# \[Announce\] Easy way of preview live data in your flows

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/announce-easy-way-of-preview-live-data-in-your-flows/52543>\
**Category:** Share Your Nodes\
**Created:** [22 October 2021 05:08 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/announce-easy-way-of-preview-live-data-in-your-flows/52543 "2021-10-22T05:08:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![datdp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/datdp/32/44476_2.png) [@datdp](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/datdp)\
**Post date:** [22 October 2021 05:08 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/announce-easy-way-of-preview-live-data-in-your-flows/52543/1 "2021-10-22T05:08:32Z")

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Hello everybody,

A version of [node-red-contrib-datdp-data-review](https://flows.nodered.org/node/@datdp88/node-red-contrib-datdp-data-review)

- Show beautiful object in node status
- Show string split by `\n`  
 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/3/7/3725ec8455a2936fc327200885bb688fe7cb3b20.png)

```auto
npm i @datdp88/node-red-contrib-datdp-data-review

```

Have fun with it,  
DaTdP

> **[@datdp88/node-red-contrib-datdp-data-review](https://flows.nodered.org/node/@datdp88/node-red-contrib-datdp-data-review)**
>
> Easy way of preview live data in your flows

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**Author:** ![BartButenaers](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/bartbutenaers/32/10476_2.png) [@BartButenaers](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/BartButenaers)\
**Post date:** [22 October 2021 06:11 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/announce-easy-way-of-preview-live-data-in-your-flows/52543/2 "2021-10-22T06:11:59Z")

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Hi @datdp,  
Thanks for developing and sharing this node!!  
I like it, because it can help me during developments of my nodes.

I didn't have a chance yet to test it, but I am wondering how it behaves when the message is large. For example when it contains a snapshot image from an IP camera. Do you truncate the message, or you show scrollbars, or ... ?

Bart

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**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:** [22 October 2021 06:22 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/announce-easy-way-of-preview-live-data-in-your-flows/52543/3 "2021-10-22T06:22:48Z")

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I have to be the boring person who points out node status was not intended for this.

As with all nodes the have customised their appearance in the editor, this node must be using internal APIs of the editor that could change at any time in a minor release and break the node.

Whilst we can't stop nodes choosing to do this, it would have been good to have had a discussion first.

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**Author:** ![HaroldPetersInskipp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/haroldpetersinskipp/32/42319_2.png) [@HaroldPetersInskipp](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/HaroldPetersInskipp)\
**Post date:** [22 October 2021 06:23 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/announce-easy-way-of-preview-live-data-in-your-flows/52543/4 "2021-10-22T06:23:27Z")

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Couldn't you just use a debug node?

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**Author:** ![datdp](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/datdp/32/44476_2.png) [@datdp](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/datdp)\
**Post date:** [22 October 2021 08:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/announce-easy-way-of-preview-live-data-in-your-flows/52543/5 "2021-10-22T08:03:03Z")

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> [@HaroldPetersInskipp](#):
>
> Couldn't you just use a debug node?

When working on flow in Node-Red, I frequently use the `node.status`. But `node.status` not support multi line.  
I can use node `debug`, but it is not friendly with debugging multi nodes at the same time.  
Logs in debug sidebar very long

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/9/6/96f6e9e5c49c34e2687380debb0de385cccbfdf5.png)

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**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [22 October 2021 08:46 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/announce-easy-way-of-preview-live-data-in-your-flows/52543/7 "2021-10-22T08:46:01Z")

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> [@datdp](#):
>
> Logs in debug sidebar very long

You can, of course, filter that panel.

I would also point out that there are lots of threads showing various ways to output Node-RED logs in useful ways - I know that i've posted at least 3 different ways over the years including one recently using Node-RED's custom logging feature.

Having said that, I don't doubt there are uses for a node like this but, as Nick helpfully points out, really it would be best for this node to carry a warning to potential users because this is certainly not "node-red-like" in its approach 🙂

Oh, and one last thing - I happen to agree that I would occasionally like to be able to have \>1 line in a status msg for clarity. So it might have been nicer to work with Nick to see if the debug node could have been updated in some way.

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**Author:** ![yamlCase](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/yamlcase/32/13436_2.png) [@yamlCase](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/yamlCase)\
**Post date:** [17 March 2023 19:30 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/announce-easy-way-of-preview-live-data-in-your-flows/52543/8 "2023-03-17T19:30:16Z")

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@datdp don't listen to the haters, your preview is very useful for my needs as well.

Can we get a link to your github project for this? I've got some ideas to improve it and would like to start from a fork of your code.

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**Author:** ![dougle03](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dougle03/32/32979_2.png) [@dougle03](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dougle03)\
**Post date:** [4 April 2023 17:10 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/announce-easy-way-of-preview-live-data-in-your-flows/52543/9 "2023-04-04T17:10:43Z")

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Sensible advice from the co-creator of NodeRed is hardly 'hate'.  
Poorly coded/implemented add-ons can often cause other problems that take dev time to resolve.  
So advice from the people that made and develop NodeRed really is generally good advice...