This documentation supports the 25.1 version of BMC Service Request Management.To view an earlier version, select the version from the Product version menu.

Mapping variables to questions


You can map multiple questions to the same variable. For example, the user's answer in the Description field on the Request Entry console can be pushed to the Description field data target in the Change Management, Incident Management, and Work Orders fulfillment templates.

To map variables to questions you defined for the SRD

  1. On the Question Management form, click the Variable Mapping tab.
  2. Select one of the variables.
  3. In the Mapping Details area, perform one of the following actions:

    Action

    Comment

    To choose one of the questions you previously defined, select Question.

    Make sure that the available questions you select will map to the intended data targets. For example, the question ("What kind of chair do you want?") corresponds to the Description data target. If not, you must create a question.
    Specify whether the question must be answered by the answer (select User Displayed Response) or the data is internal (select Internally Represented Response). 

    To enter the text that you want entered in the corresponding field in the fulfillment application, select Text, and enter the desired text.

    When entering a string in the Text field, do not use quotation marks; otherwise, no text will appear in the Service Request form, and the data will not be pushed to the fulfillment application. (This occurs because of the way quotation marks are used in the workflow that parses the mapping.)

    To select a field from the SR Field list, select SR Field.


    To concatenate multiple inputs, click Advanced Mappings.

    You might select this option if you want to map multiple questions to the same variable. For example, the user's answer in the Description field on the Request Entry console can be pushed to the Description field data target in the Change Management, Incident Management, and Work Orders fulfillment templates. (See Concatenating-multiple-inputs.)

  4. Click Apply.
  5. Map other variables as needed.
  6. Close the Question Management form.
  7. Save the SRD.

Question format restrictions

The following table shows the question format restrictions that apply when you are mapping data. You can map question data as follows:

  • User Displayed Response — User enters answer to the question from the Provide Information panel on the Request Entry console as input.
  • Internally Represented Response — Data is passed internally as input by using the AR System internal representation (the stored values, or for Date, Time, or Date/Time fields, a numeric string).
  • Either — Both User Displayed Response or Internally Represented Response options map data correctly to the fulfillment application.

Question format

Fulfillment field type

How to map data

Comments

Text

Character

Either

Either choice maps data correctly.

Radio Button, Check Box, Static Menu

Character

User Displayed Response


Selection Field

Internally Represented Response

When the internal value is used, the stored values defined for the question are passed to the fulfillment application. The stored values must match the values of the selection fields on the fulfillment form.

Query Menu

Character

Either

User Displayed Response always maps to Display Label, even if an Actual Value is configured for the question. To map Actual Value, use Internally Represented Response

Date

Date

Internally Represented Response

  • Do not use the User Displayed Response option, which passes the user's date and time to the backend application.
  • If the user's computer and the server are in different time zones, the date field will display a different timestamp from when the request was actually created.
  • Also, make sure that the end user's computer time zone is set the same as the Time Zone preference in AR System User Preferences. For more information, see Locale preferences.
  • When mapped to a field that is displayed on screen, the Internally Represented Response for Date, Date/Time, and Time questions shows a numeric string rather than a readable date or time format. For example, if you map the response to a visible text field, users will see a string of numbers rather than the date or time.

Character

User Displayed Response

When you map the Date/Time field with User Displayed Response in a Character field, the values in the Character field depends on the language settings of the browser and not the locale and web preferences set for the user.

Date/Time

Not applicable

Not supported

Time

Not applicable

Not supported

Date/Time

Date/Time

Internally Represented Response

  • Do not use the User Displayed Response option, which passes the user's date and time to the backend application.
  • If the user's computer and the server are in different time zones, the date/time field will display a different timestamp from when the request was actually created.
  • Also, make sure that the end user's computer time zone is set the same as the Time Zone preference in AR System User Preferences. For more information, see Locale preferences.
  • When mapped to a field that is displayed on screen, the Internally Represented Response for Date, Date/Time, and Time questions shows a numeric string rather than a readable date or time format. For example, if you map the response to a visible text field, users will see a string of numbers rather than the date or time.

Character

User Displayed Response

When you map the Date/Time field with User Displayed Response in a Character field, the values in the Character field depends on the language settings of the browser and not the locale and web preferences set for the user.

Date



Time

Time

Internally Represented Response

  • Do not use the User Displayed Response option, which passes the user's date and time to the backend application.
  • If the user's computer and the server are in different time zones, the time field will display a different timestamp from when the request was actually created.
  • Also, make sure that the end user's computer time zone is set the same as the Time Zone preference in AR System User Preferences. For more information, see Locale preferences.
  • When mapped to a field that is displayed on screen, the Internally Represented Response for Date, Date/Time, and Time questions shows a numeric string rather than a readable date or time format. For example, if you map the response to a visible text field, users will see a string of numbers rather than the date or time.

Character

User Displayed Response

When you map the Date/Time field with User Displayed Response in a Character field, the values in the Character field depends on the language settings of the browser and not the locale and web preferences set for the user.

Range

Character

Either


Integer

Either


 

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