Ajax and JSON

[Jamsta1912]

Hello all,

I have a client script that makes an Ajax Call through a script include -   exactly as described in the wiki, here: GlideAjax - ServiceNow Wiki using client-side code similar to the example on that page:

var ga = new GlideAjax('HelloWorld');

ga.addParam('sysparm_name','helloWorld');

ga.addParam('sysparm_user_name',"Bob");

ga.getXML(HelloWorldParse);

function HelloWorldParse(response) {

    var answer = response.responseXML.documentElement.getAttribute("answer");

    alert(answer);

}

However, 'answer' in my case is a JSON object. The script include part is working fine, but I'm struggling to 'get at' the contents of the JSON object client-side. What is the simplest way of doing this? I want to just be able to do something like this...

var myVariable1 = answer.variable1;

var myVariable2 = answer.variable2;

but I realise it's not that simple. I've tried to piece this together from other answers to similar posts but I'm missing something.

I've tried something like:

var parser = new JSON();

var parsed = parser.decode(answer);

and:

var parser = new JSONParser();

var parsed = parser.jsonParse(answer);

and:

answer = JSON.parse(answer);

but I've not managed to get any of these working.

Thanks for any pointers,

Jamie.

[Jace Benson · Accepted solution]

That example and most examples will return a XML payload;

If you do a console.log(ga.requestObject.response); you'll see this;

"<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml answer="Hello Bob!" sysparm_max="15" sysparm_name="helloWorld" sysparm_processor="HelloWorld"/>"

If you want to handle the response to be some JSON, you would need to modify the server side code, and have it pass it down stringified/serialized;

Here's an example;

Server side Script Include;

var HelloWorld = Class.create();
HelloWorld.prototype = Object.extendsObject(AbstractAjaxProcessor, {
   helloWorld: function() {
         return "Hello " + this.getParameter('sysparm_user_name') + "!";
   },
   helloWorld2: function() {
         var j = new JSON();
         var response = {
                   sysparm_user_name: this.getParameter('sysparm_user_name'),
                   answer: "Hello " + this.getParameter('sysparm_user_name') + "!"
         };
         return j.encode(response);
   },
   type: 'HelloWorld'
});

Client side code (you can even paste it in your console (F12) and it should work.   Did for me;

var ga = new GlideAjax('HelloWorld');
ga.addParam('sysparm_name','helloWorld2');
ga.addParam('sysparm_user_name',"Bob");
ga.getXML(HelloWorldParse);
function HelloWorldParse(response) {
         answer = JSON.parse(response.responseXML.documentElement.getAttribute("answer"));
         console.log('answer: ' + answer);
         console.log('answer.sysparm_user_name: ' + answer.sysparm_user_name);
}

Output I get from that client side code;

answer: [object Object]
answer.sysparm_user_name: Bob

[Jamsta1912]

Thank you Jace - that's exactly what I was after. Got this working fine now

[andrew_lawlor]

Awesome! One helpful tip I can mention is this: when you're on the client-side, you have to use the native JavaScript JSON functions (JSON in JavaScript ), while when you're on the server-side, you have to use the Script Includes that ServiceNow has defined.

[danielv]

Thank you Jace, it works