— title: JSUtil - Global description: The JSUtil script include provides shortcuts for common JavaScript routines.Checks if item is null or is undefined.Escape ampersands commonly used to define URL attributes.Escapes invalid XML characters such as “< > &”.Returns the value in a boolean GlideRecord field.Checks if item is not null and is not undefined.Checks to see if the specified object is a member of the specified class.Checks if the specified object is a Java class.Logs all the properties in the given object: name, type, and value.Checks if item is null, undefined, or evaluates to the empty string.Checks if an item is null, undefined, or evaluates to the empty string.Converts the specified object to a Boolean.Determines the type of the specified object.Restore ampersands from escaped text.Removes escape characters. locale: en-US canonical_url: www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/api-reference/server-api-reference/c_JSUtilAPI.html release: australia product: Server API Reference classification: server-api-reference topic_type: concept last_updated: “2026-03-12” reading_time_minutes: 7

breadcrumb: [Server API reference, API reference, API implementation and reference]

JSUtil- Global

The JSUtil script include provides shortcuts for common JavaScript routines.

This API is available in global server-side scripts, not scoped scripts.

Parent Topic:Server API reference

JSUtil - doesNotHave(Object item)

Checks if item is null or is undefined.

Name Type Description item Object The object to check Type Description Boolean True if the specified object is null or undefined.

var x = "the quick brown fox";
var y = "";
var z;
 
gs.print("x = '" + x + "', JSUtil.doesNotHave(x) = " + JSUtil.doesNotHave(x));
gs.print("y = '" + y + "', JSUtil.doesNotHave(y) = " + JSUtil.doesNotHave(y));
gs.print("z = '" + z + "', JSUtil.doesNotHave(z) = " + JSUtil.doesNotHave(z))

Output:

x = 'the quick brown fox', JSUtil.doesNotHave(x) = false
y = '', JSUtil.doesNotHave(y) = false
z = 'undefined', JSUtil.doesNotHave(z) = true

JSUtil - escapeAttr(String text)

Escape ampersands commonly used to define URL attributes.

Name Type Description text String The text Type Description String The text with ampersands properly escaped.

var attr = "sysparm_query=active=true&sysparm_view=special";
 
gs.print(JSUtil.escapeAttr(attr));

Output: This is the returned text. If the text is displayed in the application, the page will render the escaped ampersand with a single ampersand.

sysparm_query=active=true&sysparm_view=special

JSUtil - escapeText(String text)

Escapes invalid XML characters such as “< > &”.

Name Type Description text String The text Type Description String The text with escape characters added.

var html = "<b>This is my title</b>";
 
gs.print(JSUtil.escapeText(html));

Output: This is the value returned. If the result is displayed in the application, the page renders the brackets back so it appears that it is not escaped.

<b>This is my title</b>

JSUtil - getBooleanValue(GlideRecord now_GR, String field)

Returns the value in a boolean GlideRecord field.

Name Type Description now_GR GlideRecord A GlideRecord field String The field from which to retrieve the boolean value. Type Description Boolean Returns the value in a boolean GlideRecord field, returns true if value of field is true, “true”, 1, or “1”.

var inc = new GlideRecord("incident");
//get an active incident
inc.addActiveQuery();
inc.setLimit(1);
inc.query();
inc.next();
 
gs.print(JSUtil.getBooleanValue(inc, "active"));

Output: true

JSUtil - has(Object item)

Checks if item is not null and is not undefined.

Name Type Description item Object The Object to check Type Description Boolean True if the specified object is not null and is not undefined.

var x = "the quick brown fox";
var y = "";
var z;
 
gs.print("x = '" + x + "', JSUtil.has(x) = " + JSUtil.has(x));
gs.print("y = '" + y + "', JSUtil.has(y) = " + JSUtil.has(y));
gs.print("z = '" + z + "', JSUtil.has(z) = " + JSUtil.has(z));

Output:

x = 'the quick brown fox', JSUtil.has(x) = true
y = '', JSUtil.has(y) = true
z = 'undefined', JSUtil.has(z) = false

JSUtil - instance_of(Object item, String class)

Checks to see if the specified object is a member of the specified class.

