FAQ

The most frequently asked questions about our Arctive applications «Apps»

Swisstool

Data Table: How can I enable the keyword search in a Swiss Tool Data Table?

To enable the keyword search on a data table, add the option “show_keywords” under “Additional data table options JSON”:

{
"show_keywords": true
}

Please note, that keyword search is only possible if:

  • The data table is not marked as collapsible
  • The header is visible
  • A text index exists on the given table (please see official documentation for additional details).

Starting with San Diego, the first column in a data table will be a link that is styled differently. In some cases, the link might have a wrong colour when selecting an item in the data table.
One can easily override this style by adding the following CSS to your portal (either in a CSS linked in the theme or the portal record itself in the CSS variables field):

td[role=rowheader].selected > a{
color: #fff;
}


Form: Can I customize the popup window shown when I click on the (i)-icon next to a reference field in a Swiss Tool form?

Yes, this is possible. Please check the chapter "Configuring Widget Instances -> Changing reference popup fields" in the guided setup of the Swiss Tool application to see how popup windows in the Swiss Tool form can be customized.

Form: Why is my embedded list not showing in the Swiss Tool form in the portal ?

Make sure you used a custom relationship (= record in table “sys_relationship”) for your embedded list. Displaying embedded lists with out-of-the-box relationship (= relationship with name “[table] -> [table]”) can not be displayed in the Swiss Tool. An out-of-the-box relationship can easily be recreated with a record in “sys_relationship”).

UI Actions/Buttons: What kind of UI actions are supported in the Swiss Tool?

The Swiss Tool supports the following UI action types in the portal widgets:

• Form button: Supported in Swiss Tool Form widget
• List banner button: Supported in Swiss Tool Data Table widget (either standalone or as embedded/related list of a Swiss Tool form
• List action button: Supported in Swiss Tool Data Table widget (either standalone or as embedded/related list of a Swiss Tool form

UI Actions/Buttons: Why does the styling of internal UI actions not work correctly?

Make sure you imported the most current version of the Global UI script "ST Style Buttons Desktop". The UI script is linked in chapter “Recommended: Enable UI Action Styles > Download UI Script” of the Swiss Tool guided setup.

Yes, this can be controlled by using the following in the condition field of your UI action:
RP.isEmbeddedList()
RP.isRelatedList()

UI Actions/Buttons: Can I show a list banner button only for a specific instance of a data table?

This can be achieved by checking for the custom injected “relationshipId” or “instanceId” property on the RP-object in your UI action condition as follows:
• To only show a button for a data table of a specific relationship:
  RP.relationshipId == 'REL:fd0546321bed7c10d936b9d51a4bcbeb'
• To only show a button for a data table of a specific instance:
  RP.instanceId == ‘dt_b7a71e5e1b830d10d036a685ec4bcb29’

Attachment Handling: What defines if attachments can be added/edited in the Swiss Tool attachment handling widgets?

ACLs on sys_attachment will be evaluated to decide if attachments can be added/edited/removed to a record. By default, if a user has write access to a record, he can also add/edit/delete attachments of that record. If a custom handling is required, the out-of-the-box ACLs on sys_attachment must be adapted accordingly. However, this is out-of-scope of the Swiss Tool.

1. Custom relationships (entry in sys_realtionship) can be displayed in Swiss Tool form.
2. Out-of-the-box relationships cannot be displayed in Swiss Tool.

Example of a custom relationship (entry in sys_relationship) replicating the out-of-the-box relationship so it can be display in the Service Portal form.

Make sure the option “Show Embedded List” in the Swiss Tool form widget is enabled.

Deployment Guide

Instances: Why can I not create credentials to assign to an instance record ?

Credentials can only be created/edited by users with the admin role.

Instances: How can I check if the credentials assigned to an instance are valid?

You can verify the credentials of an instance by clicking the “Verify Credentials” related link that will appear if an instance URL and credentials are set on the instance record.

Instances: Why can I not delete an instances?

An instance can only be deleted if it is not referenced in any instance deployment records. If you want to delete an instance, all items which have an instance deployment referencing the instance have to be removed first. You can always set your instance to inactive and it will not create instance deployment records anymore.

