I have seen few questions wherein users require a VIP Icon for catalog variable when the user is a VIP user..

Use case: Consider you have a Variable which refers to "sys_user" table. When the Request Item form loads or Catalog Task form loads and if the User variable holds a VIP User then vip icon should be visible besides the variable.

Approach:

1) Create an onLoad Catalog Client Script which is set to "Applies on Requested Items" and "Applies on Catalog Tasks"

2) Use Script mentioned below; ensure you give question value in script inside the Contains filter and not the name. Using g_form.getControl() doesn't work on sc_req_item and sc_task tables.

3) Ensure Isolate Script field is set to False for the above Catalog Client Script; this field can be edited from List

Script:

function onLoad() {
	//Type appropriate comment here, and begin script below
	var user = g_form.getReference('user', callBackMethod);
}

function callBackMethod(user){

	if(user.vip.toString() == 'true'){
		var variableQuestionValue = 'User';
		$j("<img src='images/icons/vip.gif'>" ).insertAfter("span.sn-tooltip-basic:contains(" + variableQuestionValue + ")");
	}
}
Screenshots:

1) Variable Question with Value as User being used inside the script



2) Catalog Client Script: Isolate Script -> False



3) RITM Form when User is VIP showing the icon



4) TASK Form when User is VIP showing the icon



5) User "Abel Tuter" is VIP User



Note: If you would like to test this; try changing the value to a user who is not VIP and the icon should not show up

Additionally you can also highlight the background in red/orange color as below

g_form.getDisplayBox('user').style.backgroundColor =  'orange';
You can also show the text in red color as below

g_form.getDisplayBox('user').style.color= 'red';
Thanks for reading the blog and do provide your inputs/suggestions if any.

PSA: How to View Variables in Lists
by 
Bradford Shelley
 Forum Level 2
created 4y ago (edited 3y ago ) in Developer Community
After having to play around with variables quite a bit in a recent project, I thought I'd share how to display variables on a list of Requested Items / Catalog Tasks. This applies to lists and related lists, as reports have their own method of displaying variables. Important note: This was performed on Fuji. Your experience may differ on older versions of ServiceNow.

Step 1 Identify the variables you'd like to display on your list, then copy the sys_id for each variable. This is as simple as heading to the Catalog Item, and jumping into the variable(s) in question. We'll need the sys_id to add the column into the list.

Step 2 Head over to System UI -> Lists

Step 3 Identify the list you'd like to display the variable(s) on. We're looking for one of two things here. Either the name of the view of the list you'd like to include the variable(s) on (I highly recommend creating a new view instead of using the Default view for this, as most likely the variables will apply to certain catalog items instead of every single one), or for a related list look at the Parent and Relationship columns for the table and name of the tab for the related list. Head into the list when you've found it.



Step 4 Create a new List Element(s) from the related list at, using "variables.sys_id" (no quotes) in the actual Element field on the List Element form. Create a new List Element for each variable you wish to add.



Step 5 Head over to the list where variables were just added. They won't show up immediately, so don't panic. Edit the list layout, and move around the variables to the spots you'd like them in the list (even if the position is already how you'd like it, move a variable one position up/down, then move it back and save). At this point, the variables should be visible!

Hope this helps at least one person out there. Take care!