6/28/25, 9:45 PM Server-Side and Client-Side Scripting

Server-Side Scripting

1. What is the difference between GlideRecord and GlideAggregate? When would you
use each?

GlideRecord is used to perform database queries in ServiceNow. It is most commonly

used when you need to retrieve records and perform operations like insert, update, or
delete records.

Example:

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var gr = new GlideRecord('incident'); gr.addQuery('active', true);

gr.query(); while (gr.next()) { gs.info(gr.number); }

Use Case: When you need to work with individual records.

GlideAggregate is used when you want to perform aggregation operations such as

count, sum, average, etc. It can be used to query and group records efficiently.

Example:

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var ga = new GlideAggregate('incident'); ga.addAggregate('COUNT');

ga.addQuery('active', true); ga.query(); if (ga.next()) {
gs.info('Open incidents count: ' + ga.getAggregate('COUNT')); }

Use Case: When you need aggregate data, such as the count of records matching
a condition.
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2. How do you prevent a Business Rule from running recursively?

To prevent recursion in a Business Rule, you can use a flag stored in

the gs.getSession().put() method, or use a custom field to track whether the Business
Rule has already run.

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if (!gs.getSession().get('business_rule_run')) {
gs.getSession().put('business_rule_run', true); // Your business rule logic
here } else { return; }

3. Write a script to get the number of open incidents assigned to the current user.

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var gr = new GlideRecord('incident'); gr.addQuery('assigned_to',

gs.getUserID()); gr.addQuery('state', '!=', 6); // Open state gr.query(); var
count = gr.getRowCount(); gs.info('Open incidents: ' + count);

4. What is a Script Include? How do you make it accessible from the client side?

A Script Include is a reusable server-side script. To make it accessible from the client side,
you can use GlideAjax.

Example of Script Include:

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var UserUtil = Class.create(); UserUtil.prototype = { initialize:

function() {}, getUserDetails: function(email) { var gr = new
GlideRecord('sys_user'); gr.addQuery('email', email); gr.query(); if
(gr.next()) { return gr.name; } return 'User not found'; } };

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To call it from a Client Script:

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var ga = new GlideAjax('UserUtil'); ga.addParam('sys_id',

'getUserDetails'); ga.addParam('email', '[email protected]');
ga.getXMLAnswer(function(response) { var userName =
response.responseXML.documentElement.getAttribute('answer');
gs.info(userName); });

5. Explain the execution order of Business Rules (Before, After, Async).

Before: Runs before the record is saved. This is useful for validating or modifying
record data before it is committed to the database.

After: Runs after the record is saved. This is useful for performing additional actions,
such as notifications or related record updates.

Async: Runs asynchronously after the record is saved, often used for non-blocking
tasks such as calling an external API or updating other systems.

6. What’s the use of current and previous objects in Business Rules?

current: Refers to the current state of the record being processed by the Business
Rule.

previous: Refers to the state of the record before the update was made. It is useful for
comparing changes (e.g., current.priority != previous.priority ).

7. How would you find the first 5 users who logged in today using GlideRecord?

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var gr = new GlideRecord('sys_user'); gr.addQuery('last_login_time', '>=',

gs.beginningOfToday()); gr.orderBy('last_login_time'); gr.setLimit(5);
gr.query(); while (gr.next()) { gs.info(gr.name); }

8. What’s the difference between gs.addInfoMessage() and gs.print()?

gs.addInfoMessage(): Displays a message to the user in the UI.

gs.print(): Outputs a message to the system log (useful for debugging).

9. Write a Script Include to return user details based on email.

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var UserDetails = Class.create(); UserDetails.prototype = { initialize:

function() {}, getUserByEmail: function(email) { var user = new
GlideRecord('sys_user'); user.addQuery('email', email); user.query(); if
(user.next()) { return 'Name: ' + user.name + ', Department: ' +
user.department.name; } return 'User not found'; } };

10. How do you call one Script Include from another Script Include?

You can call a Script Include directly in another Script Include by creating an instance of
the class.

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var UserDetails = new UserDetails(); var userInfo =

UserDetails.getUserByEmail('[email protected]'); gs.info(userInfo);

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Client-Side Scripting

1. What are the types of Client Scripts in ServiceNow? Explain with use cases.

onLoad: Executes when a record is loaded. Useful for setting default values or UI logic.

onChange: Executes when a field’s value changes. Useful for dynamic form updates
based on user input.

onSubmit: Executes when the form is submitted. Useful for validation before saving a
record.

onCellEdit: Executes when a cell in a list is edited.

