Note

 

This documentation supports the 20.19.01 version of Remedyforce.

To view the latest or an earlier version, select the version from the Product version menu.

Customizing forms for the Remedyforce Console tab

This section provides information about customizing forms that are displayed on the Remedyforce Console tab for the Incidents, Service Requests, Tasks, Problems, Change Requests, Releases, and Broadcasts modules. 

Note

The changes that you configure for the Incident and Task objects are also applied on the Incident Console and Task Console tabs. These tabs are available only if you had enabled them (by selecting the Enable and Use the Console check box) before upgrading to BMC Remedyforce 20.14.01 or later.

To add a custom button for a custom action, see Defining buttons for custom actions.

The following topics are provided:

Overview of field sets

Each form is composed of one or many fields. The location of the field on the UI depends upon the field set to which the field is added. A field set is a group of fields that is used to store related information. For example, a field set that provides details of a user can contain fields, such as First Name, Last Name, and Designation. System administrators can add or remove fields in a field set. After you add a field to a field set, it is displayed in the UI. 

For information about managing fields in a field set, see Adding or removing fields on a form.

For information about adding fieldsets on an object form, see Salesforce Help. Ensure that API name of a field set that you add is different from the API names of out-of-the-box field sets.

System administrators can also add field sets on the Incident, Task, Problem, Change Request, Release, and Broadcast objects, and then select the field sets that are shown on the corresponding forms on the Remedyforce Console, Incident Console, or Task Console tab. For more information, see Managing custom layouts for console forms. For Incidents and Service Request modules, add or update field sets of the Incident object.

The out-of-the-box field sets have custom labels based on the section that the field sets represent on a form. For example, the Console - Status and Priority field set of the Incident object contains fields that are provided in the Status and Priority Details section on the Incident form.

Adding or removing fields on a form

You can customize forms by adding or removing fields from the console-related field sets that are available for the Incident, Task, Problem, Change Request, Release, and Broadcast objects. For Incidents and Service Requests modules, add or update field sets of the Incident object. The fields are displayed on the form in the same order in which they are added to the field set.

You can create custom fields for an object and add these custom fields to the console-related field sets. When you create a custom field, it is available on each of the field sets. For information about creating custom fields, see Salesforce Help.

If you add fields to a custom field set of the Incident, Task, Problem, Change Request, Release, and Broadcast objects, the fields are shown on the corresponding form only if that field set is available on the Remedyforce Console, Incident Console, or Task Console tab. For more information, see Managing custom layouts for console forms.

Note

If you add a multipicklist type of field to a console-related field set, the fields in that section on the console form might not align correctly for all supported browsers.

Best practices for customizing forms

BMC recommends that you implement the following best practices when you customize forms:

Situation

Description

Adding custom fields to a form

When you add a field to an object, ensure that the Field Name field is unique and does not match any out-of-the-box field names in that object. BMC recommends that you add a prefix or suffix to the Field Name field to avoid any conflicts. If an out-of-the-box field and a custom field have same field names, you might encounter issues while using these fields in BMC Remedyforce. However, more than one fields can have same Field Label.

For example, if you add a custom field in the Incident object, you can specify the Field Label as Category, but you must ensure that the value in the Field Name field is not FKCategory__c.

Adding fields to a custom form

BMC recommends that if you add a field to a custom form by using one field set, you must avoid adding the same field to the custom form through another field set.

If you add the same field in multiple custom or console-related field sets, the field is displayed only in the field set that is ordered higher on the form. For information about reordering the field sets on the a form, see Managing custom layouts for console forms. For example, the display order of the field sets is Console - Client Details, Console - Incident Details, and Console - Service and CI, and the Category lookup field is added in the Console - Client Details and Console - Service and CI field sets. In this case, the Category lookup field is displayed in the Console - Client Details field set only.

Adding field set to a formBMC recommends that if you add a field set to a form, ensure that API name of the field set is different from the API names of out-of-the-box field sets. To create a field set for the Service Requests module, prefix the field set name with "Console_".

Text Area (Rich) custom fields

If you create a Text Area (Rich) custom field and add it to a custom form, this custom field appears as a Text Area (Rich) field on the custom form with Rich Text abilities.

Referenced fields in custom forms

Custom forms do not display referenced fields, that is, fields which are linked by a Lookup field.

To use reference fields in the custom form, you must create a Formula field to display the values of the referenced fields.

For more information about creating Formula fields, see the Salesforce Help.

