Using the Form Designer › How to Use JavaScript Expressions in Fields › Objects and Properties that You Can Specify in JavaScript Expressions

Objects and Properties that You Can Specify in JavaScript Expressions

You specify objects and properties in JavaScript expressions. You can use these expressions for the runtime values of the value attribute for the elements that you use as fields on forms. Typically, you specify these expressions in the following format: $(_.object.property).

For example, to capture the runtime value of the logged in user completing the form in a request, specify $(_.user.firstName). You can also concatenate strings, as explained later in this topic.

These variables apply for Form Designer forms only! They are similar but are not the same as the objects and properties defined for CA Workflow forms variables. If you are using both Form Designer forms and CA Workflow forms, use the correct objects and properties for each type of form.

Forms

The form object contains the following property that you can use in JavaScript expressions or as a first parameter in JavaScript functions: ca_fd.formId.

formId refers to the active form. The form is in active when a field in the form triggers an event. The following are a few sample actions that activate forms:

• The user opens the form while working on a request, which activates the JavaScript attribute named onLoad.
• The user clicks a label or image, which activates the JavaScript attribute named onClick.
• The user submits the form, which activates the JavaScript attribute named onSubmit.

User

The user object contains an array of user properties that you can access using _.user.

Each user object has the following properties, listed in related groups:

• id, uuid, status (0 = active, 1 = inactive)
• firstName, lastName, middleName, commonName, alias, title
• groups

  The _.user.groups property specifies the name of a user group in CA EEM. You can use this property to manipulate a field based on whether the user belongs to a specific CA EEM group. For more details, see the Example section.

  The _.user.groups property contains an array with all the CA EEM groups to which the user belongs.

• manager, delegate, description
• phone (an array: phone[0] = primary and phone[1] = secondary)
• mobile, fax, pager, email
• timezone, localeLanguage, localeCountry, defaultRole, defaultDomain, location.uuid, location.name, location.city, location.state, location.country, location.postalCode, location.phone, location.fax, location.description, location.address[0-5]
• roles.<domain>

Examples

You can use the _.user.groups property to hide a field from members of a CA EEM group, for example, the group named developers. To do so, set the value of the HTML attribute named Hidden to the following:

_.user.groups.indexOf("developers") >= 0

In contrast, you can also make a field visible to users who are not members of a CA EEM group. To do so, set the value of the Hidden attribute to the following:

_.user.groups.indexOf("developers") < 0

Business Unit

The business unit object contains an array of business unit properties that you can access using _.bu.

Each business unit object has the following properties, listed in related groups:

• id, name
• type(business unit type where SP=service provider, ST=can have child business units, TE=cannot have child business units)
• singleAccountMode (true or false)
• status (0=inactive, 1=active)
• openedDate, description, timezone, federalTaxId, stateTaxId, taxRegion, currency, dateFormat, parent (parent bu id)
• email, website, primaryContact (contact userid), location.uuid, location.name, location.city, location.state, location.country, location.postalCode, location.phone, location.fax, location.description, location.address[0-5]
• data1, data2, data3, data4, and data5

Request

The request object contains an array of request properties that you can access using _.request.

Each request object has the following properties, listed in related groups:

• id, name, requestedFor, requstedForAccountId, requestedBy, requestedByAccountId
• description, priority, status
• dateCreated, completionDate, dateRequired, and lastModified
• newDateRequired, newName, and newPriority

  These properties reflect the new value of an object as soon as the user updates the object during the request lifecycle. (The user is typically a request manager or the requestor.)

  The user can update the object, for example, while approving, rejecting, or pushing through the pending action for the item associated with the property. The new value takes effect immediately when the user updates the property; saving is not required.

  When creating or editing forms, you can use these properties at your discretion. For example, you can use these properties in a custom JavaScript function for validation that you use in the JavaScript attribute named OnSubmit. For example, if a user enters an invalid date such as a holiday, your custom JavaScript function can display text explaining the valid dates.

Service

The service object contains an array of services that you can access using _.service.

