Can using current.update() within a workflow’s script activity cause harm?

The Scenario

You’re using a script activity in the Change Workflow to look up the value of a particular field on a Change Task that was just closed. You want to update the Change with that same data, and as a result you’re using a code snippet that looks like this:

     var chgTsk = new GlideRecord("change_task");
     chgTsk.addQuery("change_request", current.sys_id);
     chgTsk.addQuery("u_change_task_type", "Implementation");
     chgTsk.query();
     if(chgTsk.next()) {
          current.u_implementation_result = chgTsk.u_result.toString();
          current.update();
     }

The Problem

While this particular code might not cause a problem, using current.update() within a workflow has the potential to cause duplicate updates, or in the worst case scenario: infinite loops.

The Solution

Listen to ServiceNow’s recommendation and never use current.update() inside a business rule. Simply set the value of the field as you normally would, and leave current.update() out of it.
The Workflow Execution engine will update the current record for you.
Example:

     // ... Same code as above ... //
     if(chgTsk.next()) {
          current.u_implementation_result = chgTsk.u_result.toString();
          // I'm intentionally not using any update code here...
          // as the workflow engine will take care of that for me.
     }

Categories: Developers, Scripting Tips

Tags: Best Practices, Bite, JavaScript, Scripting, Service-Now, Workflows