String type field vs Choice type field

[pjsnow]

Hi All,

while creating a choice type field or string type field, I felt both the field types display the same way(drop down with respective choice values). Can I know what is the major difference between these two fields? and how are they different from each other.

I am asking this question because we have this inbound email ingestion and when I tried hardcoding to those two fields String type field displays perfectly where choice type field is creating another choice in blue color.

Want to understand what is the major difference between them? why they behave differently. 

Thanks

[Allen Andreas]

Hi,

Please see this link: https://community.servicenow.com/community?id=community_question&sys_id=a2c24b61dbd8dbc01dcaf3231f96...

[SanjivMeher]

String is free text.

Choice is predefined value. 

In Choice you can limit the choices but in string any text can be entered.

If you want user to select from predefined list of values, always use choice. Choice is more efficient, because the value will be consistent all across.

[manjusha]

Hi,

In string field you can enter string only .

In choice you can add choice field as string , integer , price ,currency .

Please mark this answer as helpful if it heps.

Regards,

Manjusha

[Chuck Tomasi · Accepted solution]

Technically, at the database layer, they are the same. They are both represented (and store) strings. I believe varchar in MySQL.

The difference is in the way they are presented. If you look at incident.choice in the system dictionary, you'll find it's a string... but... choice list specification say to show it as a choice field.

If you choose, you can set this field to "--None--" and it will display as a string. Because it's a string field.

On the other hand, a choice field CANNOT be represented as a string. If you try to set the "Choice" field in the image below to "--None--" when the type field is Choice, it reverts back.