How to access variable set variables in flow designer

[SHALIKAS]

I have created a custom action to run a script. But I am not sure how to access the variable set variables here. 

Also I need to use this script in all the catalog items. So how can I do this. 

[Community Alums · Accepted solution]

Hi @SHALIKAS ,

Interestingly there doesn't seem to be an OOTB way of accessing Variables from a Variable Set directly using the "Flow Designer support for Service Catalog". 

Steps to do this for a MVS (for a Variable Set just use an object, not Array.object:

1. Create a custom Action:

Feed the custom action the RITM that you'll be using in the flow (I've been forced to feed it the RITM number/Sys ID, as for some reason unknown to me you can't feed the flow a single record, there is only multi record select). 

2. Create a Script Step:

Set the input variable to the request item (number/sys ID). Now in the script you'll need to GlideRecord into the RITM process the data into an Objects Array. In the below case I have looped through a multi variable set and set the OUTPUT variable to the newly created object.Array. 

(function execute(inputs, outputs) {
// ... code ...
    var ritm = new GlideRecord('sc_req_item');
  ritm.get(inputs.sc_req_item);
  
  var objectArray = [];
  var fullSet = ritm.variables.[YOUR VARIABLE SET NAME];
  
  for ( var i = 0 ; i < fullSet.getRowCount() ; i++){
    var item = {};
    item.hostType = fullSet[i].[VARIABLE NAME 1];
    item.hostName = fullSet[i].[VARIABLE NAME 2];
    item.hostOperatingName = fullSet[i].[VARIABLE NAME 3];
    item.networkZone = fullSet[i].[VARIABLE NAME 4];
    item.dataCenter = fullSet[i].[VARIABLE NAME 5];
    item.componentName = fullSet[i].[VARIABLE NAME 6];
    item.applicationImplementationLanguage = fullSet[i].[VARIABLE NAME 7];
    item.languageVersion = fullSet[i].[VARIABLE NAME 8];
    item.applicationServer = fullSet[i].[VARIABLE NAME 9];
    item.lifeCycleStage = fullSet[i].[VARIABLE NAME 10];
    item.brand = fullSet[i].[VARIABLE NAME 11];
    objectArray.push(item);
  }
  outputs.objectarray = objectArray;
  
})(inputs, outputs);

In the above case I've had to loop through depending on the row count, this is used in the case of a multi variable set (as the number of loops can vary from RITM to RITM). 

Tip: Remember to set outputs.NAME and not outputs.LABEL (easy mistake to make).

3. Set the Script Steps Output Variables:

You'll now need to set the output variable of the Script Step to the same structure of the object.Array you've created. Currently Flow Designer supports String, Integer, Date/Time, Choice, True/False and Object as outputs in your object. See below for my setup.

4. Parsing your data back to your flow

For this step you'll need to create a new object.Array output variable and drop the script steps output variable to the subflow output variable value:

5. (Optional) Accessing data in Flow when multi variable set used.

In the case of pulling data from a multi variable set you'll have to create a forEach loop in your Flow and loop through the object.Array to access the data as you'll have a variable number of objects in that Array. In the Case of a Variable Set you can just use an object output and not an Array.object.

[Community Alums]

Hi @SHALIKAS ,

[WayneH08]

@SHALIKAS this is a very helpful post, it matches closely to what I am trying to achieve. Would you be able to elaborate a bit more on these steps copied below?  If you don't mind, could you post screenshots of how you configure the Action Input and Output. Thank you ! 🙂

1. Create a custom Action:

Feed the custom action the RITM that you'll be using in the flow (I've been forced to feed it the RITM number/Sys ID, as for some reason unknown to me you can't feed the flow a single record, there is only multi record select). 

2. Create a Script Step:

Set the input variable to the request item (number/sys ID).