I’m confused with some of the terminology

[Grippy Shadow]

Basically, I’m studying for the ServiceNow CSA exam. I’m new, but I’ve come so far considering I’ve learnt a lot of stuff my self. But, no man is an island, and I’m only one person. It would be great if I have some assistance. Like, I don’t understand what “the selected reference fields” means, and I don’t understand what is meant by accessing fields on related tables. 

Many thanks.

[Danish Bhairag2]

Hi @Grippy Shadow ,

It's great to hear that you're preparing for the ServiceNow Certified System Administrator (CSA) exam! Understanding concepts like "selected reference fields" and "accessing fields on related tables" is crucial for working effectively with ServiceNow. Let me break down these concepts for you:

### Selected Reference Fields:

When you create a reference field in ServiceNow, you are essentially creating a link between two tables. For example, you might have an incident table and an assigned-to user field. When you select a user in the "Assigned To" field on an incident record, you are setting a reference to a specific user record.

"Selected reference fields" refer to the fields on the referenced (related) table that you can access directly from the referencing table. In the above example, the incident table references the user table through the "Assigned To" field. You can access and display information from the selected reference fields of the user record directly within the incident record. For instance, you might want to display the assigned user's email or department on the incident form. These fields are the "selected reference fields."

### Accessing Fields on Related Tables:

Accessing fields on related tables involves retrieving and manipulating data from tables that are related to the current table through references or relationships.

In ServiceNow, you can access fields on related tables using dot-walking. Dot-walking allows you to traverse through relationships and references to access fields on other tables. For instance, if you have an incident record, and that incident record is related to a configuration item (CI), you can access fields on the CI table using dot-walking.

Here's an example in pseudo-code:

var ciName = current.cmdb_ci.name; // Accessing the 'name' field from the related CI record

var ciOwner = current.cmdb_ci.owner.name; // Accessing the 'name' field of the owner of the related CI record

In this example, `cmdb_ci` is the reference field on the incident table pointing to the Configuration Item (CI) table. By using dot-walking, you can access fields on the CI table directly from the incident record.

Remember, understanding these concepts practically within ServiceNow's interface and trying out examples in your own ServiceNow instance will help solidify your understanding. Also, the official ServiceNow documentation and community forums are excellent resources for detailed explanations and real-world examples. Good luck with your exam preparation!

Mark my answer helpful & accepted if it helps you answer your question.

Thanks,

Danish

[Grippy Shadow]

Heya. When you say in the first paragraph, “you are setting a reference to a specific user record”, do you mean that you can literally choose which user from a list of options is gonna be in that field. 

[Grippy Shadow]

Hi. Could you try simplifying everything too, considering that I’m still a novice to all this, even though I’ve been studying for like 3 months in preparation for the CSA exam.

Many thanks.

[Danish Bhairag2]

Hi @Grippy Shadow ,

Certainly! Let's simplify the concepts of "Selected Reference Fields" and "Accessing Fields on Related Tables" in ServiceNow:

### Selected Reference Fields:

Imagine you have two tables in ServiceNow: `Incident` and `User`. In the `Incident` table, there is a field called `Assigned To`, which is a reference to the `User` table. When you select a user in the `Assigned To` field, you're connecting the incident to a specific user.

**Selected Reference Fields** are like details you can grab from this connected user. For example, you can access and display the user's email or department directly within the incident record. These details you can fetch from the connected user are the "Selected Reference Fields."

### Accessing Fields on Related Tables:

Now, let's say you have an `Incident` record and it's related to a `Configuration Item (CI)` record. This relationship allows you to access information from the CI record within the incident.

Using **Dot-Walking**, you can think of it like following a path: from the incident, you can "walk" to the related CI and pick up information. For instance, if you want to know the name of the CI associated with the incident, you can do it like this:

```javascript
var ciName = current.cmdb_ci.name;
```

In this example, `cmdb_ci` is the reference field on the incident table pointing to the Configuration Item (CI) table. By using `cmdb_ci.name`, you're accessing the `name` field of the related CI record directly from the incident.

Remember, dot-walking is a way to navigate and grab information from connected tables, making it easier to work with related data in ServiceNow. Practice with examples in your own ServiceNow instance to get a hands-on understanding. And don't hesitate to explore the ServiceNow documentation and community forums for more guidance!

Mark my answer helpful & accepted if it answers your question.

Thanks,

Danish