11. Dynamic Page Options
Page Branching
Page Branching allows you to skip pages in your service item dynamically, depending on answer values. You can only use page branching to move forward in a request, not back. If you want to move backwards, use the ‘Previous’ button to go back to the last visited page.
Page Branching:
The Select Destination table only shows pages that come after the current page. Description is just text to help you define what the branching is for, and the qualification field defines the data that will cause branching to occur. After saving, the branching is available to be modified or deleted from the table at the bottom of the dialog. The table also sets the order that branches are evaluated. The first one to evaluate to true is selected and the remaining branches are ignored.
Pattern Matching
Pattern matching is a way to limit the characters, or pattern of characters for an answer in Kinetic Request. It is based on ‘Regular Expressions’ for javascript. Pattern matching is available for the following answer types; Date, Decimal, Email, Free Text, and Integer. Default values are managed from the Configuration Manager and are automatically applied to answer types when they are chosen. Optional patterns like phone and Social Security Number are available to be applied if desired.
Pattern Dialog from Configuration
New patterns are added from the Configuration manager and need to be thoroughly tested before implemented.
Copy Existing Elements
Instead or recreating questions or other page elements over again from template to template, you can simply copy (steal) them.
Copy Element Dialog:
The ‘Copy Existing Element’ option on the Select Element dialog brings up the above dialog. Your current template is shown on the right, and you can then select any template and element to add to your template. The new element will be inserted below the currently highlighted element from your template.
Dynamic Default
Dynamic Default allows you to set a value as an answer from a variety of sources. You can set a static value, get a value from Remedy or (using Bridging) get a value from an "outside" system.
Static Values
The simplest way to set a default answer is with a static value. Not very dynamic, but effective. Here's a screenshot of the field:
The text "Static Value" will appear as the answer to this question when it is displayed.
If all other attempts to display a value fail or have no result, any static text will be displayed.
Add Fields for Dynamic Default
This feature is nearly the same as the Add Fields feature of text elements from chapter on Other Page Elements.
Example of Add Fields menu:
Dynamic Default Using Bridges
When you need to dynamically populate an answer with a value from either your Remedy system or a system outside Remedy (like an external asset system), you can use bridging. To use bridging, check the Use Advanced Default check box, and make sure that the Use Bridging check box is also checked (checked by default).
Here is an example of the dialog:
You have essentially four choices to make when setting up the Dynamic Default using Bridging:
Model - drawn from the pre-configured list in the Structures tab of the Bridge Manager
Qualifications - pre-configured list related to the Model
Value - Result of the Qualification that is set as the default answer
Parameter Value - The Qualification sets the parameter(s) that will be used in the qualification
Here is an example of a dynamic default that looks up the Email of the Customer:
The Model is Employee, the Qualification is by Email, and the Value set is the Email Address. When you click on the Modify button the dialog allows you to set values for the qualification from a variety of sources.
Unless you have access to the Bridge Manager, you are constrained by the models and qualification that are already configured. However, once the models are configured, it is very easy to setup the dynamic defaults. Bridging is also the only way to get information from systems that are outside Remedy, and interact in any way with the Remedy system (like View or Vendor forms).
Dynamic Default Using Only Remedy
Using Dynamic Defaulting without Bridging is similar to doing a search of a Remedy form, and just returning one value. To get to this dialog, uncheck the Use Bridging option.
You need to configure the following three values:
Form - Remedy form that holds the data you want to set as the answer
Field Name - specific field that holds the value you want to set as the answer
Qualification - Remedy search that returns the record that has the value
Here is an example of a dynamic default that returns a login
This option may provide more flexibility (as long as you only need values from Remedy), however you must configure all the values for each question. Also, bridging can give Request Managers access to Remedy forms (or other systems) that their permissions would not normally allow them access.
Dynamic List
Dynamic lists let you use either bridging or a Remedy query to access data to construct a list question. The most common examples of this are lists of states, countries, assets, and people.
Dynamic List Question Using Bridging:
There are similar choices to a dynamic default using bridging:
Model - drawn from the pre-configured list in the Structures tab of the Bridge Manager
Qualifications - pre-configured list related to the Model
Label - What is shown to the customer
Value - Result of the Qualification that is set as the default answer
Parameter Value - The Qualification sets the parameter(s) that will be used in the qualification
You can also use a basic Remedy query to create the list:
You create the list by referencing a form and fields in your current Remedy system. Make sure that the request application user has permissions to the form. Also, the qualification builder will check for a valid qualification, but will not limit the amount of data returned. If you are returning a large amount of data for your list, it will cause a delay while the page is loading.