

I like to send more details. Can I send you a PM or via this thread?

Thanks,

Kenneth

Kenneth3 · ‎05-04-2021

Hi Dirk, are you still willing to help me?

Thanks,
Kenneth

DirkRedeker · ‎06-13-2021

HI

Sorry for the late reply. I have been a bit distracted by being very busy 😉

Sure, I am willing to help. Let me know.

BR

Dirk