For JavaScript objects, this method behaves exactly like the JavaScript operator “instanceof”, but also supports Java objects.

Name Type Description item Object The object to check class String The class to check Type Description Boolean True if the specified object is a member of the specified class.

var a = ['a','b','c'];
var b = 10;
var c = new GlideRecord("incident");
 
gs.print("JSUtil.instance_of(a,'Array') = " + JSUtil.instance_of(a,Array));
gs.print("JSUtil.instance_of(a,'String') = " + JSUtil.instance_of(a,String));
 
gs.print("JSUtil.instance_of(b,'String') = " + JSUtil.instance_of(b,String));
 
gs.print("JSUtil.instance_of(c,'GlideRecord') = " + JSUtil.instance_of(c,GlideRecord));

Output:

JSUtil.instance_of(a,'Array') = true
JSUtil.instance_of(a,'String') = false
JSUtil.instance_of(b,'String') = false
JSUtil.instance_of(c,'GlideRecord') = true

JSUtil - isJavaObject(Object value)

Checks if the specified object is a Java class.

Name Type Description value Object The object to check Type Description Boolean True if the specified object is an instance of a Java class.

var tu = new TableUtils("incident");
var classes = tu.getHierarchy(); //Java ArrayList
var tables = ["task, incident"]; //JavaScript Array
 
gs.print("JSUtil.isJavaObject(classes) = " + JSUtil.isJavaObject(classes));
gs.print("JSUtil.isJavaObject(tables) = " + JSUtil.isJavaObject(tables));

Output:

JSUtil.isJavaObject(classes) = true
JSUtil.isJavaObject(tables) = false

JSUtil - logObject(Object obj, String name)

Logs all the properties in the given object: name, type, and value.

Output is written to the console if you are running from a background script or have debug logging enables. The output is also written to the system log.

Name Type Description obj Object The object for which to enumerate properties name String Optional name for the logged object Type Description void  

var arr = ["a","b","c"];
 
var inc = new GlideRecord("incident");
//get an active incident
inc.addActiveQuery();
inc.setLimit(1);
inc.query();
inc.next();
 
JSUtil.logObject(arr, "arr");
JSUtil.logObject(inc, "inc");

Output:

Log Object: arr
  Array of 3 elements
    [0]: string = a
    [1]: string = b
    [2]: string = c
Log Object: inc
  GlideRecord('incident') @ INC0000002

JSUtil - nil(Object item)

Checks if item is null, undefined, or evaluates to the empty string.

Name Type Description item Object The object to check Type Description Boolean True if the item is null, undefined, or evaluates to the empty string.

var x = "the quick brown fox";
var y = "";
var z;
 
gs.print("x = '" + x + "', JSUtil.nil(x) = " + JSUtil.nil(x));
gs.print("y = '" + y + "', JSUtil.nil(y) = " + JSUtil.nil(y));
gs.print("z = '" + z + "', JSUtil.nil(z) = " + JSUtil.nil(z));

Output:

x = 'the quick brown fox', JSUtil.nil(x) = false
y = '', JSUtil.nil(y) = true
z = 'undefined', JSUtil.nil(z) = true

JSUtil - notNil(Object item)

Checks if an item is null, undefined, or evaluates to the empty string.

Note: This method returns an error if the object provided isn’t declared.

Name Type Description item Object The object to check.

<table id=“table_urk_f35_4t” class=“returns”><thead><tr><th>

Type

</th><th>

Description

</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>

Boolean

</td><td>

Flag that indicates whether the item exists and isn’t empty. An error returns if the object provided isn’t declared.Valid values:

• true: The object provided has been declared and defined. If the object is a string, it isn’t empty.

• false: The object provided is null, undefined, or evaluates to an empty string.

