Phased rollout This documentation supports the 21.05 version of BMC Service Request Management. To view an earlier version, select the version from the Product version menu.

Creating AIFs from templates

BMC Service Request Management provides three out-of-the-box advanced interface forms (AIFs) that you can copy, modify, and use as  templates. You can create an SRD and attach one of the out-of-the-box AIFs.

Before you begin

You must have Action Request System Administrator permissions and knowledge of AR System development to modify and enhance the AIFs.


Related topics

Creating-and-using-advanced-interface-forms

Registering-AIFs

The following AIFs are included:

Form name

Description

With Backend Mapping (SRS:AdvancedInterface_With BackendMapping)

This AIF uses a Regular form that you can use to store data on the form itself, while also mapping some of the field values on the form to the fulfillment application fields. The fields on the form are used to pose questions to users and capture responses to those questions.

Without Backend Mapping (SRS:AdvancedInterface_Without BackendMapping)

This AIF uses a Regular form that you can use to store data requested from users directly on the form, without mapping this data to fulfillment application fields.

Password Reset (SRS:AdvancedInterface_Password Reset)

This AIF uses a display-only type of form, and illustrates a password reset use case. A display-only form does not store any data. You can use this type of form only to map field values to fulfillment application fields.


Best practice
We recommend the following best practices for BMC Service Request Management:

  • In Developer Studio, create a list of AIFs that you want to modify, and add the directly related objects.
  • If you include date fields in the body of an AIF (for example, if you add a question that requires the user to enter a date), create a custom workflow to ensure that the date is not copied when a user clicks Request Again to create a new request.
  • Create a copy of the AIF and modify the copy, so that your work is not overwritten when you upgrade the application. Run tests on the copy to verify that it works the same as the original.
  • To avoid migration issues, do not copy and rename the workflow that is attached to the AIFs.

To create advanced interface forms from templates

  1. Log on to Developer Studio.
  2. From the AR System Navigator, open one of the out-of-the-box advanced interface forms.
     For example, open the SRS:AdvancedInterface_WithBackendMapping form.
    When opening the SRS:AdvancedInterface_WithBackendMapping form in Developer Studio, modify only the fields on the Your Fields tab and only the field labels on the Mapped tab. 

    • The Your Fields tab contains the fields that are saved to the form. This tab and all of its fields should be visible to users.
    • The Mapped tab contains predefined fields to map to fulfillment application fields on the Details tab of a work order. You can change the labels on these fields to ask questions to users. This tab and any fields used to ask questions to users must be visible. Hide all other fields that you are not using.
       These fields are mainly character and integer type fields. If a user response requires a selection field, data/time field, or a currency field, those fields can be placed on the Your Fields tab, and additional workflow with an execution order of 0 can be created to set the field values on the Mapped tab to the value of those fields. This would be done with the hidden fields that are not used to pose questions to the users. This enables those data types to be mapped automatically by using the predefined mapping.

    • The Mapped 10-27, Mapped 28-47, and Mapped 48 tabs contain additional fields that can be mapped to fulfillment application fields by using the Question Selection and Fulfillment Application Field Mapping dialog box during the SRD configuration. These tabs should be hidden to users.

      The fields on the Mapped tab can also be mapped in this manner if the target fulfillment application field is not on a work order, that is, an incident or change request.

      Warning

      Do not modify the other fields on this form. These core fields that map to the service request, and are needed to create the service request. You can, however, add specific workflow to the advanced interface fields for validation, and so on.

  3. To save a copy, select File > Save Form As, and enter a new name for the copy.

    Warning

    Do not use a plus sign (+) in the form name. This might interrupt a URL that contains the form name.

  4. In the BMC workflow, add your advanced interface form to the form attach list.
    1. Open the packing list you created in Developer Studio.
    2. Open all the workflow objects from your packing list (for example, Active Links) and associate your form, except for the following active links:
      • SRS:ADN:WithMapping_OnSubmit_109_SubmitRequest_CheckReqFields
      • SRS:ADN:WithMapping_OnSubmit_109_AddToCart_SetFlag
      • SRS:ADN:WithoutMapping_OnSubmit_109_SubmitRequest_CheckReqFields
      • SRS:ADN:WithoutMapping_OnSubmit_109_AddToCart_SetFlag
    3. Check the filters, active link guides, menus, and filter guides, and associate the new advanced interface form to them as well.
  5. Perform the following actions to the preceding active links.
    You must modify this workflow to set the flag in the Required Questions Answered field that determines whether the user entered all of the required information to submit the service request or the cart.

    1. Copy and rename the active links.

      Important

      Do not use the BMC prefix (SRS:ADN) when you rename the active links.

    2. Modify the form name to your own interface form.
    3. Modify the Run If qualification to match the required fields on your form.
  6. Edit the SRS:ADN:SHR_OnSubmit_SubmitInReview active link guide by adding your submit request active links to it. Add the new AIF form to the associated form for the associated active link to be displayed on the Add Active Link (s) selection form.
    Add your active links under the SRS:ADN:WithMapping_OnSubmit_109_SubmitRequest_CheckReqFields and SRS:ADN:WithoutMapping_OnSubmit_109_SubmitRequest_CheckReqFields active links.
  7. Edit the SRS:ADN:SHR_OnSubmit_SubmitInCart active link guide by adding your cart active links to it.
    Add your active links under the SRS:ADN:WithMapping_OnSubmit_109_AddToCart_SetFlag and SRS:ADN:WithoutMapping_OnSubmit_109_AddToCart_SetFlag active links.
  8. Test your copied version of the advanced interface form.
     It should work just as the original form.

  9. Modify your copy of the advanced interface form.
    If you used the SRS:AdvancedInterface_WithBackendMapping or SRS:AdvancedInterface_WithoutBackendMapping form as a template, you can modify the fields in the Your Fields sections.

    Warning

    Do not delete or modify any other fields on these forms. BMC supports only changes to appearance of items, such as the header, background, and labels.

 

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