question Re: Getting a user object in a UI script in Developer forum

Getting a user object in a UI script

Kyle Ketterer1 — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 00:48:04 GMT

Hello all,

I understand that UI scripts are not *recommended* at this point, however, for what I need to accomplish I believe it's the only way to get it done.

Basically, I need to detect a user's groups in a UI script and hide certain elements on any given page based on the user's groups. These elements are html objects contained within content blocks. Therefore, attaching roles to content blocks will not accomplish what I need to.

It appears that in my UI script the g_user object is not yet defined. Even when calling getActiveUser() it doesn't appear to create the object. g_user.userID returns undefined at that point.

The end goal is for me to be able to call g_user.hasRole() - or at the very least query sys_user_grmember using g_user.userID. I am aware of the possible overhead here, however, I feel like user object/data should be baseline available to us even when using deprecated UI scripts.

Is there any workaround for this issue? I am running Eureka.

Thanks

Re: Getting a user object in a UI script

Kyle Ketterer1 — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 01:00:50 GMT

I would also like to add that *strangely enough* when using the code:

var g_user = ((g_user == null ) ? getActiveUser() : g_user);

alert ( g_user.hasRole('custom_role') );

Returns true/false ONLY when this UI script runs from the admin interface. Even stranger, g_user.userID returns undefined!

When this UI script runs from the ESS, even calling getActiveUser() does not populate the g_user object. hasRole() is undefined when running on the ESS along with all other properties/methods.

Just figured I'd add that in there...

Re: Getting a user object in a UI script

ahaz86 — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 01:33:44 GMT

I think as a workaround you could use a GlideAjax call and return whatever you need.

Have not personally tried it but should be possible

Re: Getting a user object in a UI script

ahaz86 — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 02:01:49 GMT

Ok, tested this in a demo instance...

UI Script

userHasRole('admin');


function userHasRole(role){


   var ga = new GlideAjax('CheckUserRole');


   ga.addParam('sysparm_name','u_hasRole');


   ga.addParam('sysparm_role',role);


   ga.getXMLWait();


   alert(ga.getAnswer());


}

Script Include

Name: CheckUserRole

Client Callable: Checked

var CheckUserRole = Class.create();


CheckUserRole.prototype = Object.extendsObject(AbstractAjaxProcessor, {


   u_hasRole: function() {


   var role = this.getParameter("sysparm_role");


   return gs.hasRole(role);


   }


});

Re: Getting a user object in a UI script

Kalaiarasan Pus — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 06:26:11 GMT

g_user object doesn't seem to work in ui script....

Re: Getting a user object in a UI script

Kyle Ketterer1 — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 16:05:44 GMT

Alexander,

I would like to thank you for your solution - it works perfectly.

One caveat to anybody who needs to use this, if you are 'impersonating' a user - this will not work. This will pull roles directly related to your session only.

The script can probably be modified to account for this somehow - but it works as it is now.

Thanks for the help!

Re: Getting a user object in a UI script

Kyle Ketterer1 — Mon, 23 Mar 2015 18:41:36 GMT

EDIT:

This works fine while impersonating. Please disregard that statement.

Re: Getting a user object in a UI script

xiaix — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 14:51:22 GMT

Well, my alert always returns "null". Yes, I verified I have the role. Any ideas?

Re: Getting a user object in a UI script

sshall — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 00:01:18 GMT

I recently encountered the same issue in trying to implement custom dimensions for Google Analytics. I wanted to add a dimension based on user roles. There is a way to do it without a GlideAjax call, though I must say this is about as far into the weeds as you can get from a platform perspective.

View the page source within ServiceNow, and about 60 lines down you'll find:

window.NOW.user = {};


window.NOW.user.preferences = [];


window.NOW.user.roles = 'admin';


window.NOW.user.id = '6816f79cc0a8016401c5a33be04be441';


window.NOW.user.departmentID = 'a581ab703710200044e0bfc8bcbe5de8';


window.NOW.user.firstName = 'System';


window.NOW.user.lastName = 'Administrator';


window.NOW.user.name = 'admin';

Within your UI Script, you can reference these variables, in particular the window.NOW.user.roles variable, to get the list of roles for the current user.

Re: Getting a user object in a UI script

jpavanaryan — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 20:07:48 GMT

Hey Scott,

It looks like cheat code. But it helped me. Thank you for sharing this.

Thanks

Re: Getting a user object in a UI script

Rushikesh Mandh — Sat, 30 Jan 2021 07:41:13 GMT

Hey Scott,

window.NOW.user.roles doesn't work in portal, any guidance?

Re: Getting a user object in a UI script

xiaix — Sat, 30 Jan 2021 20:11:47 GMT

try this

from snprotips:

Re: Getting a user object in a UI script

syed_faheem — Sun, 14 Mar 2021 22:55:31 GMT

You can use top.window.NOW object which has many different useful attribute as below:

top.window.NOW.instance_name

top.window.NOW.page_id

top.window.NOW.portal_id

top.window.NOW.portal_url_suffix

top.window.NOW.user_display_name

top.window.NOW.user_id

top.window.NOW.user_id_hashed

top.window.NOW.user_impersonating

top.window.NOW.user_initials

top.window.NOW.user_name

Cheers

Syed.