Service Catalog variable editors

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Service Catalog variable editors

    Service Catalog variable editors in ServiceNow enable viewing and managing variable values specified by requesters in catalog items and record producers. These editors display the variable data in fulfiller forms, helping fulfillers review and act on requests accurately.

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    Key Features

    • VEditor: Used exclusively for catalog items, this editor displays variable values on Requested Item (RITM) and catalog task forms. It supports catalog UI policies and client scripts specifically for these tables. Values come from the internal Options [scitemoption] table, which should not have business rules added.
    • Default variable editor: Designed for record producers generating records for task-extended tables (e.g., Incident, Change). It displays question values from the Question Answer [questionanswer] table, also internal and protected from business rules. Supports catalog UI policies, client scripts, data lookups, and reference qualifiers for task-extended tables.
    • Agent Workspace integration: The variable editor auto-includes in the Variables section if the formatter is available. Certain variable types like Macro, UI Pages are excluded; others like Multiple Choice and Lookup display as select boxes.
    • Service Portal support: Variable editor is available for requester forms with the formatter, but usage is recommended primarily in Agent Workspace for fulfillers.
    • Read-only configurations:
      • In core UI and Agent Workspace, the GlideForm setVariablesReadOnly() method sets variables to read-only on requested items, target records, and catalog tasks.
      • In Service Portal, read-only mode can be enabled via a portal configuration ("readonlyvariableeditor": "true"). Note that some variables (UI Page, Macro) still render as editable.
    • Important considerations: The variable editor depends on the inactive Variables column in the Task [task] table, which should not be activated.

    Practical Use and Configuration

    • Use the VEditor for catalog item requests to display and manage requester-supplied variables on RITM and catalog task forms.
    • Use the default variable editor for records created by record producers on task-extended tables to view and edit variables as part of fulfillment.
    • Enable catalog UI policies and client scripts appropriately by selecting checkboxes that target Requested Items, Catalog Tasks, or Target Records depending on the editor.
    • In Agent Workspace, ensure the variable editor formatter is included in the Workspace view to show variables to agents effectively.
    • For Service Portal end-user forms, configure the variable editor with caution and prefer Agent Workspace for fulfillment scenarios.
    • Make variable editors read-only where necessary using supported methods or portal configurations to protect data integrity during fulfillment.

    Variable editor displays variable values in fulfiller forms. A requester, while requesting the item, specifies these variable values in the catalog item questions.

    Types of variable editors based on the catalog item type:

    • For a catalog item, the VEditor (com.glideapp.servicecatalog.VEditor) displays the values of questions in the requested item and catalog task forms.
    • For a record producer, the default variable editor (com.glideapp.questionset.DefaultQuestionEditor) displays the values of questions for records generated from a record producer for task-extended tables.
    Warning:
    The variable editor depends on the Variables column of the Task [task] table. By default, this column is inactive, and you should not make it active.

    VEditor

    The VEditor is applicable only for the requests created from catalog items.

    In ServiceNow AI Platform, this editor is a formatter added on the requested item (RITM) form (Default View) and the catalog task form (Default View).

    The VEditor is applicable only for RITMs and catalog tasks. It cannot be used for any other tables. To support catalog UI policies or catalog client scripts on the VEditor for the RITM and catalog task form, select the Applies on Requested Items and Applies on Catalog Tasks check boxes for the catalog UI policy or the catalog client script.

    Note:
    The values in the VEditor are displayed from the Options [sc_item_option] table. This is an internal table and you should not add any business rules to this table.
    To make the VEditor read-only in ServiceNow AI Platform, activate the onLoad client script, Variable Editor Readonly, for the following tables:
    • Requested Item [sc_req_item]
    • Catalog Task [sc_task]
    Note:
    You can make the Variable Editor Readonly scripts conditional, by adding conditions to them.
    Figure 1. VEditor
    Screenshot for VEditor

    Default variable editor

    The default variable editor is applicable only for record producers. This editor is a formatter added on records that are generated by a record producer for task-extended tables. This editor displays the values of questions specified in the record producer.

    By default, this editor is applicable for the Incident and Change tables. For other tables, you can configure this editor.

    Catalog UI policies, catalog client scripts, catalog data lookups, reference qualifiers, and dependent reference fields are supported on the default variable editor only for task-extended tables. To support a catalog UI policy or a catalog client script on this editor, select the Applies on the Target Record check box for the catalog UI policy or the catalog client script.
    Note:
    The values in the default variable editor are displayed in the Question Answer [question_answer] table. This is an internal table and you should not add any business rules to this table.
    Figure 2. Default variable editor
    Screenshot for the default variable editor

    Variable editor in Agent Workspace

    In Agent Workspace, the following scenarios are possible:
    • If the variable editor formatter is available in the Workspace view of the form, the variable editor is automatically added to the Variables section in the Agent Workspace UI.
    • If the variable editor formatter is added inside a section in the Workspace view of the form, that section does not display the variable editor in the Agent Workspace UI.
    The following variable types are not displayed in the variable editor.
    • Macro
    • Macro With Label
    • UI Pages
    The following variables are displayed as a select box in the variable editor:
    • Multiple Choice
    • Numeric Scale
    • Lookup Multiple Choice

    Variable editor in Service Portal

    In the Service Portal UI, the variable editor is available for forms with the variable editor formatter.

    Note:
    Since Service Portal is only for requester use cases, it is recommended to use the Agent Workspace UI for the variable editor.

    Making a variable editor read-only

    The following options are available to make a variable editor read only, depending on application.

    Service Catalog variable editors in the core UI
    The GlideForm setVariablesReadOnly() method is supported for ServiceNow AI Platform and Agent Workspace forms to make the variable editor read-only. This method is intended for requested item, target record, and catalog tasks.
    Note:
    This method is not applicable in Service Portal and is not recommended for catalog forms.
    Service Portal variable editors
    To make the VEditor read-only in Service Portal, navigate to Service Portal > Portals, select Service Portal, and specify the following code in the Quick start config field.
    "readonly_variable_editor": "true"
    Note:
    The UI Page, Macro, and Macro with Label variables are rendered even when the variable editor is read-only.