Integration points use content blocks in CMS to link different applications together
using static and dynamic methods.
By using integration points, users can connect to different systems from a single page. The
power of the CMS is that it can display any data within the Now Platform. The ESS
portal, for example, connects users to a service catalog, a knowledge base, and a help and
incident reporting site. Each section contains a set of links to additional content. List blocks
offer the easiest way to display data dynamically. Content types define how lists link to the
detailed data they reference.
Generating lists from the Now Platform is straightforward, especially if you use
filtering. When the CMS was first introduced, lists were the only method available to create
navigational systems for sites. Content types define system record links using specific templates
to define the list and the details.
- Summary template: defines the list
- Detail template: defines the detail as it is rendered in a page.
The templates work together to pass data attributes or unique record identifiers (sysid) into a single detail page that manages the data. Any
attribute variations use the URL sent to the page.
Understanding how content types work can mean the difference between a site with 20 pages
versus a site with 200 pages. There is a time for both types of data calls. Depending on the
task, there are appropriate times to use static content and times for dynamic methods.