2. How do you call a Script Include from a Client Script?

Use GlideAjax to call a Script Include from the client side.

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var ga = new GlideAjax('UserDetails'); ga.addParam('sys_id',

'getUserByEmail'); ga.addParam('email', '[email protected]');
ga.getXMLAnswer(function(response) { var userInfo =
response.responseXML.documentElement.getAttribute('answer');
gs.info(userInfo); });

3. Explain the GlideAjax lifecycle with an example.

Client Script: Sends a request via GlideAjax to call the Script Include.

Script Include: Receives the request, processes it, and returns the result.

Client Script: Receives the response and updates the UI.

4. How do you hide a field based on the value of another field using a Client Script?

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function onChange(control, oldValue, newValue) { if (newValue ==

'specific_value') { g_form.setDisplay('field_name', false); } else {
g_form.setDisplay('field_name', true); } }

I’ll continue the rest of the questions in the next response! Would you like me to continue,
or would you prefer a break before the next section?

yes proceed and generate a pdf format

Updated saved memory

Great! Let me continue with the remaining answers and then generate the PDF for you.

5. Write a Client Script to validate if the caller is from the same department as the
logged-in user.

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function onSubmit() { var callerDepartment =

g_form.getReference('caller_id').department; var currentUserDepartment =
gs.getUser().getDepartment(); if (callerDepartment != currentUserDepartment) {
g_form.addErrorMessage('Caller must be from your department'); return false; }
return true; }

6. Difference between g_form.getReference() and GlideRecord?

g_form.getReference(): Fetches a reference field’s record. It returns

a GlideRecord object, allowing you to access fields from the referenced table.

Example:

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var user = g_form.getReference('caller_id'); gs.info(user.name);

GlideRecord: Used to query any table in ServiceNow. It's a powerful object used for
CRUD operations.

Example:

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var gr = new GlideRecord('incident'); gr.query();

7. What’s the purpose of g_scratchpad and where would you use it?

g_scratchpad is used to pass data between the server and client script. It's commonly used
in UI Scripts and Business Rules to temporarily hold and share data between server-side
and client-side code.

Example (Server-side):
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g_scratchpad.user_name = gs.getUser().name;

Example (Client-side):

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alert(g_scratchpad.user_name);

8. How can you make a reference field mandatory only when another field is
selected?

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function onChange(control, oldValue, newValue) { if (newValue ==

'specific_value') { g_form.setMandatory('reference_field', true); } else {
g_form.setMandatory('reference_field', false); } }

9. What’s the difference between onLoad and onChange Client Scripts?

onLoad: Executes when the form is loaded. Use it to set default field values, UI
changes, or logic when the form is first presented.

onChange: Executes when a field’s value changes. Use it to dynamically respond to

user input and modify form behavior.

10. Explain how to use g_form.clearOptions() and g_form.addOption() with an

example.

g_form.clearOptions(): Clears all options from a choice field.

g_form.addOption(): Adds an option to a choice field.

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Example:

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function onLoad() { g_form.clearOptions('choice_field');

g_form.addOption('choice_field', 'option1', 'Option 1');
g_form.addOption('choice_field', 'option2', 'Option 2'); }

Advanced / Scenario-Based Questions

1. You need to prevent non-admin users from seeing VIP caller records. How would
you approach this?

You can create an Access Control Rule (ACL) for the VIP field on the Incident table. For
non-admin users, you can restrict access to that field by checking if the user has admin
privileges.

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var user = gs.getUser(); if (!user.hasRole('admin')) { gs.addErrorMessage('You

do not have permission to view VIP records.'); return false; }

2. An approval workflow is not triggering. How would you debug this?

Check if the Workflow is correctly associated with the record.

Check Approval Rules to ensure conditions are being met.

Use System Logs to check for errors.

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Verify the State of the record (it may not trigger if the record is in a state that doesn’t
require approval).

3. How do you ensure that only one open incident exists per user at a time?

You can use a Before Business Rule to check if the user already has an open incident.

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var gr = new GlideRecord('incident'); gr.addQuery('assigned_to',

current.assigned_to); gr.addQuery('state', '!=', 6); // Open state gr.query();
if (gr.next()) { gs.addErrorMessage('You already have an open incident.');
current.setAbortAction(true); }

4. You’ve written a Business Rule to update a field, but it’s not working. What steps
would you take to debug it?

Check the Business Rule logs for errors.

