Forms in ServiceNow - CSA Certification Training Lesson 5

Summary

This video script from the ServiceNow Simple's CSA training series introduces viewers to the importance and functionality of forms in ServiceNow. Hosted by Jeff Teist, a software developer and technical architect, the script covers the basics of forms, including their standardized layout, the types of fields, and how they interact with data. It also delves into form views, personalization, and templates, providing insights into how users can tailor their ServiceNow experience. The script is designed to simplify complex ServiceNow concepts, making it accessible for both certification exam preparation and general skill enhancement.

Takeaways

• 📚 The script is part of a training series on ServiceNow, aimed at helping users understand forms and prepare for the CSA certification exam.
• 👋 Jeff Teist introduces himself as a software developer and technical architect with over 30 years of experience, including with ServiceNow.
• 📝 The series covers 27 videos that simplify the learning process for ServiceNow fundamentals, which are essential for passing the CSA exam or improving ServiceNow skills.
• 🔍 Forms in ServiceNow are the interface for viewing, changing, or adding data to a single record stored in the ServiceNow database.
• 📊 Forms have a standardized layout across ServiceNow, making it easier for users to navigate and interact with different types of records.
• 🔑 Every form has a header bar that identifies the record type and name, and sections that organize fields and related information.
• 📋 Fields within forms are defined by their data types and can include strings, Booleans, choices, references, lists, and journal fields.
• 🔄 The behavior of certain fields can change based on the values of others, as seen with the 'on hold reason' field on the incident form.
• 💾 Changes made in forms are not automatically saved; users must actively submit, update, or save their changes.
• 📝 Users can create copies of existing records to streamline the creation of new records with similar attributes.
• 📑 Forms are organized into sections that can be displayed as tabs or expandable containers, customizable by the user's preference.
• 🖼️ ServiceNow offers different form views to cater to various user roles and needs, allowing for a personalized experience when interacting with records.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of forms in ServiceNow?

The primary purpose of forms in ServiceNow is to provide a user interface for viewing, changing, or adding data to a specific record stored in the ServiceNow database.

Why are forms important for ServiceNow users and certification exams?

Forms are important for ServiceNow users because they are essential for interacting with records within the platform. For certification exams, understanding forms is crucial to pass as they are a fundamental part of ServiceNow's functionality.

What is the role of the header bar in a ServiceNow form?

The header bar in a ServiceNow form provides a standard set of tools and indicates the type of record being viewed, as well as the name of the record.

How does ServiceNow standardize the layout of forms across the platform?

ServiceNow standardizes the layout of forms by using a consistent structure that includes a header bar, main section with fields, marking required fields with an asterisk, and displaying read-only fields with a gray background.

What is a reference field in ServiceNow forms and how does it function?

A reference field in ServiceNow forms is a field that displays a value pulled from another table. It functions by allowing users to either type in a value that the system validates against the reference table or use a lookup tool to select from available records.

Can you explain the difference between 'submit' and 'update' in the context of a ServiceNow form?

In ServiceNow forms, 'submit' is used when creating a new record, while 'update' is used when modifying an existing record. Both actions save changes to the database and close the form.

What is the purpose of the 'save' option in ServiceNow forms?

The 'save' option in ServiceNow forms allows users to save changes made to a record without closing the form, enabling them to continue viewing or making additional changes as needed.

How can users create a copy of an existing record in ServiceNow forms?

Users can create a copy of an existing record in ServiceNow forms by using the 'insert' or 'insert and stay' options from the form's context menu, which create and save a new record with copied values from the current record.

What are related lists in ServiceNow forms and how are they used?

Related lists in ServiceNow forms are sections that present a list of records from another table related to the current record. They are used to display additional information related to the record in a structured format.

What is the significance of form views in ServiceNow and how can they be changed?

Form views in ServiceNow are significant as they allow different users with varying needs to see a record in different formats. Users can switch between different views of a form using the 'View' menu item in the form's context menu.

How can users personalize their experience with ServiceNow forms?

Users can personalize their experience with ServiceNow forms by using the form personalization tool, which allows them to toggle the display of certain fields on or off to meet their preferences. These changes are specific to the logged-in user and are saved as part of their profile.

What are templates in ServiceNow and how do they simplify data entry?

Templates in ServiceNow, more accurately described as data entry templates, are used to automatically populate certain fields when creating a new record. They simplify data entry by reducing the need to repeatedly enter the same information for similar records.

What are the two tools provided by ServiceNow for creating and editing form views?

