Using fd_data dotwalking inside JSON object returns empty - Known Error

Using fd_data dotwalking inside JSON object returns empty Description Using fd_data dotwalking inside JSON object returns empty

Steps to Reproduce

In a Washington / Xanadu instance 1. Create a flow with an inline script that uses fd_data inside an object a. Ex: var payload = { "Requester": fd_data._1__get_catalog_variables.requestor.name }; 2. Set property com.glide.hub.flow.inline_script.dotwalk.enabled to true 3. Set the flow to run in engine v1 4. Test the flow

Behavior: The script returns the expected value (ex: {"Requester":" Izabella Grieve"}

1. Set the property to false a. OR change the engine to v2 2. Test the flow

Behavior: The script returns empty value (ex: {"Requester":"{}"}

Workaround The workaround is actually the way the code must be written. In ServiceNow scripting, the fields on a GlideRecord are not simple JavaScript primitives (like a pure string or number); they are actually GlideElement objects. When you reference a field directly using dot-walking (e.g., gr.field_name), you are getting a reference to this GlideElement object, not the raw string value itself.

Add .toString

"Requester": fd_data._1__get_catalog_variables.requestor.name.toString();

Add + "" to the end of the line using fd_data Ex: "Requester": fd_data._1__get_catalog_variables.requestor.name + "";

Another example:

var firstName = fd_data.subflow_inputs.user.first_name.toString(); var lastName = fd_data.subflow_inputs.user.last_name.toString(); var companyOfUser = fd_data.subflow_inputs.user.company.name.toString(); var payload = { "FirstName": firstName, "LastName": lastName, "Email": fd_data.subflow_inputs.user.email.toString(), "Company": companyOfUser }; return JSON.stringify(payload); Also note that system property com.glide.hub.flow.inline_script.dotwalk.enabled is deprecated and removed in Australia. It is not an appropriate workaround and should not be used.