Does now-sdk capture changes into the application's selected update set?

[MuhammedHaS]

I'm using the ServiceNow SDK to build and deploy apps. I expected the tables and columns I create this way to be recorded in the application's selected update set, but after deploying nothing appears in it at all.

I want to confirm whether this is the intended behaviour, or whether I'm doing something wrong. There is a lot of mixed information about this and I could not find a clear answer in the official documentation. Some people I talked to say changes go into the selected update set automatically but my test shows they do not.

Details below on a simple test.

Environment

• ServiceNow SDK (Fluent)
• PDI, australia
• Scoped application, created with now-sdk init

 

What I did

Defined a table in Fluent, then built and installed it:

import { Table, StringColumn, ChoiceColumn, DateTimeColumn, ReferenceColumn } from '@servicenow/sdk/core'

export const x_n_ustest_ticket = Table({
    name: 'x_n_ustest_ticket',
    label: 'US Test Ticket',
    display: 'title',
    schema: {
        title:    StringColumn({ label: 'Title', maxLength: 200, mandatory: true }),
        detail:   StringColumn({ label: 'Detail', maxLength: 4000 }),
        owner:    ReferenceColumn({ label: 'Owner', referenceTable: 'sys_user' }),
        due_date: DateTimeColumn({ label: 'Due Date' }),
        status:   ChoiceColumn({
            label: 'Status',
            dropdown: 'dropdown_without_none',
            default: 'open',
            choices: {
                open:   { label: 'Open', sequence: 100 },
                closed: { label: 'Closed', sequence: 200 },
            },
        }),
    },
})

now-sdk build
now-sdk install

I expected the table and its columns to land in the selected update set. The table and columns were created correctly on the instance, but nothing landed in the update set — it stayed empty. I also tried a second time, adding another table to the same app but its the same result.

 

Questions

1. Is now-sdk install supposed to capture into the application's Default update set? If so, what am I missing?
2. If not, is there a way to get the new records recorded in the selected update set of the instance?

[BryceG · Accepted solution]

No, the SDK installer does not track against an update set.  Scoped apps should be moved through the app repo and not through update set development when using the SDK.

[MuhammedHaS]

Thanks for the clarification. We still rely on Update Sets for release process, but we want to use the SDK to leverage modern IDEs and AI tools. To make our transition smooth and painless, do you know if there any tool or workaround that can capture SDK-deployed changes into an active Update Set after running now-sdk install? Or is it "all-or-nothing" if we want to adopt the SDK, must we completely abandon Update Sets for that application and strictly use the App Repository / Source Control?

[carey2]

Great to see this discussed. I was also struggling with the conflicting information about this so its good to get the confirmation. I need to try and find the source of where the original misconception that it was possible came from. 

It would be good to get better knowledge/training on transitioning from Update Sets to App repo methodologies as its a big change for a lot of organizations who have this stuff embedded in their change processes. I know I will have to drag a lot of people into this new way of working so anything that smooths that path is a win.