The two tools provided by ServiceNow for creating and editing form views are the Form Design Tool, which offers a drag-and-drop interface, and the Form Layout Tool, which is a more traditional method for managing views.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Introduction to ServiceNow Forms

Jeff teist, a software developer and technical architect with over 30 years of experience, introduces viewers to the importance of understanding ServiceNow forms for certification exams or becoming proficient users. He outlines a series of 27 videos designed to simplify the learning process for ServiceNow's CSA certification exam. Forms are the interface for interacting with single records in ServiceNow, and they are crucial for viewing, changing, or adding data. Jeff demonstrates how forms appear for different records, such as incidents and users, and emphasizes the standardized layout across all forms in ServiceNow, which includes a header bar, fields for data attributes, required fields marked with an asterisk, read-only fields with a gray background, and additional sections for related lists and formatters.

05:02

🔍 Understanding ServiceNow Form Fields and Behavior

This paragraph delves into the specifics of form fields in ServiceNow, explaining how they display and interact based on their data types. Reference fields, which link to other tables, are highlighted, along with their lookup and preview features. Jeff also touches on list fields for creating one-to-many relationships and journal fields for note-taking within records. The concept of field dependencies is introduced, where the display and behavior of one field can be influenced by another, as demonstrated by the 'on hold reason' field on the incident form. UI policies are mentioned as a mechanism for controlling these behaviors, and the importance of saving changes in ServiceNow is emphasized, with an explanation of the differences between submit, update, and save actions.

10:04

📚 Customizing ServiceNow Forms with Sections and Views

Jeff explains how ServiceNow forms are organized into sections that can be displayed as tabs or expandable containers, depending on user preference. He discusses related lists and formatters, which present related records or additional information about the current record. The paragraph also covers form views, which allow users with different needs to see a record in various formats. Form views can be switched using the context menu, and users can personalize their view by toggling field visibility. Additionally, attachments can be managed directly from the form, allowing users to attach or remove documents related to the record.

15:05

🛠️ Utilizing Templates and Tools for Efficient Data Entry

In this segment, Jeff introduces templates in ServiceNow, which are designed to streamline the data entry process by automatically populating certain fields when creating new records. He provides a step-by-step guide on creating a new template, using the 'Hardware incident template' as an example. Jeff also discusses two tools available for creating and editing form views: the form design tool, which offers a drag-and-drop interface, and the form layout tool, which is a more traditional method. The paragraph concludes with an invitation for viewers to subscribe to the channel and provide feedback, and a teaser for the next lesson on working with tasks in ServiceNow.

Keywords

💡ServiceNow

ServiceNow is a cloud-based platform that provides a range of services for IT service management and other enterprise operations. In the context of the video, it is the main subject, and the script discusses how to effectively use and understand forms within the ServiceNow environment to become a proficient user or pass certification exams.

💡Forms

In the video, forms are the user interface elements in ServiceNow that allow users to interact with individual records, such as viewing, changing, or adding data. Forms are central to the ServiceNow experience, as they are the primary way to engage with the platform's database.

💡Certification Exam

The certification exam mentioned in the script is a test that individuals can take to demonstrate their proficiency in ServiceNow. Understanding forms is crucial for passing this exam, as they are a fundamental part of the ServiceNow system.

💡Record

A record in the script refers to a set of data that is stored in the ServiceNow database, such as an incident or a user record. Forms provide the interface for users to access and manipulate these records.

💡Fields

Fields are the individual data elements within a form that display and collect information for a record's attributes. They are defined by their data types and can include strings, Booleans, choices, and reference fields, as illustrated by the 'department' field example in the user table.

💡UI Policies

UI policies in ServiceNow are rules that determine the behavior and display of form elements based on the values of other fields. The script mentions that the 'on hold reason' field becomes required when the incident's state is set to 'on hold,' demonstrating the use of UI policies.

💡Related Lists

Related lists in the context of ServiceNow forms are sections that display records from other tables that are related to the current record. They provide additional context and information, such as a user's roles and permissions, which are shown as related lists in a user record form.

💡Formatters

Formatters are special form elements in ServiceNow that display information related to the record but are not fields or related lists. Examples include the activity formatter, which shows the history of activities on a task. The script mentions that ServiceNow provides several formatter options that can be added to forms.

💡Form Views

Form views in ServiceNow allow users with the appropriate permissions to create and save different perspectives of the same record, tailored to the needs of different types of users. The script explains that these views can be switched using the form's context menu and are essential for customizing the user experience.

💡Templates

Templates in ServiceNow, as discussed in the script, are used to automatically populate certain fields when creating a new record. They save time and ensure consistency, especially useful for users who frequently create records with similar field values, such as a hardware specialist creating incident records.