Mandatory fields in field sets

If you create a mandatory custom field for a custom object and you do not use this custom field in a field set, you must configure a default value for this custom field.

If you add mandatory custom fields without default values to a custom object and you do not add them to the custom form, you cannot update or create records in the custom form.

BMC recommends that you add the mandatory custom fields to the custom form before you create or update records.

Using templates to create records in custom forms

If you have a template that contains values for fields that are not added to the field set and you use the template to create records, the template populates values for all the fields that are configured in the template irrespective of whether the field is present in the field set or not. Later on, if you add these template fields to the custom form, the values from these fields are displayed when you view the record.

For example, you assign a value for the Configuration Items field in an Incident template and this field is not added to the Incident custom form. When you use this Incident template to create an incident record, the value of the Configuration Items field is not populated on the Incident form because you have not added the Configuration Items field to the Incident custom form. When you add the Configuration Items field to the Incident custom form, the value from the template is displayed in the incident record.

Deleting custom fields in a field set

If you create a custom field, add it to a field set, then later delete the custom field, users must refresh their browsers to prevent the following error message from appearing:

The configuration of your org has changed, please reload the page. 
Missing dependent object: Field: <deleted custom field name>

Custom fields of the Lookup Relationship data type for users without the Read permission on the object

If you have created a custom field of the Lookup Relationship data type and users do not have the Read permission on the object to which the custom field is related to, this custom field does not appear in the custom forms for users without the Read permission when the custom field is added to the field set of the custom object.

For example, users of the Remedyforce Client profile do not have the Read permission on the Problem object. In Incident object, if you create a custom field of the Lookup Relationship data type on the Problem object and add this custom field to the field sets of Incident object, this custom field is not displayed on Incident custom form for users of the Remedyforce Client profile.

You can add the Owner and Staff look up fields to any custom field set on the required form on the Remedyforce Console, Incident Console or Task Console tab. However, these fields are displayed in the custom field set based on the Enable Queue and User Assignment setting and the availability of the Assignment Details section. For information about the Enable Queue and User Assignment setting, see Record assignment settings. For information about adding or removing the Assignment Details section, see Managing custom layouts for console forms.

The following table describes the scenarios in which the Owner and Staff lookup fields are displayed in a custom field set on a console form.  

Enable Queue and User Assignment settingAssignment Details field set on the formOwner field displayed in the custom field set on the formStaff field displayed in the custom field set on the form
SelectedAvailableNoNo
Not SelectedAvailableNoYes (By default, the logged in user is displayed in the Staff field. The Staff lookup pop-up window displays all staff members; you can select another staff member based on your requirements.)
SelectedNot availableYesYes (The Staff lookup pop-up window displays only the staff members who belong to the queue that is selected in the Owner field.)
Not selectedNot availableYes (By default, the logged in user is displayed in the Owner field)Yes (By default, the logged in user is displayed in the Staff field. The Staff lookup pop-up window displays all staff members; you can select another staff member based on your requirements.)

To add or remove fields on a form

  1. Click the Remedyforce Administration tab.
  2. On the Home page, click the Manage Objects tile, and from the menu select Create and Edit Objects.
  3. From the Objects list, select the required object name and then click Field Sets.
  4. In the Action column for the field set that contains the fields that you want to add to the form, click Edit.
  5. (Optional) If the field that you want to add to your form is not available in the Available for the Field Set list, select the required related field in the Incident list and drag the field in the Available for the Field Set list.
  6. From the object palette, drag the field to the In the Field Set list.
    The form displays all fields that are added to the In the Field Set list. The order in which fields appear in the custom form depends on the order in which the fields are arranged in the object palette. You can rearrange the fields in the Field Set list by dragging and dropping.

    Note

    If you move the Status, Impact, or Urgency fields from the Status and Priority Details section to any other section, the fields appear as a lookup field and not as a picklist. However, only on the Incident form, the Status, Impact, or Urgency fields are displayed as a picklist even if you move them to a different section.

  7. (Optional) To mark a field as required on the form, perform the following actions:
    1. In the In the Field Set list, for the field that you want to mark as required, click .
    2. In the Field Set Item Properties window, select Required.
    3. Click OK.
  8. (Optional) To remove the selected fields from appearing in the custom form, click the x button that appears on the field name.
    After creating a record of an object, if you remove a field from the field set, the value of the field is not deleted from the record. When you add the field to the field set again, the field retains the earlier value and you do not have to enter a new value for the field.
  9. Click Save.

