UI Script

Ken83 · ‎02-23-2015

Hello Community,

I'm trying to utilize a UI Script to generate a popup for end users. As I understand it, a UI Script utilizes Client Side scripting. However, I cannot seem to get it to return GlideRecord results. I've done something simple like...

var id = g_user.userID;
alert("User is : " + id);

This will not generate an alert. So I thought maybe UI Scripts utilize Server Side scripting so I changed that script to...

var id = gs.getUserID();
alert("User is : " + id);

So at this point i'm really confused as to why I can't get any results. So I resorted to GlideAjax and a Script Include to test and it turns out the GlideAjax actually does give a popup, but it's always "undefined".

var ga = new GlideAjax('KnownIssueAjaxScript');
ga.addParam('name', 'userPreference');
ga.getXML(ScriptParse);

function ScriptParse(response){
         var answer = response.responseXML.documentElement.getAttribute("answer");
         alert(answer);
}

The above script is the GlideAjax I used in the UI Script. Below is the Script Include I called to...

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


   userPreference: function(){
   var name = "Walk this way!";
   return name;
   },


       type: 'KnownIssueAjaxScript'



});

Here is what I am trying to accomplish.

GOAL : Generate a popup message for all users. Once the user acknowledges the popup message, they shouldn't get the popup anymore.

My approach was to create a global script that I can enable which will in turn, create a GlideOverlay or GlideDialogWindow to display a popup UI Page containing a message to users. When the users click a button that will be on the popup UI Page, it will update a user preference so that the popup doesn't keep coming up for that user. (Similar to what happens with the OOB UI14 pop up message.)

Any ideas or suggestions?

tltoulson · ‎02-25-2015

Hi Kenneth,

On the Client Side, you can use getPreference('name of user preference') and setPreference('name or user preference', 'value of preference) to handle user preferences. So for example:

addLateLoadEvent(function() { 


         // getPreference returns an empty string if there is no property yet.   Once the property is set, the if statement will be false


       if (getPreference('showUserAlert') == '') {


               var id = g_user.userID; 


               alert("User is : " + id);


               setPreference('showUserAlert', 'true');


       }


});

View solution in original post

tltoulson · ‎04-09-2017

Hi Phillip,

The code looks fine to me without actually plugging it into one of my instances. From the symptoms you are describing, it sounds like a caching issue more than anything else. With ServiceNow, there is a lot of caching going on especially with properties and preferences. The best recommendation that I have is to clear the server cache (navigate to the cache.do page) and clear / override your browser cache when you make property and preference changes. If you are still getting the same results after clearing caches, let me know and I will take a deeper look at it.

Kind regards,

Travis

Nick65 · ‎02-24-2015

If its preferences you are after they can be accessed with OOB functions both on client and server. See this blog,

ServiceNow User Preferences - Server and Client Access-John Andersen

Also, keep in mind the g_user object is available on every page. Like the homepage or workflow page.

Another idea for your requirements, look here.

Session Client Data - ServiceNow Wiki

May be able to utilize session storage instead of a preference.