Why Create A Minimum Field Length Requirement
Say your end users aren’t filling out certain forms, as well as you’d like them to.
As admins in the platform, along with many other features, we have control over the inputs of field data.
We can control the length of a field.
Not in a controlling way, and this is certainly something that you’d need to run by the IT Managers to make sure that it’s approved and socialized. It can be a great tool to implement, if done in the proper context.
I’d say the below solution should be used in a one-off scenario, and not on a form that a ton of people are filling out, for example, the incident form. You ultimately want to improve the reputation of the ServiceNow platform, and not make it annoying for people to use.
I’ve pointed out some pros and cons to implementing this solution below, and then I show the example of the script.
Pros And Cons To Requiring A Minimum Field Length
You can argue either side here.
But if you find that user’s are circumventing processes and are not providing sufficient information, you may want to consider implementing the below script.
There are both pros and cons to requiring a minimum field length for a field in ServiceNow. Some potential pros of this approach include:
- Ensuring that the field has a minimum amount of information, which can be useful for fields that are used for important data or calculations.
- Helping to prevent errors or inconsistencies in the data, since the field will always have a minimum amount of information.
- Providing a consistent experience for users, since they will know that the field must always have at least a certain amount of information.
Some potential cons of requiring a minimum field length for a field in ServiceNow include:
- Limiting the flexibility of users, since they may not always want or need to enter the minimum amount of information required for the field.
- Potentially causing frustration or annoyance for users, since they may have to enter more information than they would like in order to satisfy the requirement.
- Adding extra complexity to the user interface, since the script that enforces the minimum field length will need to be added to the field.
Overall, whether requiring a minimum field length for a field in ServiceNow is a good idea will depend on the specific needs and goals of your organization and the field in question. It may be useful in some situations, but it may not be necessary or desirable in others.
We’d love to know what you think in the comments below.
Client Script – Minimum Field Length
Here’s the script below.
Make sure that the field is selected, as this makes the most sense on an onChange client script.
You can also apply this to a variable on a service catalog item or a record producer.
To require a minimum field length for a field in ServiceNow, you can create a client script that uses the length property of the field’s value to check if the length is greater than 20 characters. If the length is less than 20 characters, the script can display an error message to the user.
You could also easily tweak the below script to require a maximum field length, too.
Here is an example of a client script that you can use to enforce a minimum field length of 20 characters:
function onChange(control, oldValue, newValue, isLoading) {
// Check if the field's value is a string and has a length less than 20 characters
if (typeof newValue === 'string' && newValue.length < 20) {
// Display an error message to the user
gs.addErrorMessage('The value of this field must be at least 20 characters long.');
// Set the field's value back to the old value
control.setValue(oldValue);
}
}
You can then attach this script to the field that you want to enforce the minimum field length for. When the user attempts to save the record with a value for the field that is less than 20 characters, the script will display an error message and set the field’s value back to the previous value.
Do you have any of this implemented?