    The customized form appears when you open an existing object record or create a new record. If you have opened an existing record, click the Refresh toolbar button to view the fields that you have added and removed during customization. The customized form is also available if you log on later.
    If you add a field from multiple field sets, the field appears in multiple locations on the form.

    Note

    If you define dependencies between fields, ensure that you do not add the controlling and dependent fields multiple times on the form. Otherwise, the field dependency might not work correctly. This is applicable for Tasks, Problems, Change Request, and Release forms only.

The following video (2:13) explains how to add or remove fields from the Remedyforce Console form.

https://youtu.be/mRG9LItpATw

To mark a field as required on a form

  1. Click the Remedyforce Administration tab.
  2. On the Home page, click the Manage Objects tile, and from the menu select Create and Edit Objects.
  3. From the Objects list, select the required object name and then click Field Sets.
  4. In the Action column for the field set that contains the fields that you want to mark as required, click Edit.
  5. In the In the Field Set list, for the field that you want to mark as required, click .
  6. In the Field Set Item Properties window, select Required.
  7. Click OK.

Adding <BLANK> field on a console form

You can manage the space between fields in any section of the console form by adding the <BLANK> field to Incident, Task, Problem, Change Request, Release, and Broadcast objects field sets.

For example, a field set has three fields: Category, Description, and Resolution. If you want to show the Description and Resolution fields in the same row, you can add the <BLANK> field next the to the Category field to ensure that Description and Resolution fields are shown in the same row.

The following figure shows the how the <BLANK> field is used to align fields in a section of the console form:



BMC Remedyforce provides one <BLANK> field out of the box. If you want to add multiple blank fields in a section, you must create new fields with the same label (<BLANK>) but a unique API name.

Note

If you want to use the <BLANK> field to manage the space between two fields on the console form, ensure that the field label <BLANK> is not translated into any other language. Also, if you add the <BLANK> out-of-the-box field to a Salesforce page layout form, the field appears as a text field.

To create a new <BLANK> field

  1. Navigate to Setup > Create > Objects.
  2. In the Label column, click the required object name.
  3. On the Custom Object page, in the Custom Fields & Relationships section, click New.
  4. On the Step 1. Choose the field type page, select a data type and click Next.
  5. On the Step 2. Enter the details page, perform the following actions:
    1. In the Field Label field, enter <BLANK>.
      Because you want to create this field to use it to align the fields in a section, you must keep the field label <BLANK>.
    2. In the Length field, enter 1.
    3. In the Field Name field, enter a unique name and click Next.
      The field name must be unique, and you cannot use the same name as any other custom <BLANK> field. For example, you might use the following field names:

      Field LabelField Name
      <BLANK>Blank1
      <BLANK>Blank2
  6. On the Step 3. Establish field-level security page, select the Visibility or Read-Only check box to set the field-level security for the required profiles, and click Next.
  7. On the Step 4. Add to page layouts page, in the Add Field column, select the page layout Remedyforce <object name> Console version 1.0 and click Save.
  8. If you add the out-of-the-box <BLANK> field to a Salesforce page layout form, the field appears as a text field.
  9. After you create a custom <BLANK> field, you can add it to a required field set on a console form.

To add a <BLANK> field on a console form

  1. Navigate to Setup > Create > Objects.
  2. In the Label column, click the required object name.
  3. On the Custom Object page, in the Field Sets section, locate the Action column for Console - <field set>, and click Edit.
  4. From the palette, drag the <BLANK> field to the In the Field Set column.
  5. Click Save.

Adding or removing related lists from an object form

You can add or remove related lists that enable the users to save related information about a record. 

You can also edit related lists to add or remove fields or buttons that are displayed in the list. Note that the following buttons are not supported in the related list of modules:

  • Select and Link Incidents to Broadcast
  • Create and Link Incident to Broadcast
  • Create new Incident

To add or remove related lists from an object form

  1. Navigate to Setup > Create > Objects.
  2. In the Label column, click the object for which you want to add or remove related lists.
  3. On the Custom Object page, in the Page Layouts section, in the Action column for Remedyforce <object name> Console version 1.0, click Edit. For example, Remedyforce Incident Console version 1.0.
  4. From the palette, click Related Lists.
  5. To add a related list, drag the required list from the palette to the layout.
  6. To remove a related list, click .
  7. Click Save.