Deployments: Why can I not delete a deployment?

There can be two reasons why a deployment can not be deleted:

  • The deployment already has an item assigned to it. Only deployments not containing any items can be deleted.
  • Only users which are part of the team linked in the deployment can delete the deployment.

Deployments: Why can I not delete an item?

There can be two reasons why a item can not be deleted:

  • An item can only be deleted if it is in the open state. As soon as any action has performed on an instance deployment record of an item it cannot be deleted anymore. You can however use the related link “Reset all instance deployments” to reset the state of an item to open and delete it afterwards.
  • Only users which are part of the team linked in the linked deployment can delete the items of a deployment.

Deployments: Why can I not select certain item types when adding an item to a deployment?

The item types that should be selectable for a team have to be assigned to the team record before. Please navigate to your team record and assign the desired item types with the related list.

Deployments: What is the difference between prerequisites and override?

Setting other items as prerequisite of a given item means the other items have to be completed/skipped before the given item can be completed/skipped. It can be used to create dependencies between items in the deployment.

The fields “Overrides” and “Overwritten by” however, are used to hide old versions of a versioned item. For example you deploy app XYZ v1.0.0 first and later on install XYZ v1.0.1. In this case you might want to override v1.0.0.

PDF Bird

What is PDF Bird®?

With the PDF Bird® application, you can generate completely new PDFs and also you can automatically fill out PDF forms. Simple, without any coding knowledge. All you have to do is create or upload al template, match the template PDF with the fields of the record and you can have a form PDF with any data you have in ServiceNow. In addition, the PDFBird® application helps manage your custom PDF templates. You can integrate data from filtered related lists, custom formatting and much. New templates are production-ready within minutes. All of this in one easy to use interface. And thanks to your custom layouts, every PDF of yours looks simply fantastic.

How do I start using PDF Bird®?

The first thing you need to do is request a trial of the app from the ServiceNow Store to integrate it into your workflows and try out all the features (on pre-production instances). After installing PDF Bird®, you will be guided through the Setup on your own instance to get the application up and running. General Instructions on how to install apps can be found on the Service Now product documentation page.
Or simply contact us for a live demo – we’re happy to demonstrate the true power of PDF Bird®.

Can I fill out a PDF form automatically?

Absolutely! This is one of the use cases for the PDF Bird® application. All you need to do is create a new PDF template by selecting PDF Bird > PDF Templates > All PDF Templates. Name the PDF template, select the table of data to be filled in and attach your PDF form attachment. The individual fields of the PDF form are automatically recognized by PDF Bird® and made available to you for configuration. Now you only define which values are to be inserted where in the form. It couldn't be easier.

What is the difference between PDF templates and HTML templates?

A PDF template is required for automatic filling of form PDFs. This can be implemented super simply thanks to PDF Bird®. With an HTML template you define how a custom PDF should look like and what data is used to generate it.

How do I create a HTML Template?

Creating a template is also super easy. Simply navigate via the filter navigator to PDF Bird > HTML Templates > All HTML Templates and click on new. The name will be used for display in the platform. The PDF document name is the file name of the generated PDF (without .pdf). As with Business Rules, a table must be specified as the basis for the HTML template. This table (or any table you can dot-walk from it) contains the data to be displayed in the PDF. An optional layout can also be selected, and we encourage you to work with layouts. After creating the template, you can configure the content of the PDF in the WYSIWYG Template Editor. This allows your advanced users to edit the content to be generated as PDFs without any programming knowledge. More sophisticated adjustments are easily possible for those with skills in HTML, CSS, etc.
Fields of a record are specified in the common ${field} notation and dot-walking is also possible. Related lists are managed using PDF Template Sets. More about that can be found below.

What is the advantage of layouts?

A layout enables common information that is used in several templates. An example of this could be your logo. Imagine you would need it on all PDF documents you generate. To implement this, you simply need to create ONE layout in which the logo is placed in the desired location. Then you use that layout your templates and you are done. If you ever need change the logo, you only adjust it in one place.

Where do I configure the display of information in lists?

