servicenow-app-engine

name	servicenow-app-engine
skill_type	skill
description	Build scoped ServiceNow applications as metadata-as-code — the scope/`x_` prefix/now.config.json anatomy, how Fluent artifacts assemble into a whole app (table + business rule + ACL + menu + catalog), and how that reconciles with App Engine Studio / Application Studio. Use when the agent must design a scoped app's structure, map an App Engine Studio artifact to its Fluent API and sample, assemble a multi-artifact app, or package/publish a scoped app. Do NOT use for the now-sdk build/deploy/ATF lifecycle mechanics (use servicenow-sdk-lifecycle), for authoring Flow Designer flows/subflows (use servicenow-workflow-studio), for the raw bundled Fluent samples (use servicenow-sdk-docs), or for ad-hoc record CRUD against a live instance (use servicenow-table-api).
license	MIT
tags	["servicenow","scoped-app","metadata-as-code","app-engine-studio","fluent","packaging","mcp"]
metadata	{"author":"Genius","version":"0.1.0"}

ServiceNow App Engine (scoped apps as metadata-as-code)

A scoped ServiceNow application is a namespaced bundle of metadata records (tables, rules, ACLs, menus, catalog items…). App Engine Studio (AES) / Application Studio build that bundle through a UI; this skill builds the same bundle as Fluent code and reconciles the two views. It defers the build/deploy/test mechanics to servicenow-sdk-lifecycle.

When to use

• Designing a scoped app's shape: scope, x_ prefix, now.config.json, file layout.
• Mapping an App Engine Studio artifact to the Fluent API that produces it.
• Assembling a coherent app from multiple artifacts (data model + logic + security + nav + request UX).
• Packaging/publishing a scoped app across instances.

When NOT to use

• CLI lifecycle mechanics (init/build/transform/deploy/ATF) → servicenow-sdk-lifecycle.
• Flow Designer flows/subflows/actions → servicenow-workflow-studio.
• Reading the raw samples → servicenow-sdk-docs.
• Ad-hoc live record CRUD → servicenow-table-api.

Prerequisites

• A Fluent project (scaffold via servicenow-sdk-lifecycle → references/project-init.md).
• For packaging/publish: the servicenow-api MCP server via the mcp-client skill. Env + tag matrix: agent-tools/mcp-client/references/servicenow-api.md.

The mental model

Everything in a scoped app is a record in a sys_* table, namespaced to a scope. Fluent constructs (Table, BusinessRule, Acl, ApplicationMenu, ServiceCatalog, Record, …) are typed emitters for those records. "Build the app as code" = author those constructs, then ship them via the SDK lifecycle.

Reference map — open just-in-time

• references/scoped-app-anatomy.md — sys_scope, the x_<prefix>_ namespace, now.config.json, package.json, and the src/fluent/ layout. Read first when starting or structuring an app.
• references/app-engine-studio-concepts.md — what AES / Application Studio are, their artifact vocabulary (data tables, experiences, logic-and-automation, security), and how a code-first project coexists with them. Read when reconciling with the UI.
• references/metadata-as-code-mapping.md — the master table: App Studio artifact → Fluent API → canonical servicenow-sdk-docs sample. Read when you know what you want and need the construct + example.
• references/full-app-walkthrough.md — assemble a working app end-to-end (table + business rule + ACL + application menu + catalog item), cross-referencing the samples. Read when building a whole app rather than one artifact.
• references/packaging-and-publish.md — package and promote the scoped app across instances via servicenow_cicd + servicenow_update_sets. Read at release time.

Quick artifact map (full table in metadata-as-code-mapping.md)

App concern	Fluent API	Sample (in servicenow-sdk-docs)
Data model	Table / Record	table-sample, record-sample, hello-world-sample
Server logic	BusinessRule, ScriptAction, script includes	businessrule-sample, scriptaction-sample, script-include-sample
Security	Acl, Role	acl-sample
Navigation	ApplicationMenu	applicationmenu-sample
Request UX	ServiceCatalog	service-catalog-sample
APIs	RestApi	restapi-sample
Automation	Flow / Subflow	flow-sample (author via servicenow-workflow-studio)

Gotchas

• The scope is fixed at init. The x_<prefix>_ namespace is baked into now.config.json and every table/artifact name — plan it up front (see scoped-app-anatomy.md).
• Custom tables carry the scope prefix (x_<prefix>_<table>); referencing platform tables you don't own needs a dependency pull (servicenow-sdk-lifecycle → references/dependencies.md).
• Code-first and AES edit the same records. Round-tripping via now-sdk transform / init --from keeps them in sync, but simultaneous edits from both sides collide — pick a source of truth.
• Building the app here does not deploy it — hand off to servicenow-sdk-lifecycle.