Each service object has the following properties, listed in related groups:

• id, bu, name, description
• status(0=deleted, 1=available, 2=unavailable, 3=created, 4=cancelled, 5=total)
• website, code, version, dateAvailable, dateUnavailable, dateCreated, dateCancelled

Service Option Groups

The service option groups object contains an array of service options that you can be access using _.sog.name.

Each service option group has the following properties, listed in related groups:

• id, bu, name, description
• status(0=deleted, 1=available, 2=unavailable, 3=created, 4=cancelled, 5=total)
• code
• dateAvailable, dateUnavailable, dateCreated, dateCancelled

Service Options

The service option object applies only to the predefined JavaScript function named _.serviceoption.status( ).

The _.serviceoption.status( ) function contains a single property, which is named newStatus.

Note: This function does not take any parameters.

newStatus--

Specifies the new value for the status when a user action updates the status of the service option. This property takes the new value for the status as soon as the user does one of the following:

• Selects a new status value from the drop-down list in the Action column while managing a requests pending action. A request manager typically performs this action. The value of newStatus changes dynamically as soon as the user selects the new status of the service option.
• Opens a page or dialog that changes the status to a fixed value when the user clicks OK. For example, when a user creates a request, the value of newStatus changes dynamically as soon as the user creates the request. In this example, the value of newStatus immediately becomes Submitted.

In both cases, the value of _.serviceoption.newStatus() changes immediately. In contrast, the value of _.serviceoption.status( ) remains unchanged until the page is submitted and refreshed.

Note: JavaScript functions related to status changes do not change their behavior if they depend on the user completing the page or dialog. (Typically, this action is clicking OK). For example, the JavaScript function named onSubmit typically references status changes. The onSubmit function runs only when the user completes the page or dialog, not when the value of newStatus changes.

Examples

You can use the newStatus property to help your implementation process reservations efficiently. For example, suppose a user submits a main request for a computer and additional requests for related options. These options include extra memory, an upgraded keyboard, and so forth. You can create a custom JavaScript function so that if the main request is rejected, the onSubmit function runs for all optional requests. Examples of optional requests include accessories, extra memory, and so forth. For example, the following expression evaluates to True when the original status is 400 and the newStatus is changed to 800:

 if (_.serviceoption.status() == 400 && _.serviceoption.newStatus == 800)...

Operators

The operators most commonly used for form design are described here. For complete details about standard operators, see the JavaScript standards reference that your organization uses, for example, www.developers.sun.com, or www.javascript.com.

You can specify all standard operators in your JavaScript expression except assignment operators.

The assignment operators are as follows: =, +=, -=, *=, /= .

For example, the folowing expression is invalid because it uses the = assignment operator:

$(var x = 1+2)

Required Return Values

Specify JavaScript expressions for the disabled, checked, and hidden attributes that return one of the following values:

• true or “true”
• false or “false”

If the expression returns any other value, CA Service Catalog replaces it with a value of false. Therefore, if you specify $(_.user.firstName) for the disabled attribute of a text field, the field is not disabled unless "true" is the first name of the user.

Concatenation Operators

You can optionally concatenate two strings together, using the + operator,

For example, $(‘Hello ‘ + _.user.firstName + ‘ ‘ + _.user.lastName) returns the following text: Hello first-name last-name. "Hello John Doe" and "Hello Jane Smith" are samples.

Comparison Operators

You can optionally use the following comparison operators:

• == is equal to
• === is exactly equal to (value and type)
• != is not equal
• > is greater than
• < is less than
• >= is greater than or equal to
• <= is less than or equal to

For examples used in the Form Designer, see the topics for the following:

• Hiding or disabling a field based on request status, business unit, role, or other criteria
• Selecting or clearing fields by default based on request status, role, business unit, or other criteria

Logical Operators

You can optionally use the following logical operators:

• and (&&)
• or (||)
• not (!)

For examples used in the Form Designer, see the topics for the following:

• Hiding or disabling a field based on request status, business unit, role, or other criteria
• Selecting or clearing fields by default based on request status, role, business unit, or other criteria