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Release: Australia · Updated: 2026-03-12 · Official documentation · View source

GlideElementDescriptor - Scoped, Global

The GlideElementDescriptor API provides information about individual fields in a glide record.

There is no constructor for this class. Use the GlideElement or GlideRecord getED() method to obtain a GlideElementDescriptor object.

Parent Topic:Server API reference

GlideElementDescriptor - getAttachmentEncryptionType()

Returns the encryption type used for attachments on the element's table.

This method is for use with the Edge Encryption plugin.

Name	Type	Description
None

Type	Description
String	The encryption type used on attachments. Returns null if attachments on the element's table are not being encrypted.

var grInc = new GlideRecord('incident');
grInc.query('priority', '1');

var field = grInc.getElement('priority');
var ed = field.getED();

var isEdge = ed.getAttachmentEncryptionType();
gs.info(isEdge);

Output:

null

GlideElementDescriptor - getEncryptionType()

Returns the element's encryption type.

This method is for use with the Edge Encryption plugin.

Name	Type	Description
None

Type	Description
String	The element's encryption type. Returns null if the element is not encrypted.

var grInc = new GlideRecord('incident');
grInc.query('priority', '1');

var field = grInc.getElement('priority');
var ed = field.getED();

sEdge = ed.getEncryptionType();
gs.info(isEdge);

Output:

null

GlideElementDescriptor - getInternalType()

Returns the element's internal data type.

Name	Type	Description
None

Type

Description

String

The element's internal data type.Possible values: - boolean - char - collection - conditions - date - decimal - documentation\_field - domain\_id - due\_date - email - field\_name - file\_attachment - float - glide\_date - glide\_date\_time - glide\_duration - glide\_list - GUID - html - image - integer - long - longint - multi\_two\_lines - journal - journal\_input - numeric - order\_index - password - ph\_number - reference - script - script\_plain - string - sys\_class\_name - table\_name - template\_value - timer - translated\_field - url - user\_image - user\_input - user\_roles - video - workflow

var grInc = new GlideRecord('incident');
grInc.query('priority', '1');

var field = grInc.getElement('priority');
var ed = field.getED();

var isEdge = ed.getInternalType();
gs.info(isEdge);

Output:

integer

GlideElementDescriptor - getLabel()

Returns the element's label.

Name	Type	Description
None

Type	Description
String	The element's label.

var grInc = new GlideRecord('incident');
grInc.query('priority', '1');

var field = grInc.getElement('priority');
var ed = field.getED();

var isEdge = ed.getLabel();
gs.info(isEdge);

Output:

Priority

GlideElementDescriptor - getLength()

Returns the element's length.

Name	Type	Description
None

Type	Description
Number	The element's size.

var grInc = new GlideRecord('incident');
grInc.query('priority', '1');

var field = grInc.getElement('priority');
var ed = field.getED();

var isEdge = ed.getLength();
gs.info(isEdge);

Output:

GlideElementDescriptor - getName()

Returns the element's name.

Name	Type	Description
None

Type	Description
String	The element's name.

var grInc = new GlideRecord('incident');
grInc.query('priority', '1');

var field = grInc.getElement('priority');
var ed = field.getED();

var isEdge = ed.getName();
gs.info(isEdge);

Output:

priority

GlideElementDescriptor - getPlural()

Returns the element's plural label.

Name	Type	Description
None

Type	Description
String	The element's plural label.

var now_GR = new GlideRecord('incident');
now_GR.query();
var ed = now_GR.getED();
gs.info(ed.getPlural());

Output:

Incidents

GlideElementDescriptor - hasAttachmentsEncrypted()

Returns true if an encrypted attachment has been added to the table.

This method is for use with the Edge Encryption plugin.

Name	Type	Description
None

Type	Description
Boolean	Returns true if an encrypted attachment has been added to the table.

var grInc = new GlideRecord('incident');
grInc.query('priority', '1');

var field = grInc.getElement('priority');
var ed = field.getED();

var isEdge = ed.hasAttachmentsEncrypted();
gs.info(isEdge);

Output:

false

GlideElementDescriptor - isAutoOrSysID()

Returns true if the element is an automatically generated or system field.

Automatically generated and system fields cannot be encrypted. This method is for use with the Edge Encryption plugin.

