# Add Credential Files to Configuration Node

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-credential-files-to-configuration-node/73310>\
**Category:** Developing Nodes\
**Created:** [6 January 2023 20:34 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-credential-files-to-configuration-node/73310 "2023-01-06T20:34:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 12\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Flachmann](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/flachmann/32/60457_2.png) [@Flachmann](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Flachmann)\
**Post date:** [6 January 2023 20:34 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-credential-files-to-configuration-node/73310/1 "2023-01-06T20:34:24Z")

</div>

Hi,

I developed my first configuration node, following [Configuration nodes](https://nodered.org/docs/creating-nodes/config-nodes).

Similar to the MQTT node, I need to store TLS certificates. So, in the mask it is e.g.  
`<input type="file" id="node-config-input-rootCrt">`

And as usual in defaults i guess  
`rootCrt: { value: '' },`

But once I select a file and close the dialog, Node-RED don't let me open the configuration any more.  
I think I have to handle file attachments differently. But how? What's Node-RED's way to upload a file and store it in the configuration?

At the end I need the certificate as a buffer.  
Any hint on this?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![knolleary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/knolleary/32/3_2.png) [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)\
**Post date:** [6 January 2023 21:01 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-credential-files-to-configuration-node/73310/2 "2023-01-06T21:01:14Z")

</div>

Could you just use the core TLS config (`tls-config`) node rather than reimplement it? It was written to be a generally reusable config node for anything that needs TLS configuration.

If for some reasons you really need to do your own thing, then have a look at the source of the TLS node to see how it handles file upload of TLS certs.

> <https://github.com/node-red/node-red/blob/master/packages/node_modules/%40node-red/nodes/core/network/05-tls.html>

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Flachmann](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/flachmann/32/60457_2.png) [@Flachmann](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Flachmann)\
**Post date:** [6 January 2023 21:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-credential-files-to-configuration-node/73310/3 "2023-01-06T21:31:09Z")

</div>

Everything is better than re-inventing the wheel. 🙂  
I didn't know this config and will give it a try.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Flachmann](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/flachmann/32/60457_2.png) [@Flachmann](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Flachmann)\
**Post date:** [9 January 2023 18:26 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-credential-files-to-configuration-node/73310/4 "2023-01-09T18:26:21Z")

</div>

May I ask you for another advice, please?

I now have a definition for TLS in the `defaults` of my configuration node:  
`tls: { value: '', type: 'tls-config' }`

The dialog opens, allows me to select and store my certificates. Very well, I now have a new tls configuration node, that is internally linked to my own configuration node. But how can I access it and especially retrieve the buffered certification data?

```auto
RED.nodes.createNode(this, config);

this.conf = RED.nodes.getNode(config.database);

```

`this.conf` now has all other configuration fields.

I'd expected, that the **tls** definition should be something in `this.conf.tls`, to that I can access its configuration again via  
`this.tls = RED.nodes.getNode(this.conf.tls);`

But this.conf.tls is nothing. so, looks like this link is done somehow different.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ralphwetzel](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/ralphwetzel/32/53713_2.png) [@ralphwetzel](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ralphwetzel)\
**Post date:** [9 January 2023 19:06 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-credential-files-to-configuration-node/73310/5 "2023-01-09T19:06:20Z")

</div>

If you defined `defaults` as

```js
        defaults: {
            name: { value: '', required:true },
            tls: { value: '', type: 'tls-config' }
        },

```

you should be able to access this with

```javascript
RED.nodes.createNode(this, config);
let tls_config = RED.nodes.getNode(config.tls);
console.log(tls_config); // log the properties of the tls-config node

```

I'm yet questioning the fact that

> [@Flachmann](#):
>
> `this.conf` now has all other configuration fields.

What's the definition of `database` in your node's config?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Flachmann](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/flachmann/32/60457_2.png) [@Flachmann](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Flachmann)\
**Post date:** [10 January 2023 13:24 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-credential-files-to-configuration-node/73310/6 "2023-01-10T13:24:51Z")

</div>

Thanks Ralph,

yes, my defaults looks like in your example. I have additional fields like 'data', but I didn't want to spoil the example. But probably I didn't explain myself very well.

So, I have a node "createRecords". That's the one that is supposed to do the work and appears in the flow as a node. It internally references a configuration node for the database, or server to access.  
So in " **createRecords**":

```auto
defaults: {
	name: { value: '' },
	database: { value: '', type: 'my-server' },
	data: { value: '' }
}

```

" **my-server**" is a configuration node containing server address, port etc. It also contains a configuration node of "tls-config":

```auto
category: 'config',
defaults: {
	name: { value: '' },
	server: { value: 'localhost', required: true },
	port: { value: '1234', required: true, validate: RED.validators.number() },
	tls: { value: '', type: 'tls-config' }
}

```

This works so far. I can define all data. For TLS a separate configuration mask opens and let me select my certificates. I can save, deploy and re-open. The list of configuration nodes now shows one definition of 'my-server' and one of 'tls-config'. - Looks fine to me. 😀

