How to Handle Read-Only NetSuite Search Results in SuiteScript?

When working with NetSuite search results, it is important to understand their read-only nature. This applies to results returned by SuiteScript 1.0's nlapiSearchRecord function, as well as the current recommended approach using SuiteScript 2.x's N/search module.Search results are read-only representations of NetSuite data. While standard JavaScript array methods such as pop or shift can be applied to the array of nlobjSearchResult objects (SuiteScript 1.0) or search.Result objects (SuiteScript 2.x) in memory, these operations only modify the in-memory array structure. They do not persist any changes to the actual NetSuite records.To effectively process search results:

1. Access individual search result objects by iterating through the array using its index. For example, searchResults[i] will retrieve the object at a specific position.

2. If structural modifications to the array (e.g., removing elements using pop or shift) are absolutely required for your script's logic, it is recommended to first create a copy of the search results array. This ensures that any modifications are performed on a separate, mutable copy, without altering the original read-only representation or creating a false expectation of data persistence.