Help with Custom UI Actions for Associating Related Records in a Modal (GlideModal + GlideAjax)

[mattmurdock]

Hi everyone,

I'm working on a customization in ServiceNow (Xanadu version) and could use some advice on where I'm stuck.

Scenario:

• I have a custom table: u_sap_transport_request with reference field u_change_task pointing to  the change_task table.
• On the change_task form, I've added a related list for u_sap_transport_request.
• The goal is to make it easier for users to associate multiple records from the custom table with the parent form's change_task (compared to using the OOB slushbucket that comes with the default related list "Edit" UI Action)

What I've done so far:

• Created a client-side UI Action on the custom table that opens a modal using GlideModal and loads the standard list view of the custom table (with a filter for where the u_change_task reference field is empty)
• Create a client-side UI Action (List Choice type) on the custom table that is intended to pass the selected records on the modal list along with the parent change_task's sys_id to the Ajax Script Include defined in the next point
• Built an Ajax Script Include to set the value of each record from the custom table's u_change_task field to the parent change_task sys_id which was provided by second UI Action.

Where I'm stuck: Retrieving the parent change_task sys_id in the second UI Action.

• I have been able to use the GlideModal's setPreference method to provide the g_form's sys_id to the modal.
• However, I have not be able to find a way to access this value from my other UI Action in the modal.

What I've tried (to retrieve the parameter's value in the modal UI Action):

• g_list's getParm method
• RenderProperties's getParameterValue method

Questions:

• How can I retrieve the change_task sys_id from my second UI Action in the modal list's drowdown menu?
• Bigger picture: Am I missing a much easier way to develop a more user-friendly alternative to the OOB slushbucket?

I have attached screenshots and code snippets of my current UI Actions and Script Include for reference. I am quite new to ServiceNow so I am open to any feedback or recommendations.

Thanks!

UI Action - Modal Opener:

function openTransport() {
	var modal = new GlideModal('show_list', false);
	modal.setTitle('Select Transport Requests');
	modal.setPreference('table', 'u_sap_transport_request_list');
	modal.setPreference('sysparm_view', 'Transport_Selector_Modal');
	modal.setPreference('sysparm_query', 'u_change_taskISEMPTY');
	modal.setPreference('sysparm_parent_sys_id', g_form.getUniqueValue());
	alert("Modal Preference: " + modal.getPreference("sysparam_parent_sys_id"));
	
	modal.setPreference('sysparm_list_mode', 'true');
	modal.setPreference('focus_trap', true);

	modal.render();
}

UI Action - Add Selected Records from Modal:

function addSelectedTransports() {
	
	var selectedTransports = g_list.getChecked();

	var parentId = g_list.getParm('sysparm_parent_sys_id');

	alert('Test Alert');

	var ga = new GlideAjax('TransportAssociationAjax');
	ga.addParam('sysparm_name', 'associateTransports');
	ga.addParam('parent_sys_id', parentId);
	ga.addParam('sysparm_transport_ids', selectedTransports);

	ga.getXMLAnswer(function(answer) {
		window.top.location.reload();
	});
}

Ajax Script Include:

var TransportAssociationAjax = Class.create();
TransportAssociationAjax.prototype = Object.extendsObject(AbstractAjaxProcessr, {
    initialize: function() {
    },

	associateTransports: function() {
		var changeTaskSysId = this.getParameter('sysparm_parent_sys_id');
		var selectedTransports = this.getParameter('sysparm_transport_ids').split(',');

		var gr = new GlideRecord('u_sap_transport_request');

		selectedTransports.forEach(transport => {
			gr.get(transport);
			gr.setValue('u_change_task', changeTaskSysId);
			gr.update();
		})

	},

    type: 'TransportAssociationAjax'
});