</td></tr></tbody> </table>The following example shows results for a string variable, an empty string variable, and an undefined variable.

var x = "the quick brown fox";
var y = "";
var z;

gs.print("x = '" + x + "', JSUtil.notNil(x) = " + JSUtil.notNil(x));
gs.print("y = '" + y + "', JSUtil.notNil(y) = " + JSUtil.notNil(y));
gs.print("z = '" + z + "', JSUtil.notNil(z) = " + JSUtil.notNil(z));

Output:

x = 'the quick brown fox', JSUtil.notNil(x) = true
y = '', JSUtil.notNil(y) = false
z = 'undefined', JSUtil.notNil(z) = false

JSUtil - toBoolean(Object item)

Converts the specified object to a Boolean.

Name Type Description item Object The object to convert Type Description Boolean If the specified object is a boolean, it is passed through. Non-zero numbers return true. Null or undefined return false. Strings return true only if exactly equal to ‘true’.

var zero = 0;
var one = 1;
var number = 12;
var trueBoolean = true;
var trueString = "true";
var otherString = "random text";
 
gs.print("JSUtil.toBoolean(zero) = " + JSUtil.toBoolean(zero));
gs.print("JSUtil.toBoolean(one) = " + JSUtil.toBoolean(one));
gs.print("JSUtil.toBoolean(number) = " + JSUtil.toBoolean(number));
gs.print("JSUtil.toBoolean(trueBoolean) = " + JSUtil.toBoolean(trueBoolean));
gs.print("JSUtil.toBoolean(trueString) = " + JSUtil.toBoolean(trueString));
gs.print("JSUtil.toBoolean(otherString) = " + JSUtil.toBoolean(otherString));

Output:

JSUtil.toBoolean(zero) = false
JSUtil.toBoolean(one) = true
JSUtil.toBoolean(number) = true
JSUtil.toBoolean(trueBoolean) = true
JSUtil.toBoolean(trueString) = true
JSUtil.toBoolean(otherString) = false

JSUtil - type_of(Object value)

Determines the type of the specified object.

Name Type Description value Object The object to check

<table id=“table_jc5_lj5_4t” class=“returns”><thead><tr><th>

Type

</th><th>

Description

</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>

String

</td><td>

The type of the specified object. - ‘null’ if the given value is null or undefined - ‘string’ if the given value is a primitive string or a String wrapper instance - ‘number’ if the given value is a primitive number or a Number wrapper instance - ‘boolean’ if the given value is a primitive boolean or a Boolean wrapper instance - ‘function’ if the given value is a function - ‘object’ otherwise

</td></tr></tbody> </table>“‘ var a = [“a”,“b”,“c”]; var b = 10; var c = new GlideRecord(“incident”); var d = true; var e;

gs.print(“JSUtil.type_of(a) = ” + JSUtil.type_of(a)); gs.print(“JSUtil.type_of(b) = ” + JSUtil.type_of(b)); gs.print(“JSUtil.type_of© = ” + JSUtil.type_of©); gs.print(“JSUtil.type_of= ” + JSUtil.type_of(d)); gs.print(“JSUtil.type_of(e) = ” + JSUtil.type_of(e));

Output:

JSUtil.type_of(a) = object JSUtil.type_of(b) = number JSUtil.type_of© = object JSUtil.type_of= boolean JSUtil.type_of(e) = null

## JSUtil - unescapeAttr\(String text\)

Restore ampersands from escaped text.

|Name|Type|Description|
|----|----|-----------|
|text|String|The text|

|Type|Description|
|----|-----------|
|String|The text with escape characters removed.|

var attr = “sysparm_query=active=true&sysparm_view=special”;

gs.print(JSUtil.unescapeAttr(attr));

Output:

sysparm_query=active=true&sysparm_view=special

## JSUtil - unescapeText\(String text\)

Removes escape characters.

|Name|Type|Description|
|----|----|-----------|
|text|String|The text to process.|

|Type|Description|
|----|-----------|
|String|The the text without escape characters.|

var html = “<b>This is my title</b>”;

gs.print(JSUtil.unescapeText(html));

Output: This is the value returned. If the text is displayed in the application the page, it renders the html tags and displays the text in bold.

This is my title

“‘