Field configuration in Table Builder

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 6 minutes to read
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    Summary of Field configuration in Table Builder

    Field configuration in Table Builder allows ServiceNow customers to set up and customize the basic properties of fields within tables using a form editor interface. This configuration enables precise control over field behavior, appearance, and data entry requirements, helping ensure data consistency and usability in your ServiceNow applications.

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    Field Details and Properties

    The Field details section lets you define core elements such as:

    • Label: The display name for form users.
    • Active: Controls whether the field is visible and usable on forms.
    • Read only: Makes the field non-editable by users.
    • Mandatory: Requires users to enter data before saving the form.
    • Label details: Additional label properties like tooltip, plural form, and URL link for the field label.

    Default values can be set either as constants or dynamically via scripts or other fields, enabling automatic population of fields to streamline data entry.

    Advanced Field Configurations

    • Function fields: Use simple computations combining other fields or constants to generate values dynamically.
    • Reference qualifiers: Restrict records available in reference fields using simple, advanced, or dynamic conditional expressions, improving data relevance and lookup efficiency.
    • Dependent fields: Define fields whose available choices depend on the value selected in another field, enabling contextual data selection.

    Choice Lists

    Choice fields allow selection from predefined options, which you can customize extensively:

    • Define labels, values, domain, and active/inactive status of choices.
    • Use choices from another field to replicate selections.
    • Control how choices display (dropdown, dropdown with “--None--”, or suggestions).
    • Filter visible choices and include inactive ones if needed.

    Attributes and Formulas

    • Attributes: Modify field behavior using dictionary attributes, which alter how the field operates within the table.
    • Formulas: Calculate column values without scripting by using predefined or nested formulas, making it easier to automate calculations and data transformations.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    This field configuration capability empowers you to tailor table fields precisely to your organizational requirements, ensuring data integrity, improving user experience, and reducing manual effort. You can expect streamlined form design, dynamic data population, and enhanced control over how users interact with data within ServiceNow tables.

    You can configure the basic field properties for any field within Table Builder.

    Field details

    The Field details section lets you configure the basic field elements for the selected field in the form editor.

    To see field type descriptions and learn more about what field types you can use, see Field types.

    To understand the basic field properties and learn more about adding and customizing a field in a table, see Add and customize a field in a table.

    The following table shows field descriptions for the Field details section.
    Table 1. Field details
    Field Description
    Label Name of the field that is displayed for form users.
    Active

    Option that you can select to make a field active so that form users can view it.

    Deselecting Active inactivates a field. When Active is not selected, the field will not display in the form editor.

    To reactivate a field, hover to the left of the field column in the Data tab and select the Open side panel icon [Open side panel icon.]. Select Active and save changes.
    Read only Option that you can select so that the field is not editable by the form users.
    Mandatory Option that you can select so that the data that your users enter in the field is required before they can save their changes to the form.
    Configure Label details menu ( Configure label details.) Properties for a field label:
    • Tooltip property that is displayed when a user points to the field.
    • Plural property that indicates if multiple instances of a field exist, your user should enter the plural form of the label (for example, the plural of cat is cats)
    • URL property that indicates if the field label links to some other location, your user should enter the URL here.

    Default value

    The default value automatically fills in the field on the empty form for a new record, or fills in the field later (if the field is empty) when your user submits the new record. You can specify the default values as either a constant or use a script to generate them.

    To learn how to define a default value for the fields, see Specify a default field value.

    The following table shows field descriptions for the Default value section.
    Table 2. Default value
    Field Description
    Use dynamic default Property that displays the Dynamic default value field where you can set the default value that is displayed for the field.
    Default value String or number that represents the default value of the field.
    Dynamic default value Keywords that can be entered in the search field. Your user can then select a field that contains the desired default value for the field.

    Function definition

    A function field generates a value that is based on the simple computations of other fields and constants.

    This section is displayed in the editor when you are creating a field and you select Function field in the Advanced properties section.

    For information on defining function fields, see Function field.

