Cannot read property of null: TypeError in script

A GlideRecord query returned no results and the script tried to access properties on the empty record object without checking if it exists. (high likelihood)

Chained method calls where an intermediate method returned null or undefined, and subsequent methods were called on the null result. (high likelihood)

Attempting to access properties on function parameters or variables that were passed as null or undefined values. (medium likelihood)

Using dot notation to access nested object properties where a parent object in the chain is null or undefined. (medium likelihood)

Accessing form fields or client-side objects from server-side scripts where the objects don't exist in that context. (low likelihood)

Step 1: Navigate to System Diagnostics > Log > Application Log and locate the specific error entry to identify the exact script and line number causing the issue.

Step 2: Open the problematic script (Business Rule, Script Include, etc.) and locate the line where the property access is failing.

Step 3: Identify the object or variable that is null by examining the code structure and variable assignments leading up to the error line.

Step 4: For GlideRecord operations, add a .next() check or verify the record exists before accessing properties using if(gr.isValidRecord()) or if(gr.next()).

Step 5: For chained method calls, break them into separate lines with null checks between each step, or use optional chaining techniques where possible.

Step 6: Add defensive null checks using if(variableName != null && variableName != undefined) or if(gs.nil(variableName)) before accessing object properties.

Step 7: Test the modified script in a non-production environment to ensure the null checks work correctly and don't introduce new issues.

Step 8: Deploy the fix and monitor the System Log to confirm the TypeError no longer occurs during normal operations.