activity.previous_activity

[ctsmith]

Hi, this is in relation to the following post:   REST Activity error handling (Eureka)

I responded to the thread, but I don't think anyone's looking at it again, and I bit under the gun...

Basically, my question is this:

Can you explain why this works (and it does work for me), exactly?

var history = new GlideRecord('wf_history');

history.get(activity.previous_activity);

workflow.scratchpad.RESTError = history.output;

Specifically, the 2nd line and the "previous_activity" part.   I know line two is get values from the activity field in the wf_history table, but how is properly matching up to the current request item with .previoius_activity?

I'm using this on a workflow script to pull in the XML (stored in wf_history table output field) of a SOAP response into a variable based on the above code:

var history = new GlideRecord('wf_history');

history.get(activity.previous_activity);

current.variables.aws_xml = history.output;

Will this always pull in the correct output into the correct RITM or RFTASK?     Are there other activity.* calls like activity.current_activity?

Thanks!

[Chuck Tomasi]

Not sure. I'll see if I can dig up something and post it here.

[ctsmith]

Thanks for your help!  

Oh, I do have a follow up question...

I moved this script to a task further up(down?) the workflow.   will activity.previous_activity still pick up the right element, the output, since that won't be the most immediate activity, I think?   Or is there a way to step back further with previous_activity to select the right previous activity?   Make sense?

[Chuck Tomasi · Accepted solution]

If the activities are "far apart"... don't know. I might consider using the workflow scratchpad at that point.

http://wiki.servicenow.com/index.php?title=Using_the_Workflow_Scratchpad

[ctsmith]

Yeah, it's not far apart at all.   It's just one more step forward in the flow.   And it's a very specific call that only happens one time in the workflow.   I was thinking something like this might work:

var history = new GlideRecord('wf_history');  

history.get(activity.previous_activity, "Call AWS Account Service");   —> That's the name of the activity btw I need the output for.

current.variables.aws_xml = history.output;  

[ctsmith]

So, this gets weirder.   I took your advice and used the scratchpad like you suggested.   The workflow has two tasks.  

On task 1, the code I used was:

storeIt();

  function storeIt() {

var history = new GlideRecord('wf_history');  

history.get(activity.previous_activity);  

current.variables.aws_xml = history.output;

history.update();

workflow.scratchpad.aws_xml = gr.getUniqueValue();

  }

On task 2, I used:

var history = new GlideRecord('wf_history');  

history.get( workflow.scratchpad.aws_xml );

And it pulls in the value successfully into the aws_xml variable.   But, now, instead of task 1 opening, then task 2, now both tasks open simultaneously.   If I take the code out, the tasks go back to opening sequentially instead of simultaneously.   Does using the scratchpad affect the workflow?   I'm I doing something wrong or need to add a condition since I'm using the scratchpad?

Thanks!