question Adding scoped field to global table in App Publisher Forum

Adding scoped field to global table

jeremy_gardner — Sat, 14 Mar 2015 21:41:28 GMT

Is there a way to add a scoped field to a global table? I'd like to add a custom field to cmdb_ci so that our scoped app can leverage customer's data/relationships in the CMDB, and I see an option for "Allow new fields" option on the form, but it's hidden from everybody but maint.

Alternatively, is there another way to accomplish something similar?

Thanks,

Jeremy

Re: Adding scoped field to global table

Pradeep Sharma — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 03:46:53 GMT

Hi Jeremy,

You can add fields on tables that are in the same scope as the field and on other tables that allow applications in another scope to add fields on them.

However this particular change you mentioned will be captured in the global scope as you are adding the fields to the sys table "cmdb_ci".

Application Access Settings - ServiceNow Wiki

Creating a Custom Table - ServiceNow Wiki

Re: Adding scoped field to global table

jeremy_gardner — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 16:28:35 GMT

But that won't be captured as part of our custom application, ie something we're uploading to the new app store, right? So how are people getting around this? I want to leverage/extend customers existing data, not create additional CI tables. Thanks!

Re: Adding scoped field to global table

Pradeep Sharma — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 07:48:29 GMT

Hi Jeremy,

In this case you can create a new view on the cmdb_ci table and capture it as part of your own scope.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Re: Adding scoped field to global table

jeremy_gardner — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 14:40:01 GMT

I can create new view and add existing fields to it, but it doesn't let me create new fields.

Re: Adding scoped field to global table

Uncle Rob — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 00:51:23 GMT

We've got the exact same issue in two different places:

1) Reference Field on Task

Our app makes no assumption on the task types people use, and we have the ability to create tasks from a component of our app. Ideally we want a reference to our app's main record so customers can track the efficacy of their efforts. Problem? Can't add a field to Task. Now we're messing with using Correlation ID, but it feels way too hackish.

2) UI Macro Category Choice

We have a hand full of UI Macros we use to help users configure elements of our solution (for reasons that will be obvious when / if we show it). For reference qualifier's sake (ie "select the UI macros you'd like to incorporate) we wanted to have a UI Macro Category of our own. But that conflicts with the choice list being in Global Scope.

Re: Adding scoped field to global table

aklimenko — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 01:45:11 GMT

Same problem here with sys_user table. We added few fields to hold additional information that comes from 3rd party system

Re: Adding scoped field to global table

aklimenko — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 02:13:49 GMT

Pradeep, I just tried to create a DB View and you can not do it for global tables! This is really strange. Same with UI views.

Do you have any solution for this?

Re: Adding scoped field to global table

aklimenko — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 02:55:54 GMT

I guess there is nothing we can do right now, so my workaround was to let customers know - if they want to take advantage of extra features that require such extensions - just add the fields yourself.

Hopefully there will be some better solutions later...

Re: Adding scoped field to global table

Uncle Rob — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 03:05:19 GMT

Definitely won't work for us, as we'd use the existence of a relationship to build all kinds of stuff in the app: list views and such.

I'm just not sure if any of our apps are actually do-able. I understand vacuum packed apps is safer for the rest of the platform... but how good can an app be if its completely isolated. Much of what I've gained value from on SN over the past decade is the massive gains in interactivity and relationships that come with apps integrating with each other.

Re: Adding scoped field to global table

aklimenko — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 03:13:08 GMT

I absolutely agree with you. Power of ServiceNow is reuse of rich data structures and limiting application developer reduces usefulness and richness of apps.

Our product is fairly complex and what we did was to inherit most of the tables, so we do not have troubles with extensions. Also during migration we decided to completely severe inheritance for some tables (like expense lines) as it brought more complexity than use.

Good luck with, I fell your pain

Re: Adding scoped field to global table

jeremy_gardner — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 03:20:21 GMT

Yeah, this might be a show-stopper.

Extending tables != adding fields to tables. When customers are already using User, Customer, and Location tables for their data, there's *zero* chance we can tell them to put that data in an extended table instead.

Hrm...

Re: Adding scoped field to global table

Pradeep Sharma — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 06:10:11 GMT

Hi Alexey Klimenko rfedoruk Jeremy Gardner

Here are the steps to create new fields on the global scope tables. In this example, I have created an example on incident table to add the custom field "call count".

Step 1 : Go to Incident table

Step 2: Configure->Form Layout

Step 3: Now create the new view by selecting new option from the view name.

Step 4 : I have created the new view(Expense view) and created the new field "Call Count"

Step 5: Save the form

Step 6: Now change the view to the created view i.e Scoped view in this case. If the field is not present on form then configure->form layout and add the fields in your own view again.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Re: Adding scoped field to global table

jeremy_gardner — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 06:25:33 GMT

That works on Incident because "Allow new fields" is checked for that table. However, it's not checked for cmdb_ci and sys_user, for example, and according to the client script this field is hidden for all but 'maint'.

Is there plans to either allow non-maint to check this box, or enable it by default on other system tables?

Thanks!

Re: Adding scoped field to global table

Pradeep Sharma — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 06:37:24 GMT

Hi Jeremy,

You have to go to the table(sys_user) and then go to the Application Access and check the "Allow configuration" to true. Please find the screenshot attached for your reference.

http://wiki.servicenow.com/index.php?title=Application_Access_Settings

Re: Adding scoped field to global table

aklimenko — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 07:08:25 GMT

I set for the user to allow do all but following your steps I can't seem to create a new field from my scope:

Re: Adding scoped field to global table

Pradeep Sharma — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 07:13:04 GMT

Hi Alexey,

Can you please share your instance details to "pradeep.sharma@servicenow.com" so that I can investigate it further.

Re: Adding scoped field to global table

jeremy_gardner — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 14:48:25 GMT

Pradeep, that worked for me, thank you! Two things.

One, you might want to update the Wiki section to include ability to add fields. Currently it only mentions ability to add things like ACLs, BR, Client Scripts, etc but not new fields.

Two, how are these global changes captured in our custom application? When we go to install this somewhere else, will we need to somehow enable them before we install our app?

Thanks!

Jeremy

Re: Adding scoped field to global table

BobbyNow — Tue, 17 Mar 2015 19:37:54 GMT

Alexey Klimenko, Jeremy Gardner, and rfedoruk are you still having trouble with adding fields to other tables?

There is an error message in FP1 that complains about it, but the field is still created. In FP2 the error message will be gone.

You will have to navigate to the tables configuration page and check "Allow Configuration" if it is not already, but once you do you will be able to create fields. These fields will get created on the customers instance when they install the application even if they do not have allow configuration checked.

To create fields on tables outside your scope you have to do it from one of the following locations on the target table:

New Form Section (You create a new section owned by your scope on the table's default view for example)
New Form View
New List View
Dictionary list (Click "New" from the list)
Table configuration form (Click the "New" button above the existing fields)

Re: Adding scoped field to global table

aklimenko — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 18:52:21 GMT

Now it works for me too.