    The following table shows field descriptions for the Function definition section.
    Table 3. Function definition
    Field Description
    Function Definition Function expression that generates the desired value for the field.

    Reference

    A reference qualifier restricts the records that are available for reference fields.

    For information on defining reference fields, see Reference field type.

    The following table shows field descriptions for the Reference section.
    Table 4. Reference fields
    Field Description
    Reference Data table that the selected field references.
    Use reference qualifier Qualifier options:
    • Simple option that enables your users to build a simple conditional expression. Your user can select the Edit Conditions button below the Reference qualifier field.
    • Advanced option that enables your user to build an advanced conditional expression by using the Reference qualifier field. The advanced reference qualifiers enable your user to define an inline encrypted query string or JavaScript (actual code or the name of an existing script include or business rule) filter in the Reference qualifier field.
    • Dynamic option that enables your users to build a conditional expression for the selected reference field by using the Reference qualifier field. Dynamic reference qualifiers enable your users to use a dynamic filter to run a query against a reference field to filter the returned data set.
    Reference qualifier Referenced qualifier that is based on your user's selection for the Use reference qualifier field.
    Edit conditions Hyperlink to launch a pop-up window where your user can enter a simple conditional expression for the Reference qualifier field.

    Dependent field

    A choice or reference field can be declared dependent on another field on the same table. Dependent fields limit their available values based on the value in the dependent field.

    Using dependent fields turns on choices. The available choices for your field rely on the value that a user chooses for the dependent field.

    For information on defining field dependencies, see Make a field dependent.

    The following table shows field descriptions for the Dependent fields section.
    Table 5. Dependent fields
    Field Description
    Use dependent field Field dependency that you can activate for the selected field.
    Select dependent field List where you select a different field on the form that can then be used to control which choices that are displayed to users in the form field you are configuring.

    Choices

    A choice list is a type of field that lets the user select from a pre-defined set of choices. You can define the available choices and customize the behavior and appearance of your choice lists. For information about the choice list configuration, see Choice list field type.

    In the Choices section of the Config panel, select Use choices, and then select Edit or the +Add icon to customize the available choices for the selected field.

    The following table shows field descriptions in the Choices section.
    Table 6. Choice properties
    Field Description
    Label Text that is displayed to your users for the choice in the list.
    Value Value for the choice field.
    Dependent value Value that you map in the selected Dependent field to the entered choice.
    Domain Domain that the choice resides in.
    Active Option to display the choice as a selection. Inactive choices do not display for users.
    Options Option that enables you to select Use the choices from another field to duplicate the displayed choices for this field from the choices in another selected field.
    Show choices as
    Options that control how a list of choices displays for users of your form.
    • Dropdown option. You must set a default value for the field.
      Note:
      If no default is set, then None automatically becomes the default value and is shown in the choice list to users.
    • Dropdown with --None-- choice option. None becomes the default value.
    • Suggestions (Core UI only) option. Choices are displayed as suggestions.
    Filter Option to filter the choice list. Select Show inactive choices to view all choices (including inactive ones).

    Attributes

    A dictionary attribute alters the behavior of the table or element that the dictionary record describes. You can add or modify the dictionary attributes. For information about dictionary attributes, see Dictionary attributes.

    In the Attributes section of the Config panel, select Edit or +Add to customize the available attributes for the selected field.

    The following table shows field descriptions for the Attributes section.
    Table 7. Attribute properties
    Field Description
    Attribute

    Option list of available attributes. Select an option from the list of available attributes.

    To review the list of available attributes, see Dictionary attributes.
    Value Attribute value that you can set to alter the field behavior that is described by the dictionary record.

    Formula

    A formula allows you to calculate the value of a column without writing a script. You can use one of the predefined formulas or combine two are more formulas to calculate the column value. For information on the predefined formulas and examples, see Formulas.

    In the Formula section, select Edit or + Add to edit or add a formula.

    Table 8. Formula properties
    Field Description
    Formula editor A text-editor like interface that allows you to enter and edit formulas.