Why is a query string which works fine when I put it in via browser URL not working when being called from a catalog client script?

[bcronrath]

Using the following type of URL as an example:  

https://[SN instance]/sys_user_list.do?sysparm_query=sys_idINjavascript:funcThatReturnsUserIdsCommaDelim(%27[test company sys_id here]%27).toString()

I am using this guide more or less as a template:   Changing the Filter of a List Collector Variable via Client Script - ServiceNow Guru In order to set the user list of a watch list list collector on a form to provide a list of users that matches the set of IDs returned by the funcThatReturnsUserIdsCommaDelim function.

When I use that url with the query parameters above I get the expected set of results back.   However when using the same style of query:

filterString = 'sys_idINjavascript:funcThatReturnsUserIdsCommaDelim (\'' + g_form.getValue('u_company') + '\').toString()';

And later on the query is applied to g_filter:

eval(collectorName + 'g_filter.setQuery("' + filterString + '")');

It doesn't work, it just keeps giving me nothing back on the list collector.   Even though when I look at the js web console in my browser it *seems* that it should be getting called correctly:

setQuery Synchronously:   sys_idINjavascript:funcThatReturnsUserIdsCommaDelim('[Same sys_id as from above]').toString()

It's putting the right company sys_id in and everything yet I'm not getting a result set returned.   The list collector is set as follows:

For the record, I was able to get earlier tests to run just fine with a much more simple filterString of:

filterString = 'company=' + g_form.getValue('u_company')

This would give me back a list of users that had a u_company value (just a field that references the core_company table) properly. This however doesn't work for our needs since we use a many to many user and company lookup table, so hence why I'm using a function to return a list of sys_user sys_id values comma delimited.   I've verified this function works properly when passed in a company sys_id via both fix scripts with debugging outputs, and in that first url I posted which uses query parameters.

I'm currently at a loss as to why I can't get the function to work through this catalog client script.   I've tried using double quotes and url encoded character codes such as the %27 as well but neither works.

Best regards,

Brian

[bcronrath]

I should also note that if I remove the attribute of no_filter from the list collector, the filter looks exactly the same when comparing it and the URL query to sys_user_list.do, which further confuses me as to why they are behaving differently.

[bcronrath]

I should also note I'm open to alternative suggestions for how to filter here, it would appear at least that the same way a url can use filter parameters is not the same way a list collector can.

[bcronrath]

Pinging this again and really hoping someone might know a solution to my issue.   To simplify the issue - I have a content page with a CC list collector that should be collecting from the user table, and I have enabled a filter on it to show that my filter is exactly the same as I would put into the Users table yet I am getting no results on the cc list collector.

Where "sysIdHere" is sanitized in the screenshot but is a proper sys id for what the function expects.   If I put the same exact filter on the Users tables, I get back the results I am expecting, a list of users instead of nothing:

Is Javascript not callable from a content page or something?   I'm having no luck figuring this one out.

[Robert Beeman · Accepted solution]

I have something very similar to this working well on a List Collector. Where is the function that you are trying to call to return your sys_ids declared? Is it in a Script Include that you are trying to access from a client script? If so, you would need to GlideAjax (GlideAjax - ServiceNow Wiki) if you want to access server-side code from a client script. Have you tried displaying the results of your function in an alert or dev console to make sure it is returning what you expect?