Data binding generation
Summarize
Summary of Data binding generation
Data binding generation in Now Assist for the Australia release simplifies configuring component properties in ServiceNow's UI Builder by allowing you to create data bindings using natural language instructions. This feature eliminates the need to manually navigate complex data trees or build formulas, enhancing efficiency and accuracy when connecting UI components to data sources.
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Key Features
- Natural language instructions: You describe the desired data binding in plain language, and Now Assist translates it into the appropriate formula or data reference.
- Accessible data sources: Now Assist maps instructions to various data categories available on the page, including page properties, data resources (such as table records), client states, and event payload data.
- Binding types generated: Depending on your instruction and the component property, bindings generated may include:
- Concatenation formulas that combine static text with data pills.
- Filter formulas that apply conditions to data resources.
- Direct data pill references without transformation.
- Interactive prompts and suggestions: The Generate data binding panel offers context-aware prompt suggestions to help you quickly formulate instructions, with options to edit or extend them.
- Preview and control: Generated bindings appear as previews before application, allowing you to review, modify, or cancel them to ensure they meet your intent.
What You Can Expect
With this feature, ServiceNow customers can expect faster and more intuitive binding creation in UI Builder, reducing errors and simplifying the user experience when connecting component properties to dynamic data. The ability to inspect data structures and use formula functions further empowers you to create precise and effective data bindings tailored to your experience’s needs.
Now Assist generates data bindings for component properties using natural language instructions, reducing the need to manually navigate data trees or construct formulas.
When you configure a component property in UI Builder, the Bind data dialog includes a Generate data binding with Now Assist option. You describe the binding you want in plain language, and Now Assist produces the corresponding formula or data reference, which you can review before applying it.
How data binding generation works
When you submit a natural language instruction, Now Assist interprets your intent and maps it to the available data sources for the component. The generator has access to the following data source categories shown in the Data types panel:
- Page properties
- The properties defined at the experience or page level.
- Data resource
- The data resources added to the page, such as a list of records returned from a table.
- Client states
- The client-side state parameters defined for the experience.
- Event payload
- The data carried by a component event, available when configuring an event handler.
The Pill view and JSON tabs let you inspect the data structure of each source before or after generating a binding. The Formulas tab shows available formula
functions, such as CONCAT and WHERE_GT, that
Now Assist may use to satisfy your instruction.
Types of generated bindings
Depending on the component property and your instruction, Now Assist generates one of the following binding types:
- Concatenation formula
- Combines static text with a data pill. For example, the instruction Show "Choose your ride" and the user's full name produces a
CONCATformula that joins a string literal with the session user name pill. - Filter formula
- Applies a condition to a data resource. For example, the instruction Return from fleet whose year of manufacture is greater than 2020 produces a
WHERE_GTformula on the fleet data resource, filtering the result set to records whoseyearfield exceeds 2020. - Direct data pill reference
- References a single field from a data source without transformation. For example, the instruction Use the pillId from event payload resolves to the
pillIdpill from the event payload data source.
Suggested prompts
The Generate data binding panel displays suggested prompts based on the component's context and the data sources available on the page. You can select a suggestion to populate the instruction field, then submit it as-is or modify it before generating. The panel also includes a Show more option to display additional suggestions.
Reviewing generated bindings
After Now Assist generates a binding, a preview appears in the component's property panel before the binding is applied. You can inspect the formula or data pill reference and close the dialog without applying it if the result doesn't match your intent. You can also stop an in-progress generation by selecting Stop generating.