Name	Type	Description
None

Type	Description
Boolean	True if the element is automatically generated or a system field.

var grInc = new GlideRecord('incident');
grInc.query('priority', '1');
var field = grInc.getElement('priority');
var ed = field.getED();

isEdge = ed.isAutoOrSysID();
gs.info(isEdge);

Output:

false

GlideElementDescriptor - isChoiceTable()

Returns true if the element is defined as a dropdown choice in its dictionary definition.

Choice fields cannnot be encrypted.

Name	Type	Description
None

Type	Description
Boolean	Returns true if the element is defined as a dropdown choice. Returns true even if there are no entries defined in the choice table. The last choice type, suggestion, does not return true.

var grInc = new GlideRecord('incident');
grInc.query('priority', '1');

var field = grInc.getElement('priority');
var ed = field.getED();

var isChoiceTable = ed.isChoiceTable();
gs.info(isChoiceTable);

Output:

true

GlideElementDescriptor - isEdgeEncrypted()

Returns true if an element is encrypted.

This method is for use with the Edge Encryption plugin.

Name	Type	Description
None

Type	Description
Boolean	Returns true if the element is encrypted, false otherwise.

var grInc = new GlideRecord('incident');
grInc.query('priority', '1');

var field = grInc.getElement('priority');
var ed = field.getED();

var isEdge = ed.isEdgeEncrypted();
gs.info(isEdge)

Output:

false

GlideElementDescriptor - isEncrypted()

Returns whether the field represented by this descriptor is configured for field encryption.

Use this method to programmatically detect encrypted fields before reading or writing sensitive data, or to enforce access policies based on a field's encryption status.

Required plugins: Field Encryption Starter (com.glide.field.encryption.starter). Without this plugin, isEncrypted() returns false.

Name	Type	Description
None

Type	Description
Boolean	Flag that indicates whether the field is configured for field encryption. Valid values: - true: Field is configured for field encryption. - false: Field isn't encrypted, or the Field Encryption Starter \(com.glide.field.encryption.starter\) plugin isn't active.

The following server-side script uses isEncrypted() to check whether the short_description field on the Incident table is encrypted before logging its value. Copy this into a Background Script or Business Rule on your instance to test.

Note: Use the GlideRecord - getED() or Scoped GlideElement - getED() method to obtain a GlideElementDescriptor object.

// Retrieve a sample Incident record
var gr = new GlideRecord('incident');
gr.setLimit(1);
gr.query();

if (gr.next()) {
    // Get the GlideElement for the field you want to inspect
    var element = gr.getElement('short_description');

    // Retrieve the descriptor from the element
    var descriptor = element.getED();

    // Check whether the field is configured for Field Encryption
    if (descriptor.isEncrypted()) {
        gs.info('short_description is encrypted. Value: ' + element.getDisplayValue());
    } else {
        gs.info('short_description is NOT encrypted. Value: ' + gr.getValue('short_description'));
    }
}

Output (unencrypted):

short_description is NOT encrypted. Value: Unable to connect to network

Output (encryption enabled on the field):

short_description is encrypted. Value: Unable to connect to network

GlideElementDescriptor - isMandatory()

Determines whether the element is mandatory and must contain a value before the record can be saved.

Name	Type	Description
None

Type	Description
Boolean	Flag that indicates whether the associated element is mandatory and must contain a value before the record containing the element can be saved.Possible values: - true: element must contain a value; mandatory field - false: element does not have to contain a value

This example shows how to check whether the name field is mandatory.

var isRecordValid;
var now_GR = new GlideRecord('my_table');
var field = now_GR.getElement('name');
var elementDescriptor = field.getED();
now_GR.query();
while (now_GR.next()) {
if (elementDescriptor.isMandatory() && !now_GR.name) {
       isRecordValid = false;
  }
}

GlideElementDescriptor - isVirtual()

Returns true if the element is a virtual element.

A virtual element is a calculated field as set by the dictionary definition of the field. Virtual fields cannot be encrypted.

Name	Type	Description
None

Type	Description
Boolean	Returns true if the element is a virtual element.

var grInc = new GlideRecord('incident');
grInc.query('priority', '1');

var field = grInc.getElement('priority');
var ed = field.getED();

var isVirtual = ed.isVirtual();
gs.info(isVirtual);

Output:

false