Understanding GlideDate() and GlideDateTime() in

ServiceNow:
ServiceNow developers frequently work with date and time data to manage records and
processes effectively. GlideDate() and GlideDateTime() are essential classes in ServiceNow for
handling date and time operations programmatically. This article provides a detailed overview of
these classes, their methods, practical examples, and the importance of initialization.

What are GlideDate() and GlideDateTime()?

GlideDate(): GlideDate is a ServiceNow class used for managing and manipulating dates
without time components. It enables developers to perform operations such as date parsing,
formatting, and comparisons.

GlideDateTime(): GlideDateTime extends GlideDate to include both date and time components.
It offers additional functionalities such as time zone management, date-time arithmetic, and
formatting date-time strings.

Initialization of GlideDate() and GlideDateTime() Objects

When initializing GlideDate or GlideDateTime objects (var gd = new GlideDate(); or var gdt =
new GlideDateTime();), you capture the current system date and time. This ensures that your
scripts operate within the current system context, preventing errors in date and time calculations
and respecting time zone configurations.

Basic Usage and Examples

1. Creating a GlideDate Object

To create a GlideDate object representing the current date:

var gd = new GlideDate();

2. Creating a GlideDateTime Object

To create a GlideDateTime object representing the current date and time:

var gdt = new GlideDateTime();

Methods and Operations
Getting and Setting Date/Time

GlideDate Methods:

• getDisplayValue(): Returns the date in 'YYYY-MM-DD' format suitable for display

purposes.

Example:

var gd = new GlideDate();

var displayDate = gd.getDisplayValue();
gs.info('Current Date: ' + displayDate); // Outputs: Current Date: 2024-06-21

• addDays(int): Adds a specified number of days to the current date.

Example:

var gd = new GlideDate();

gd.addDays(5); // Adds 5 days to the current date
gs.info('Updated Date: ' + gd.getDisplayValue()); // Outputs: Updated Date: 2024-
06-26

• addWeeks(int), addMonths(int), addYears(int): Adds a specified number

of weeks, months, or years to the current date.

Examples:

var gd = new GlideDate();

gd.addWeeks(2); // Adds 2 weeks to the current date
gs.info('Updated Date: ' + gd.getDisplayValue()); // Outputs: Updated Date: 2024-
07-05

gd.addMonths(3); // Adds 3 months to the current date

gs.info('Updated Date: ' + gd.getDisplayValue()); // Outputs: Updated Date: 2024-
09-21

gd.addYears(1); // Adds 1 year to the current date

gs.info('Updated Date: ' + gd.getDisplayValue()); // Outputs: Updated Date: 2025-
06-21

• subtract(int), subtractWeeks(int), subtractMonths(int),

subtractYears(int): Subtracts a specified number of days, weeks,
months, or years from the current date.
 Examples:

var gd = new GlideDate();

gd.subtract(5); // Subtracts 5 days from the current date
gs.info('Updated Date: ' + gd.getDisplayValue()); // Outputs: Updated Date: 2024-
06-16

gd.subtractWeeks(2); // Subtracts 2 weeks from the current date

gs.info('Updated Date: ' + gd.getDisplayValue()); // Outputs: Updated Date: 2024-
06-07

gd.subtractMonths(3); // Subtracts 3 months from the current date

gs.info('Updated Date: ' + gd.getDisplayValue()); // Outputs: Updated Date: 2024-
03-21

gd.subtractYears(1); // Subtracts 1 year from the current date

gs.info('Updated Date: ' + gd.getDisplayValue()); // Outputs: Updated Date: 2023-
06-21

GlideDateTime Methods:
• getDayOfWeek(): Returns the day of the week as an integer (1-7).

Example:

var gdt = new GlideDateTime();

var dayOfWeek = gdt.getDayOfWeek();
gs.info('Day of Week: ' + dayOfWeek); // Outputs: Day of Week: 5

• getLocalDate(), getLocalTime(): Retrieves the date or time portion

based on the local time zone.

Examples:

var gdt = new GlideDateTime();

var localDate = gdt.getLocalDate();
gs.info('Local Date: ' + localDate); // Outputs: Local Date: 2024-06-21

var localTime = gdt.getLocalTime();

gs.info('Local Time: ' + localTime); // Outputs: Local Time: 14:30:00

• getDayOfMonth(): Returns the day of the month as an integer (1-31).

Example:
var gdt = new GlideDateTime();
var dayOfMonth = gdt.getDayOfMonth();
gs.info('Day of Month: ' + dayOfMonth); // Outputs: Day of Month: 21

• getMonthOfYear(): Returns the month of the year as an integer (1-12).

Example:

var gdt = new GlideDateTime();

var monthOfYear = gdt.getMonthOfYear();
gs.info('Month of Year: ' + monthOfYear); // Outputs: Month of Year: 6

• getYear(): Retrieves the year portion of the date.

Example:

var gdt = new GlideDateTime();

var year = gdt.getYear();
gs.info('Year: ' + year); // Outputs: Year: 2024

Date-Time Arithmetic and Formatting

Formatting Date-Time Strings

• To format a GlideDateTime object according to the user’s preferred

format:

var gd = new GlideDate();

gd.setValue('2021-04-21');
gs.info(gd.getByFormat("dd-MM-yyyy"));//output: 21-04-2021

Handling Incoming Excel Date Formats

• Excel often stores dates as numeric values. To convert an incoming
Excel date to a GlideDate or GlideDateTime object:

// Assuming the Excel date value is '20210420'

var excelDateValue = '20210420';

// Convert to 'yyyy-MM-dd' format

var formattedExcelDateValue = excelDateValue.substring(0, 4) + '-' +
excelDateValue.substring(4, 6) + '-' +
excelDateValue.substring(6, 8);
// Convert to GlideDate
var gdFromExcel = new GlideDate();
gdFromExcel.setValue(formattedExcelDateValue);
gs.info('GlideDate from Excel: ' + gdFromExcel.getDisplayValue());

// Convert to GlideDateTime
var gdtFromExcel = new GlideDateTime();
gdtFromExcel.setValue(formattedExcelDateValue);
gs.info('GlideDateTime from Excel: ' + gdtFromExcel.getDisplayValue());

Conclusion
Mastering GlideDate and GlideDateTime is essential for efficiently managing date and time data
in ServiceNow applications. By understanding these classes and their methods, developers can
perform accurate date operations, handle time zone conversions, and format date-time strings
according to user preferences.

Whether you’re a ServiceNow developer exploring date functionalities or looking to enhance

your skills in managing temporal data, GlideDate and GlideDateTime offer powerful capabilities
to streamline application development and improve user experience.

For more advanced operations and customization, ServiceNow’s comprehensive documentation

and community forums are invaluable resources.

https://developer.servicenow.com/dev.do#!/reference/api/washingtondc/server/no-
namespace/c_GlideDateScopedAPI#r_ScopedGlideDateGetByFormat_String