What's the difference between GlideRecord.initialize() and GlideRecord.newRecord()?

[peterraeves]

Basically what the title says. What's the difference between those two functions?

[Chuck Tomasi · Accepted solution]

Hi Peter,

Per the wiki...

• initialize(): Creates an empty record suitable for population before an insert.
• newRecord(); Creates a GlideRecord, set the default values for the fields and assign a unique id to the record.

Try these two in scripts background and you'll see that initialize gives no value to opened_at, whereas newRecord does.

var inc = new GlideRecord('incident');
inc.initialize();
gs.print(inc.opened_at.getDisplayValue());

var inc = new GlideRecord('incident');
inc.newRecord();
gs.print(inc.opened_at.getDisplayValue());

I have always trusted newRecord more since learning about this a few years ago.

GlideRecord - ServiceNow Wiki

[peterraeves]

Hmm, never noticed that. I outputted all variables and it seems that you are correct that inc.initialize() just empties all fields (and puts all default values in it during insert), while inc.newRecord() actually puts the default values in them when called. So it would indeed make more sense to use newRecord instead of initialize. To be fair, it doesn't even make sense to even use initialize after a "new GlideRecord" as all fields are empty at that point anyway.

Thanks for your fast reply!

[Chuck Tomasi]

You are welcome Peter. I had the same thought when I discovered this. "why would anyone use initialize?", yet everyone does under the assumption that it does what newRecord() does.

[Chuck Tomasi]

This is definitely going in a future video at some point. I'll be sure to cite your question Peter!