question Re: How to remove dependent choice list options with g_form.removeOptions in Developer forum

How to remove dependent choice list options with g_form.removeOptions

dwilborn — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 20:57:38 GMT

Hi all,

I've written an onLoad client script which does quite a lot of things. One of those things is using g_form.removeOptions on a choice list when g_form.isNewRecord() evaluates to true.

It's working fine to remove options from 'hardware_status' but it will not remove options from 'hardware_substatus'.

I've disabled all UI actions and reviewed the onLoad script to see if there would be anything interfering but have come up empty. I'm wondering if this is happening.. or rather, not happening, because the 'hardware_substatus' choices are dependent values of the 'hardware_status' choice list. It's a simple script... I'm not nearly skilled enough to be causing trouble with code gone wrong.

function onLoad() {
	
	//Performs the following actions if the record is "new"
	
	if(g_form.isNewRecord()){
		
		//Hide form sections with read-only information which is populated by integration
		
                g_form.setSectionDisplay('network_information', false);
		g_form.setSectionDisplay('operating_systeminformation', false);
		g_form.setSectionDisplay('hardware_information', false);
		
		//Hide fields which are read only

		g_form.setDisplay('u_ad_description', false);
		g_form.setDisplay('manufacturer', false);
		g_form.setDisplay('name', false);
		g_form.setDisplay('serial_number', false);
		g_form.setDisplay('chassis_type', false);
		g_form.setDisplay('sys_updated_on', false);
		g_form.setDisplay('sys_updated_by', false);
		g_form.setDisplay('support_group', false);
		g_form.setDisplay('asset', false);
		g_form.setDisplay('model_number', false);
		
		//Set default value of 'hardware_status' to "In Stock"

		g_form.setValue('hardware_status', 'in_stock');
		
		//Remove options from 'hardware_status' so only "In Stock" is available.  Since CMDB will be used to create new assets they will always be "in stock" and exist prior to being set to any other state

		g_form.removeOption('hardware_status', 'start_retirement');
		g_form.removeOption('hardware_status', 'retired');
		g_form.removeOption('hardware_status', 'in_use');
		g_form.removeOption('hardware_substatus', 'pending_repair');
		
	}

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Daniel

Re: How to remove dependent choice list options with g_form.removeOptions

Community Alums — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 22:02:33 GMT

I am using ternary operation for such kind of thing. ( expression ? <if true answer> : <if false answer> ; Note the question mark and colons - ? means to evaluate previous expression and return true or false - true is after the ? and false is after the 🙂

So for ex in your case it would be something like:

_form.isNewRecord() == "true" ? g_form.removeOption('hardware_status', 'start_retirement') : g_form.addOption('hardware_status', 'start_retirement');

Hope that helps in a way 🙂

Cheers,

Joro

Re: How to remove dependent choice list options with g_form.removeOptions

dwilborn — Sun, 12 Apr 2020 22:24:08 GMT

Hi Joro!

Thanks for the thought. While it does give me some insight into writing more succinct code it does not address the issue at hand.

'pending_repair' being removed if g_form.isNewRecord == true

Everything else in that script works as expected, as well as additional items beyond what I copied in, it's just that one line giving me hassle. I'm fairly convinced it's because that particular choice list is dependent on the values of the 'hardware_status' choice list. This is confirmed by the fact that it doesn't matter which value I try to remove or which value is selected for 'hardware_state', all options remain visible in 'hardware_substatus'.

Thanks,

Daniel

Re: How to remove dependent choice list options with g_form.removeOptions

Mike Patel — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 02:20:22 GMT

Make sure field is hadware_substatus. OOTB field is substatus on asset table

try changing field name like below

g_form.removeOption('substatus', 'pending_repair');

Re: How to remove dependent choice list options with g_form.removeOptions

dwilborn — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 14:51:30 GMT

Thanks Mike,

Field label is "Substatus", field name is 'hardware_substatus'. I have tried both.

Daniel

Re: How to remove dependent choice list options with g_form.removeOptions

Mike Patel — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 01:01:34 GMT

Looks like you are looking at CMDB or computer table so try checking alm_hardware_state_mapping.list

Refer to docs on how it's setup - https://docs.servicenow.com/bundle/istanbul-it-service-management/page/product/asset-management/task/t_CreateAssetandCIHardwareStatusMapping.html

Re: How to remove dependent choice list options with g_form.removeOptions

dwilborn — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 01:59:10 GMT

Thanks Mike! Very helpful as always 🙂

I am executing that client script on the cmdb_ci_pc_hardware table

The hardware status and substatus fields are synched back to the appropriate asset fields and are working as expected. Could you help me understand how those mappings may be affecting the removal of an option from a choice list?

I just tested the behavior in my PDI and the option is removed as expected with a simple

g_form.removeOption('hardware_substatus', 'in_use');

different option but same concept. Guess I just have to keep experimenting until I figure out what I have done that is conflicting with this removal.

Daniel

Re: How to remove dependent choice list options with g_form.removeOptions

Mike Patel — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 02:08:09 GMT

Asset-CI Hardware Status Mapping is used to map status or substate from asset to cmdb or hardware table. OOTB there is only one which is in_use and you might not be able to delete it since it's used by system.

I thought you were trying to remove pending_repair not in_use.

Re: How to remove dependent choice list options with g_form.removeOptions

dwilborn — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 07:35:07 GMT

Mike,

In my production environment I am trying to remove 'pending_repair'.

When I tested in my PDI I was able to remove 'in_use', in spite of it being the only option. g_form.removeOption() doesn't delete the choice it simply "hides" it from the list, at least that's my understanding.

At this point I'm fairly certain I have something else interfering with my desired behavior. It doesn't appear to have anything to do with this being a dependent field based on my test in the PDI. I'm going to disable all my UI policies and comment out every statement on the client script until I find the culprit.

Appreciate all your thoughts on this.

Daniel

Re: How to remove dependent choice list options with g_form.removeOptions

dwilborn — Tue, 14 Apr 2020 09:50:01 GMT

It would seem the platform didn't like

g_form.setValue('hardware_status', 'in_stock');

in conjunction with

g_form.removeOption('hardware_status', 'start_retirement');
g_form.removeOption('hardware_status', 'retired');
g_form.removeOption('hardware_status', 'in_use');
g_form.removeOption('hardware_substatus', 'pending_repair');

I removed the setValue statement and 'pending_repair disappeared as expected. 'in_stock' remains as the default because it's the only option left for 'hardware_status' so I didn't need the setValue statement anyhow. But now I'm wondering if the 'pending_repair' function would have worked if 'in_stock' hadn't been the only value left.

Anyway, on to the next problem 🙂

Thanks again for all your thoughts on this (and all my other questions) Mike!

Daniel