Decision Tables
Summarize
Summary of Decision Tables
Decision tables in ServiceNow enable you to separate decision logic from your code by creating and maintaining structured decision rules. They help you reach outcomes based on multiple input factors, offering a clear, organized alternative to scripting. Decision tables provide a centralized place to create, view, and modify decisions, improving readability and maintainability.
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Note: It is recommended to create decision tables within Workflow Studio, which offers an integrated experience for authoring, configuring, and monitoring workflows and decision tables.
Key Features
- Decision Table Records (sysdecision): Represent a single decision and specify the table used for answers. They include related lists to define inputs and decisions.
- Decision Inputs (sysdecisioninput): Define the input factors for decisions, supporting various data types such as strings, references, booleans, and dates. Inputs can have default values.
- Decisions (sysdecisionquestion): Define conditions based on inputs to determine the decision outcome. Each decision is linked to an answer record from the specified answer table.
- Answers (sysdecisionmultiresultelement): Represent possible decision outcomes. Answers can be records from any table chosen when creating the decision table, such as choice records or custom tables.
- Script Integration: Decision tables can be accessed and manipulated programmatically using the DecisionTableAPI in scoped or global contexts, allowing automation and custom logic integration.
Practical Use
Decision tables are particularly useful when decisions depend on multiple variables, such as in insurance coverage determinations based on location, age, vehicle details, and accident history. They provide a more maintainable and transparent approach than embedding complex conditional logic in scripts.
In the classic environment, decision tables associate answer records to decisions within the table, returning the appropriate answer based on input conditions.
Benefits for ServiceNow Customers
- Centralized management of complex decision logic for easier updates and governance.
- Improved clarity and reduced errors compared to scripting complex conditional logic.
- Integration with Workflow Studio for streamlined workflow and decision management.
- Flexibility to define inputs and outputs from various data types and tables.
- Ability to automate decision evaluations via APIs for enhanced process automation.
Use decision tables to decouple decision logic from your code by creating and maintaining decision rules.
Use decisions tables to help you reach outcomes that depend on multiple factors. In these tables, each factor is a decision input. For example, if you are trying to make a decision about car insurance coverage, your inputs might include the location where the insured person lives, the age and accident history of the insured person, the car make, the car model, and the car year. This logic can save time and present a more organized, readable format than using a script. Decision tables provide a single point where you can create, view, and modify decisions.
To interact with Decision Tables in script, use the DecisionTableAPI - Scoped, Global.
Components of a decision
- Decision Table [sys_decision] records
- Decision table records represent a single decision. In this record, you specify which table you want to use for your answers. This record also contains related lists where you can create your decision inputs and decisions.
- Decision inputs [sys_decision_input] records
- Decision input records represent your inputs that are used to obtain answers in a decision. These inputs can include a variety of types, including strings, references, true/false inputs, and dates. Each decision input has a specified input type and can be assigned a default value.
- Decision [sys_decision_question] records
- Each decision record represents a decision that is based on your inputs. Use the condition builder on the decision record form to create a condition that is based on the inputs for this decision. Then, you can select an answer record for this decision. The answer record can be any record from the table that you have defined in the Decision Table record. You can select the same answer record for more than one decision.
- Answer [sys_decision_multi_result_element] records
- Answer records represent answers that are reached using different decision input values. Answers records can be records on any table, but you need to choose the table when creating your Decision Table record. You could, for example, use the sys_choice table to use existing choice records. From the example about insurance coverage, you could create a table where each record contains details about the levels of insurance coverage.