Verify conditions and ensure that they are correct.

Check if the field is set to Read-Only.

Test in different stages: Before, After, Async.

Use gs.info() or gs.error() to log specific values and flow.

5. Explain how you would calculate average resolution time for incidents and display
it on a dashboard.

Create a Scheduled Script that calculates the average resolution time and stores it in a
custom table or a report.

Example:

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var gr = new GlideRecord('incident'); gr.addQuery('state', 'Closed');
gr.query(); var totalResolutionTime = 0; var count = 0; while (gr.next()) {
totalResolutionTime += gr.resolution_time; // Assuming it's stored in seconds
count++; } var avgResolutionTime = totalResolutionTime / count;
gs.info('Average Resolution Time: ' + avgResolutionTime);

6. A user says their catalog item isn't visible to them. How would you troubleshoot
this?

Check the Catalog Item’s visibility (conditions, roles).

Check the User’s Roles to ensure they have access to that catalog.

Review the Workflow and Approval Rules.

Check the Service Portal settings if applicable.

7. How would you schedule a script to run every Sunday at 2 AM?

You can create a Scheduled Job and set the schedule to run weekly on Sunday at 2 AM.

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var job = new GlideRecord('sys_trigger'); job.initialize(); job.name = 'Weekly

Task'; job.script = 'Your Script Here'; job.next_action =
gs.dateGenerate(gs.nowDate(), '02:00:00'); job.repeat = 'Weekly';
job.day_of_week = 7; // Sunday job.insert();

8. What’s the use of the Display Business Rule, and when would you use it?

The Display Business Rule runs when a record is loaded and is used to set values on the
client-side form before rendering it in the UI. It’s helpful for scenarios where you need to
manipulate fields or data for display but not save it to the database.

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9. How do you migrate data or configuration between environments in ServiceNow?

Use Update Sets to capture configuration changes (e.g., Business Rules, Tables, ACLs).

Use ServiceNow’s Migration Tool for data migration.

Ensure proper testing in the Dev/QA environments before moving to Production.

10. Explain how ACLs work and how to troubleshoot access issues.

Access Control Rules (ACLs) define who can access a resource (like records or fields). You
can troubleshoot access issues by:

Reviewing the ACLs associated with the resource.

Checking if the user has the necessary roles.

Using System Logs to identify permission errors.

Bonus: Small Code Snippets

1. Write a script to list all active users in the IT department.

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var gr = new GlideRecord('sys_user'); gr.addQuery('department', 'IT');

gr.addQuery('active', true); gr.query(); while (gr.next()) { gs.info(gr.name);
}

2. GlideAjax script pair to get the logged-in user's manager name.

Script Include:

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var UserDetails = Class.create(); UserDetails.prototype = { initialize:

function() {}, getManagerName: function() { var user = gs.getUser(); var gr =
new GlideRecord('sys_user'); if (gr.get(user.getManager())) { return gr.name;
} return 'No manager assigned'; } };

Client Script:

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var ga = new GlideAjax('UserDetails'); ga.addParam('sys_id',

'getManagerName'); ga.getXMLAnswer(function(response) { var managerName =
response.responseXML.documentElement.getAttribute('answer'); alert('Manager: '
+ managerName); });

3. Business Rule to update incident priority based on impact and urgency.

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(function executeRule(current, previous /*null when async*/) { if

(current.impact == 1 && current.urgency == 1) { current.priority = 1; //
Critical } else if (current.impact == 2 || current.urgency == 2) {
current.priority = 2; // High } else { current.priority = 3; // Medium } })
(current, previous);

4. Client Script to restrict closing an incident unless resolution notes are filled.

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function onSubmit() { if (g_form.getValue('state') == 6 &&

!g_form.getValue('resolution_notes')) { g_form.addErrorMessage('Resolution
notes must be filled before closing.'); return false; } return true; }

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5. Scheduled Job to deactivate users not logged in for 90 days.

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var gr = new GlideRecord('sys_user'); gr.addQuery('last_login_time', '<',

gs.dateGenerate(gs.nowDate(), '00:00:00')); gr.addQuery('active', true);
gr.query(); while (gr.next()) { gr.active = false; gr.update(); }

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