The display of custom related data is not possible with OOTB ServiceNow PDFs. PDF Bird® solves this challenge using PDF Template Sets that define a set of data. They consist of three parts. The list header (e.g. table header), the list itself and the list footer. PDF Bird® also lets you configure what should happen if the list is empty. This way, we keep your PDFs beautiful ;-).

What does PDFBird® cost?

PDFBird® took many of hours and lots of brains to develop. So, we decided to make the app paid so we can pay the brains that built and maintain it. The pricing is reasonable. Please contact us for a perfectly tailored offer for you.

I need help!

Sure thing. We’re here for you with our very responsive support in all matters PDF Bird®. You will find the respective contacts details directly in the App, go to PDF Bird > Support after installing the application. We are happy to help :-).

Letter Bird

What is Letter Bird®?

The Letter Bird® Application provides a simple and efficient solution for sending physical letters to any address, world wide. Use the integrated wizard to send individual letters like invoices or reminders, targeted to your needs. Or create print marketing campaings using the baseline Flow Actions.
Letter Bird is an integration of the Pingen service.
The great two great things about Letter Bird are the incredible potential savings in postage and the ability to reach anyone via postal mail with minimal ecological impact. Say goodbye to annoying international postage now.

How do I start using Letter Bird®?

The first thing you need to do is request a trial from the ServiceNow Store. This will then be approved by our app team within a very short time.
After confirmation, you have time to integrate and try out all the features on your pre-production instances.
Instructions on how to install apps can be found on the Service Now product documentation page.
After installing Letter Bird, you will be guided through the Setup on your own instance to get the application up and running.
You can simply contact us for a live demo – we’re happy to demonstrate the true power of Letter Bird®.

How do I control the recipient of a letter?

Letter Bird® automatically recognizes the recipient of a letter. To do this, simply pass the PDF to Letter Bird using the provided Flow Action or the Letter Bird Wizard.
It is important that the address is correctly positioned in the PDF. You can choose between the options «left» and «right».
For the option «left», the address field must have a distance of 25 mm to the left margin and 50.8 mm from the top of the page according to DIN 5008.
For the option «right», the address field must have a distance of 25 mm to the right page margin and 50.8 mm from the top of the sheet as standard.
If the recipient could not be recognized, a task is automatically created for you in which you can manually enter the correct address afterwards.
Not a single letter will miss its destination.

How much does it cost to send a letter?

A regular letter in Switzerland costs around CHF 1.20 to send on average. However, prices are influenced by the quantity of letters sent, the number of pages in a letter or the type of printing. Pingen offers an idealcost calculator. Take a look at it.

How do I get an overview of the letters sent and the cost?

With the installation of Letter Bird®, comes an individual dashboard ready to use. You can access the dashboard via Letter Bird > Dashboard. On the dashboard you have direct insight into the letters sent and the incurred costs. The cost information is shown cumulated per day, week and month.
The total number of letters sent by the instance can also be found on the Letter Bird dashboard.

Can different types of letters be sent?

The short answer: yes.
Letters can use different send configurations individually per country.
In Switzerland, for example, there are three send configurations: A Mail, B Mail and Registered.
A Mail is the fastest way to send a letter in Switzerland. It reaches the recipient the next working day. B Mail is the slower option, but also cheaper. Delivery takes place within 3 working days.
If a signature is required on receipt of the letter, a registered letter must be sent. Registered mail is normally sent for important documents such as contracts, debt collection or final reminders.
However, in some countries these options are not supported by the local post office. In these countries, the standard postal service is used. However, prices vary slightly per country.

How can I control how my letters are printed?

The send configuration defines how a PDF Letter will be printed, there are several options. A letter can be printed either one-sided side of the paper only or duplex (both sides printed). In addition, a distinction can be made between black/white and colour printing. Colour printing is minimally more expensive than black and white printing.

What does Letter Bird® cost?

Letter Bird® took many of our valuable developer hours to develop, so we decided to make the app paid. Pricing is very reasonable.
Contact us: letterbird@arctive.ch for a perfectly tailored offer for you.

I need help!

Of course, we’re here for you with responsive support in all matters concerning Letter Bird®.
You will find the respective contacts details directly in the App, go to Letter Bird > Support after installing the application. We are happy to help :-).

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