💡Form Personalization

Form personalization is the ability for users to customize what they see in a form view, such as toggling the display of certain fields on or off. This feature allows individual users to adapt the form to their preferences without affecting others, as highlighted by the script's mention of the form personalization button.

Highlights

Introduction to ServiceNow forms and their importance for certification exams and user proficiency.

Forms in ServiceNow are essential for viewing, changing, or adding data to records stored in the database.

Forms provide a standardized layout across ServiceNow, making them consistent and easier to understand.

Every form in ServiceNow has a header bar, fields, and additional sections for related lists and formatters.

Required fields are marked with an asterisk, and read-only fields have a gray background.

Reference type fields allow users to select values from another table, similar to foreign key relationships in databases.

ServiceNow forms can have fields that are dependent on the value of another field, making the form dynamic.

Changes in ServiceNow forms are not auto-saved; users must proactively save their changes.

Forms can be copied to create new records with similar values, streamlining the data entry process.

Forms are organized into sections, which can be displayed as tabs or expandable containers.

Related lists and formatters provide additional information related to the record without being part of the main fields.

Form views allow for different presentations of the same record, catering to various user roles and needs.

Form personalization lets users customize the display of fields to suit their preferences.

Attachments can be added to records through the manage attachments button on the form.

Templates in ServiceNow automatically populate fields when creating new records, saving time and reducing errors.

Two tools for creating and editing form views are available: the Form Design Tool and the Form Layout Tool.

Closing thoughts and a call to action for viewers to subscribe and engage with the content.

