Additional columns in Mobile Agent reference fields

[Mathias Jepsen]

Additional columns in Mobile Agent reference fields

I've been trying to figure out how to accomplish the same thing that the ref_ac_columns attribute accomplishes in the Dictionary, but in Mobile Agent reference fields. I looked through all the records I could find that are in some way related to UI Parameters, but I cannot seem to find a way to display additional columns in the rows for a reference field. It only displays the Display Value for the table, and nothing else.

I'm almost certain that it's possible to do this, since the "Impersonate User" button in the Settings of Mobile Agent shows both Name and Username.

Has anyone found a way to add additional columns to a reference field in Mobile Agent? I'm hoping I'm just blind and haven't looked well enough, because having a giant list with a bunch of duplicate names without a way to distinguish them is really not user-friendly.

[Rameswar1 · Accepted solution]

Hi Mathias, unfortunately, there is currently no way you can configure this. In the platform, the attribute added on the field is honored on the form, the same field attribute does not apply to a mobile app screen.

The only known workaround is to have a URL type applet point to a service portal page to show the form as the field attributes would work there.

There are a couple of Idea requests submitted in the community already for this. I think the below is aligned to your requirement:

Agent Mobile / Mobile app - Allow for multiple column display on reference fields (specifically fiel...

[Mathias Jepsen]

Hi Rameswar,

Thanks for your help so far. What's mentioned in the Idea you linked to is exactly what I need, but they said it would be here by Quebec, and I'm on that particular version now and it still isn't available 😞

Instead I thought I'd try your approach with the Applet of type URL, but I'm having some issues with it. If you have time to help I would greatly appreciate it.

I made a quick portal page containing the Simple List widget, in which I query the User table for active records. 

Then I made the Applet of type URL you suggested, and set the URL to point to my page (I wasn't sure if I needed the leading '/' in the URL, so I've tried both versions).

Finally I changed my UI Parameter's parameter_type to Screen, and selected my URL Applet. 

When I try to test it out, I no longer see the Caller field as an option to edit. If I change the parameter type back to Button, it appears again.

Do you have an idea about what might be going wrong here? 

Best regards,

Mathias Jepsen

[Rameswar1]

Hi Mathias, I looked through your requirement again and it is clear that you won't be able to use the URL applet workaround via a UI Parameter since a UI parameter can not point to an applet as the input.
In other scenarios, like where you are redirecting the user entirely out of the mobile app and showing the service portal page as the screen (within the app, by virtue of the URL applet); in that case, the attributes can be utilized since they work on portal.

[Mathias Jepsen]

Thank you for your answers, Rameswar. I've discussed it with my client, and we'll just have to wait for ServiceNow to open up for a way to do this OOB, before their needs can be fulfilled.

Have a great day!