Adding or removing buttons in related lists form on the Remedyforce Console tab

You can add out-of-the-box custom buttons to the related lists or define custom buttons and then add the custom buttons to the related lists. For more information, see Defining buttons for custom actions.

Note

The changes that you configure for the Incident and Task objects are also applied on the Incident Console and Task Console tabs. These tabs are available only if you had configured them before upgrading to BMC Remedyforce 20.14.01 or later.

To add or remove a button in related lists form on the Remedyforce Console tab

  1. Navigate to Setup > Create > Objects.
  2. In the Label column, click the object for which you want to add or remove the button.
  3. In the Page Layouts section, for Remedyforce <object name> Console version 1.0 in the Action column, click Edit.
  4. From the list on the left side, select Buttons.
  5. Drag the custom button in the Custom Buttons section or remove the custom button added to the related lists.

    Note

    Do not add an out-of-the-box button that is provided for the object. If you add such a button, the user is redirected to the Salesforce page layout. However, you can add the Suggested Experts out-of-the-box button on the Task form.

  6. Click Save.

Adding the Collision column in the Linked Change Requests related list of the Release module

To view the colliding change requests in the Linked Change Requests related list of the Release module, add the Collision column to the related list.

  1. Click All Tabs ().
  2. Click the Releases tab.
  3. Click a record.
  4. On the top-right corner, click Edit Layout.
  5. In the palette, click Related Lists.
  6. In the Linked Change Requests related list, click .
  7. In the Available Fields list, select Change Request: Collision, and click the right arrow.
  8. Click OK, and then click Save.

Adding fields to the page layout for the Print to PDF action

If you want to include a specific field in the PDF output of a record, you must add the field to your page layout. This is applicable for the Print to PDF option in the Actions menu of the Incidents/Service Requests, Tasks, Problems, Change Requests, Releases, and Broadcasts modules on the Remedyforce Console tab. You can also create a custom field and add it to the page layout. For information about creating a custom field, see Salesforce Help.

For example, if you want to add the Incident# field to your Print to PDF output, you must add the field to your Incident Console Version 1.0 to include the field in your output.

  1. Navigate to Setup > Create > Objects.
  2. In the Label column, click the object for which you want to add a field such as, Incident.
  3. In the Page Layouts section, for Remedyforce <object name> Console version 1.0 in the Action column, click Edit.
  4. From the list on the left side, select Fields.
  5. Drag the field in the preferred section.
  6. Click Save.
  7. Repeat step 2 to step 6 to add required fields to the other objects.

Enabling linking a new incident to an existing incident from the Linked incidents related list

By default, when a staff member creates a new incident by clicking New in the Linked Incidents related list on the Incidents or Remedyforce Console > Incidents tab, the new incident is not linked to the existing incident. To enable staff members to create and link a new incident to an existing incident from the Linked incidents related list, add the Incident field on the Incident object page layout.

  1. Navigate to Setup > Create > Objects.
  2. In the Label column, click Incident.
  3. In the Page Layouts section, in the Action column, click Edit next to the page layout that is assigned to the Incident object, such as Remedyforce Incident Version 3.0.
  4. From the palette, drag the Incident field to one of the sections.
  5. Click Save.

Enabling the Activity feed option on the Remedyforce Console forms

You can now enable the staff members to add the notes and attachments for any record using the Activity Feed option from all the forms on the Remedyforce Console. To display the Activity feed option on the Remedyforce Console forms:

  1. Navigate to Remedyforce Administration > Application Settings > Consoles.
  2. Under General Console Settings, select the Enable Activity Feed checkbox.
  3. Click Save; click OK.

Note

 This option is not available for the Broadcast form.

Modifying the height of the Text Area and the Long Text Area fields

You can now modify the height of the Text Area and the Long Text Area fields for all the Remedyforce Console forms. Follow the steps given below to modify the height for these fields using the ConsoleVisibleTextareaLines custom setting:

  1. Go to Setup > Develop > Custom Settings.
  2. Click Manage for Remedyforce Settings.
  3. Click New.
  4. Enter the following values for the fields:
    1. For the Name field, enter ConsoleTextareaVisibleLines.
    2. For the Value field, enter the number of lines to be displayed.
      For example, enter 3.
  5. Click Save.

Note

This custom setting affects all the out-of-the-box and custom text area fields in the Remedyforce Console. Additionally, this setting overrides the default height value that you have provided while creating a custom field.

Related topics

Incident management

Task management

Problem management

Change management

Release management

Broadcast management


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