Transcripts

forms in servicenow who's excited

yeah it seems kind of boring but it

doesn't have to be and the fact of the

matter is you'll need to know all about

how forms work in servicenow in order to

pass any certification exam or just

become an awesome servicenow user so

let's have a look all you'll ever need

to know about forms and servicenow

coming up

now

hello and a big welcome to servicenow

simple's CSA training series I'm excited

that you're here and interested in

learning more about servicenow my name

is Jeff teist I've been a software

developer and Technical architect for

over 30 years most recently working with

servicenow here's what we're doing with

this series of videos I recently went

through the servicenow fundamentals

learning path that servicenows

prerequisite for taking their CSA

certification exam and I took really

good notes what I'm doing is repackaging

all that I learned in that series and

reteaching it with a focus on keeping

things as simple as possible 27 videos

covering all you need to know to pass

servicenow's CSA certification exam and

if you're not looking to take the

certification exam and just want to

improve your servicenow skills this

series of videos is perfect for that as

well the YouTube channel name is

servicenow simple hit the Subscribe

button to join in on the fun and provide

us feedback let us know how we're doing

doing with the training and how you're

coming along through your servicenow

journey

okay this is lesson five in our

servicenow CSA Series where we're

talking all about forms and for the most

part forms are exactly what you think

they are

here's an example that I pulled up

displaying an incident record

and if you have any experience working

with HTML you know that forms provide

the elements you need to view change or

add data to some record that's normally

stored in a database in this case it's

the servicenow database and it's an

incident record

let's pull up another form real quick

this time let's look at a user record

and I'll do that by accessing the user

Administration application

and opening the list of all the user

records

and let's look at the record for Abraham

Lincoln

and here's our form

you can see at the top here on the

header bar the form tells us the type of

record that we're looking at

or which data table it belongs to and

the name of the record

and now let's return to our list of user

records and rather than selecting an

existing record let's go ahead and

create a new one by clicking the new

button

this time we've opened the form to

perform a record creation

of some form

so now that we've seen a couple examples

let's define it a form is the thing

you're viewing and interacting with

anytime you're working with a single

record in service now you can get to a

form by opening a record from a list or

entering the ID of the record if you

know it in the global search that'll

take you directly there anytime you're

viewing a form you're either viewing a

record that already exists or you're in

the process of creating a new record

that hasn't been saved yet and remember

there's a form for every type of record

in service now we've just looked at two

examples but I just did a quick check on

my personal developer instance and there

are

4478 different tables in service now

that means that there are four thousand

four hundred and seventy eight different

forms that I could open to work with any

of those different record types

that's a lot of different forms but

hopefully you noticed when we looked at

the user form and the incident form that

they sort of look the same that's

because servicenow in their Infinite

Wisdom created a very standardized

layout for all forms thank you

servicenow it's those commonalities that

we need to focus on understanding for

example every form has a header bar

across the top that provides a standard

set of tools the main section of every

form is filled with Fields displaying

the records attributes and their labels

all required fields are marked with an

asterisk and all read-only fields are

marked with a gray background and

finally additional sections can be

displayed to group common fields and

display what servicenow calls related

lists and formatters

let's talk about Fields first these are

the elements in the main section of the

form that allow you to display and

collect the data for the records

attributes the way they appear and how

you interact with them depends on how

those fields are defined in the database

or their data types

string fields for example display with a

simple input element

Boolean type Fields display as check

boxes and choice type Fields display as

drop-down lists

Fields defined as reference fields in

the database display a value that is

pulled from some other table

if you have database experience you can

think of primary and foreign key values

here they display as input Fields with

some additional tools that allow you to

view the related values and populate

them let's jump over to the UI and I'll

show you how these work

the department field of the user table

is an example of a reference type field

only values that exist in the department

table are valid entries for example if I

know this user belongs to the finance

department I Can Begin entering the

value and the system will validate it

if I don't know the available values

from the reference field I can click the

lookup icon to view the available

records from the Department table

once a reference field is populated the

system provides a preview icon allowing

you to view a preview of the record from

the reference table and you can open the

form for the reference record with the

open record button

I'll mention two additional types of

fields that you might see on certain

forms

a field defined as a list field is a lot

like a reference field except you can

populate it with multiple values from

the reference table

the UI for these fields provides tools

to create a one-to-many relationship

between the record and the reference

table and journal fields which allow you

to enter notes to a record that can be

viewed by certain users these fields are

mostly used with tasks incidents and

change type records

the important thing to remember here is

that additional comments are viewable by

the customer Associated to the task

incident or change so you want to be

careful with those whereas work notes on

the other hand are only visible to other

back-end type users that may be working

on the task incident or change

another thing you might notice when

you're working with forms in service now

is that the display and behavior of one

field might be dependent upon the value

of another field on the incident form

the on hold reason field is an example

an on hold reason only makes sense when

the state of the incident is set to on

hold when that happens the form will add

the on hold reason field as a required

field when the state is then set to a

different value the on hold reason field

will be hidden this is achieved via the

creation of what service now calls UI

policies they're not really in the scope

of this lesson but definitely something

you can read about if you're more

interested and something that we'll be

discussing in one of our future videos

now let's talk briefly about making

changes

the first thing you know is that unlike

some cloud-based platform servicenow is

not automatically saving your changes to

the database as you make them you have

to proactively save your changes via

submitting updating or saving the form

and here's the difference between those

options clicking the submit or update

button on the form will save any changes

that you've made to the database and

will close the form the button will be

labeled submit if you're working with a

brand new record an update when you're

making changes to an existing record

they do exactly the same thing you can

also use the save menu item from the

forms context menu you get you get to

that by going to the menu bar or the

header bar top left

clicking save will save your changes but

it will leave the form open with the

current record which allows you to

continue viewing or making additional

changes if you need to also if you've

made changes to a record that you've not

yet submitted or saved to the database

and then you attempt to Traverse away

from the form the system will notify you

that you have changes that haven't been

saved and allow you to discard to

discard or save those changes at that

point

here's another nice trick that forms

provide the ability to create a copy of

an existing record to create a new

record this comes in handy when you need

to create a new record whose values very

closely resemble those of an existing

record servicenow provides two options

for doing this you get to them through

the forms context menu and they're

labeled insert and insert and stay

here's the difference clicking the

