Variable Sets vs Variables and Catalog Client Scripts

[kemmy1]

I have a simple onChange Catalog Client Script (the applies to field is "Variable Set").  This is setting the phone number

Variable set: xxxx
Variable Name: requested_for

var caller = g_form.getReference('requested_for', setupUsersPhones);
function setupUsersPhones(caller) {
if (caller){
g_form.setValue('contact_number', caller.phone);
} }

requested_for and contact_number are both variables in the variable set.  THIS CATALOG CLIENT SCRIPT WORKS FINE.

Then I have another simple onChange Catalog Client Script (the applies to field is "Catalog Item").  This is setting the company.  Company is not part of the variable set.

Catalog Item: xxxxxx
Variable name: xxxxxx -> requested_for (xxx is the variable set name)

var caller = g_form.getReference('requested_for', setCompany);

alert(caller);
function setCompany(caller) {
if (caller){
g_form.setDisplayValue('slt_company', caller.company);
}
} 

alert(caller); comes back undefined.  And the company is not changing either. 

Do I need to do something different in my script to "dot walk" it (for lack of a better term) to the variable set?

Lisa

[Jim Coyne]

Did you find a solution to your issue?

[kemmy1]

I actually just decided to go the AJAX way and it started to work.  I collected more data as well.  Again company is not part of the variable set, so I'm not sure why it wasn't working with a simple catalog client script.

function onChange(control, oldValue, newValue, isLoading, isTemplate) {

                if (isLoading || newValue === '') {

                                return;

                }             

                var fields = "u_branch,u_division,company"; //comma seperated list of fields to return

                var ga = new GlideAjax('XXDYNAMICAJAX'); // DHSAJAX is the script include class

                var caller = newValue;

                ga.addParam('sysparm_name','getRecordValues'); // getRecordValues is the script include method we are calling.

                ga.addParam('sysparm_table', 'sys_user'); // setting table to be passed to script include.

                ga.addParam('sysparm_fields', fields); // Set parameter sysparm_fields to user values you want

                ga.addParam('search_value', caller); //Returns the sys_id of the onChange field.

                ga.getXML(ReturnRecords);

                // the callback function for returning the result from the server-side code

                function ReturnRecords(response) {

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

                                answer = JSON.parse(answer); //Transform the JSON string to an object

                                g_form.setValue('ref_branch', answer.u_branch);            

                                g_form.setValue('ref_division', answer.u_division);         

                                g_form.setValue('ref_company', answer.company);

                }

}

[Jim Coyne · Accepted solution]

Using 1 server call is certainly best in terms of performance.

But, if you want to squeeze a bit more out of the script, you should return both the sys_id and the display value for company so when you use g_form.setValue(), you can pass the display value as a third parameter.

g_form.setValue('ref_company', answer.company_sys_id, answer.company_name);

Without the display value, the platform has to go back to the server to find out what the display value is in order to show it.

Are u_branch and u_division reference variables as well?  If so, should do the same with them as well.