So, execution in createRecords.js is what stopps me now:

```auto
module.exports = function (RED) {
	function createRecordsNode(config) {
        	RED.nodes.createNode(this, config);
		this.conf = RED.nodes.getNode(config.database); // access to 'my-server'
		node.warn(this.conf.server); // message of server content
		this.tls = RED.nodes.getNode(this.conf.tls); // is undefined

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![knolleary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/knolleary/32/3_2.png) [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)\
**Post date:** [10 January 2023 13:30 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-credential-files-to-configuration-node/73310/7 "2023-01-10T13:30:13Z")

</div>

Change the last line to:

```auto
this.tls = RED.nodes.getNode(config.tls);  

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Flachmann](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/flachmann/32/60457_2.png) [@Flachmann](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Flachmann)\
**Post date:** [10 January 2023 14:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-credential-files-to-configuration-node/73310/8 "2023-01-10T14:38:00Z")

</div>

Thanks Nick, I now have:

```auto
this.conf = RED.nodes.getNode(config.database);
this.warn(this.conf.server);
this.tls = RED.nodes.getNode(config.tls);
this.warn(this.tls);

```

`this.tls` is `null`. It should be at least _[object Object]_ (or at least something with content). I think it's null in this particular case, because config is linked to "createRecords" and does not have field "tls". As mentioned: I have a TLS configuration in "my-server" as it belongs to the "my-server"-definition.

It's similar to the "mqtt"-node: mqtt allows to select/define a "mqtt-broker", that than allows to select/define a "tls-config".  
For me it's a "createRecords"-node: it allows to select/define a "my-server", than than allows to select/define a "tls-config".

"tls-config" is logically part of "my-server", like it is to "mqtt-broker". This is why I thought that I simply use `this.conf.tls` to fetch the "tls-config". But unfortunate it's not defined.

The TLS field is part of the configuration node of "my-server" and therefore the field is created with -config-. Like this:  
`<input type="text" id="node-config-input-tls">`

* * *
(enhancment) I just opened the JSON definition of the flow. The 'my-server' definition looks like this:

```auto
{
	"id": "e3aabbb8aea8cc4e",
	"type": "my-server",
	"name": "Test Server",
	"server": "localhost",
	"port": "1234",
	"tls": "d422a1a578db850c"
},

```

There is a field " **tls**" pointing to the correct definition:

```auto
{
	"id": "d422a1a578db850c",
	"type": "tls-config",
	"name": "Test Certs",
	"cert": "",
	"key": "",
	"ca": "",
	"certname": "Client.crt",
	"keyname": "Client.key",
	"caname": "RootCA.crt",
	"servername": "",
	"verifyservercert": true,
	"alpnprotocol": ""
}

```

So, how can I get id "d422a1a578db850c" from the "my-server" configuration node, if "tls" returns nothing?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ralphwetzel](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/ralphwetzel/32/53713_2.png) [@ralphwetzel](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ralphwetzel)\
**Post date:** [10 January 2023 20:21 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-credential-files-to-configuration-node/73310/9 "2023-01-10T20:21:58Z")

</div>

> [@Flachmann](#):
>
> So, how can I get id "d422a1a578db850c" from the "my-server" configuration node, if "tls" returns nothing?

That's not what you're doing:

> [@Flachmann](#):
>
> `this.tls = RED.nodes.getNode(config.tls);`

This tries to get the node who's `id` is `config.tls` - which returns `undefined`.  
I'm pretty convinced though, that `node.warn(config.tls)` will give you the shown id. It looks like the (second) config node yet was not created so far...

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Flachmann](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/flachmann/32/60457_2.png) [@Flachmann](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Flachmann)\
**Post date:** [11 January 2023 07:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-credential-files-to-configuration-node/73310/10 "2023-01-11T07:43:28Z")

</div>

Hi Ralph,

no, the two configuration nodes are in the **flows.json** exactly as shown above (my previous note before, right after enhancement)! There you see, that "my-server" contains a reference to "tls" with value "d422a1a578db850c".

When printing out the config.

```auto
this.conf = RED.nodes.getNode(config.database);
this.warn(JSON.stringify(this.conf));

```

This is what I get. There is no tsl in the object and therefore it can't be opened:

```auto
{
    "id": "e3aabbb8aea8cc4e",
    "type": "my-server",
    "_closeCallbacks": [],
    "_inputCallback": null,
    "_inputCallbacks": null,
    "name": "Test Server",
    "wires": [],
    "_wireCount": 0,
    "server": "localhost",
    "port": "1234",
}

```

> [@ralphwetzel](#):
>
> 'm pretty convinced though, that `node.warn(config.tls)` will give you the shown id. It looks like the (second) config node yet was not created so far...

So, how can I create it? It _is_ in **flows.json** , it _is_ linked to "my-server", I can _open and modify_ via the masks, but I cannot not receive it in Javascript.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Flachmann](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/flachmann/32/60457_2.png) [@Flachmann](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Flachmann)\
**Post date:** [12 January 2023 12:24 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-credential-files-to-configuration-node/73310/11 "2023-01-12T12:24:26Z")

</div>

Ok, after all I found the reason. It must have been something very simple.  
Silly me: I forgot to list the tls-config field to the registration.

```auto
this.server = config.server || 'localhost';
this.port = config.port || '1234';
this.tls = config.tls; // this was missing :-(

```

Thanks a lot to Ralph and Nick for you help. Really appreciate this. ❤

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [26 January 2023 12:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/add-credential-files-to-configuration-node/73310/12 "2023-01-26T12:25:15Z")

</div>

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