insert menu item will create and save a

new record with the values copied from

the open record and it will then close

the form the insert and stay menu item

will create and save the new copied

record and leave the form open and

displaying the new record which will

allow you to make any changes to the

record that are needed

all right now let's move down the form a

bit below the main section and have a

look at some of the additional

information

first thing to note is that forms are

designed and built using sections that

are used to group and organize the

fields and other data those additional

sections can be displayed via a tabbed

format or through expandable and

collapsible type containers the logged

in user can decide which display format

they prefer

the way to set the format is to access

the user menu which is at the top right

of servicenow's main header bar and

choose the preferences display menu item

here you'll see the option to organize

forms sections as tabs toggle it on or

off making this change will only impact

the logged in user and it'll also be

stored as part of the user's profile for

future sessions

for the most part the additional

sections we see below the main section

are populated with related lists or what

service now calls formatters a related

list is exactly what it sounds like it

presents a list of records from some

other table that are related to the

current record for example a form

displaying a user record might have

sections containing the user's roles and

permissions that would be two sections

of the form each containing a different

related list

four matters are special form elements

that display information related to the

record but that isn't a field or some

related list of Records the activity

formatter for example will display a

list of activity or history that has

occurred on a task

servicenow provides several different

formatters that can be added to forms as

appropriate I won't go over all those

right here but I'll provide a link in

the description box below for the

documentation related to all of the

formatter options

okay so forms have sections and sections

can have fields and related lists and

formatters it it's time now to talk

about form views

the fact is not every user wants to see

a record on a form in the same way a

user administrator for example might

want to view different fields in a

different format than say a self-service

user that's looking at their own user

record

and someone from the marketing

department might need to see a

customer's record differently than

someone saved from the user support team

for that reason servicenow provides the

ability to create and save different

views of the same record those are

called form views you can switch between

the different views of a form by using

the forms context menu view menu item

let's take a look

here I've opened a form displaying a

user record for a bell tutor I can

switch to a different view by selecting

the form context menu

The View menu item and selecting a

different view the business card view

for example

now you can see that the format of the

form is changed and the view being

displayed is noted on the header bar

let's go ahead and select a different

View

this time the self-service View

so with the correct permissions

different formats of a form can be

designed and saved to serve the purposes

of different types of users

every form will have a default view

specified when the default view is open

the name of the view is removed from the

header bar

form views can be created and Modified

by users with certain permissions when

you create or change a form view those

changes impact all of the users of the

system they aren't specific to the

currently logged in user

any user however can use the form

personalization tool to tweak what they

specifically want to see

from the header bar the form

personalization button will pop up a

list of the fields currently displayed

as part of the selected View

a user can toggle on or off the display

of certain fields to meet their own

liking clicking the reset button will

reset the fields back to the original

design of the view these changes will

not impact any user beyond the currently

logged in user

just to the left of the form

personalization button you'll see the

manage attachments button

this provides the ability to attach

different types of documents to the

record a screenshot of an error message

attacked attached to an incident would

be an example

clicking the manage attachments button

will open a pop-up allowing you to

select a file to attach to the record

once one or more files has been attached

to the record the pop-up will also

provide the ability to remove those

attachments as needed

and now let's talk templates these are a

bit misnamed in my opinion I'd prefer

they be called data entry templates as

they're all about automatically

populating certain Fields when creating

a new record let's say for example in

your role as a hardware specialist you

find yourself creating incident records

all the time where several fields are

populated in the same way rather than

continually populating those fields over

and over again you can set up a template

for the form that when you select it

will automatically populate all those

fields automatically for you

you can do that by clicking the more

options button on the header bar and

toggling on and off the forms template

bar the template bar is displayed at the

bottom of the form

any user can toggle on or off the

template bar and create their own

templates the templates a user can

access however will depend on the access

controls that are set within each

template let's look at an example

we'll start from a form displaying an

incident and I'll toggle on the template

bar by clicking the more options button

on the header bar and selecting the

toggle template bar item

now we can see our template bar across

the bottom of the form

any templates that are available for my

use are displayed on the left side of

the bar

let's create a new template and I do

that by clicking the plus sign on the

right side of the bar

I'll name it Hardware incident template

you can see the template applies to the

incident table which is the type of

record I had open in the form

I'm going to go ahead and clear the list

of fields to make this really simple

now let's set our template to populate

the incident category field to hardware

and let's set the assigned to value

to our good friend Abraham Lincoln

this is a perfect example of a reference

field that we discussed earlier by the

way

now let's submit our template

and you can see that our template bar

now has a new template available for use

anytime now when we create a new record

we can now click on our Hardware

incident template to automatically

populate all the fields we are commonly

having to set over and over again

and here's a great tip if you create a

template and you name it the same name

as the table it applies to incident for

example here

that template will be applied every time

I create a new incident record without

my even having to toggle on the template

bar and select it

okay we're about to wrap up this lesson

but I want to demonstrate real quickly

one more thing and that's the two tools

that service now provides for creating

and editing those form views we

discussed earlier first as mentioned

only users with certain admin type roles

will have the ability to create and

modify form views the way you do it is

from the forms context menu configure

item and selecting either the form

design tool or the formal layout tool

and I think it's important to remember

this form design is the more

sophisticated method

it provides a drag and drop interface it

allows you to add and move and remove

Fields easily and you can add and

reorder and move sections just by

dragging and dropping it's the more

visually appealing tool for creating and

managing views

the formal layout tool on the other hand

is the older much simpler more

traditional method that allows you to

add and remove Fields between the

available and selected buckets kind of

traditional things that we're used to

seeing

this lesson doesn't get into the details

of creating and editing form views but I

think it's important at least that we

know that the tools exist and what the

differences between them are

and that's it for this lesson on forums

in servicenow if you're interested in

testing out anything we've discussed in

this lesson I'd refer you to my video on

how to get your very own servicenow

personal developer instance also

remember subscribe to the channel give

us a thumbs up if this was useful and

let us know your feedback in the

comments I hope you'll join me for the

next lesson where we discuss everything

you need to know about working with

tasks in servicenow until then thanks

for watching and just keep it simple