Create a simple custom app in ServiceNow

 

Create a simple custom app with App Engine Studio

The App Engine Studio is an awesome tool to build custom apps in SN.

Note: these are my notes and key takeaways from this walkthrough. You can easily follow along on how to build a demo app with the help of App Engine Studio. My main interest however is to provide you with some best practices when building an app in SN. This means that we are going to use GitHub as the source control to save our app there. In addition, we are also going to use branches to distinguish different building blocks of our app.

So, let's dive straight into it. 

In this walkthrough, we are going to create the Grievance Redressal App.

This is the structure of the app:

To create the app just open the App Engine Studio and follow the step-by-step wizard. It's pretty straightforward. Provide the name and boom you are done with building the base structure of the app.

For this demo purpose, you can create the app with the default roles (admin & user).

After creating the app cross-check the app settings:

Along with it, you have the option the submit the app:

Submitting the app means that you can publish the app and automatically be able to retrieve the app from other SN instances. However, as this is a demo instance this facility is not provided.

The app scope changes automatically whenever you’re done with creating the app. You can verify this on the main page:

Best Practice - Link App To GitHub

Immediately after creating the app link it to a GitHub repo. I walk you through how to do it here.

After this, start working with branches so you can build your app more structurally and efficiently.

Branch for data modeling

Create a new branch for the data model. Therein you can create the grievance table:

Don't forget to add permissions to the default roles:

Add new fields for the grievance app:

Note: by creating the grievance table the system creates automatically a form.

Adjusting the form view:

For the data model, you are done!

Now, you can commit changes to your GitHub repo.

Branch for catalog item

Within this branch create a new Grievance Record Producer:

Commit Changes (to GitHub repo).

Branch for logic & automation

Create a new Flow called Grievance Flow for the logic & automation part (build from scratch):

Flow will ensure that as soon as a grievance record is created it will automatically assign it to the Service Desk group.

Send Email (reminder) to the Redressal Group so they can update the user asap:

Note: you can also send reminders via Email Notifications. If you are curious how to do that then check out this link.

This is the entire flow logic:

Save & Activate the flow!

As you can see the Grievance flow has been added to the logic & automation section:

Testing App

Steps:

• Navigate to the Grievance request (record producer)
• Fill the description
  
• Click Submit

• Verify that the redressal group has automatically been filled when the record was submitted:

• Cross-check that the Email has also been sent:

After testing the app, don't forget to commit changes!

Branch for Workspace

Create a new Workspace called Grievance Workspace for agents to do their work:

This is the result of the Grievance Workspace:

Note: you can create App menu’s & modules via Studio & Application Menus app. But it’s not recommended. Ideally, you should create new workspaces for new custom apps, but it depends on how people are doing the work rather than best practices. This is SN’s intent but it depends on the app. So, best practice is that most people shouldn’t be in native view unless they absolutely have to.

Commit changes!

PS. Apart from the walkthrough I mentioned above, this tutorial has also helped me quite well in understanding how to build a custom app with App Engine Studio.

That's a wrap!