# Array to string with delimiting characters
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/array-to-string-with-delimiting-characters/82980
**Category:** General
**Created:** [18 November 2023 08:01 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/array-to-string-with-delimiting-characters/82980 "2023-11-18T08:01:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@smanjunath211](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/smanjunath211)
#### Post date: [18 November 2023 08:01 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/array-to-string-with-delimiting-characters/82980/1 "2023-11-18T08:01:56Z")
Hi, i am stuck at one point and unable to get to solution. I am almost there (or am I?).
i have an array output coming from mysql query, which i need to convert to a string with a semicolon between each string. I can do this manually by using template node with mustache format, but the output from mysql query is dynamic and number of records keep varying based on query condition, so I end up with either less number of mustache template or will get series of extra semicolons. (this is working by the way, since extra semicolons are ignored).
Is there an elegant way to do this ? have given sample input and expected output in inject nodes.
```auto
[{"id":"b38fb534d33b53f6","type":"inject","z":"804978a6e5408fa5","name":"Input from MySQL Query","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"","payload":"[[{\"email\":\"someone1@somewhere.com\"},{\"email\":\"someone2@somewhere.com\"},{\"email\":\"someone3@somewhere.com\"},{\"email\":\"someone4@somewhere.com\"},{\"email\":\"someone5@somewhere.com\"},{\"email\":\"someone6@somewhere.com\"},{\"email\":\"someone7@somewhere.com\"}]]","payloadType":"json","x":210,"y":1080,"wires":[["858e43b95512654b"]]},{"id":"d5916c48b28f8265","type":"inject","z":"804978a6e5408fa5","name":"Expected Output","props":[{"p":"to","v":"someone1@somewhere.com;someone2@somewhere.com;someone3@somewhere.com;someone4@somewhere.com;someone5@somewhere.com;someone6@somewhere.com;someone7@somewhere.com","vt":"str"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"","x":300,"y":1160,"wires":[["7bc77a280be1270d"]]},{"id":"390780a76666cd4a","type":"debug","z":"804978a6e5408fa5","name":"debug 442","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"false","statusVal":"","statusType":"auto","x":870,"y":1080,"wires":[]},{"id":"7bc77a280be1270d","type":"debug","z":"804978a6e5408fa5","name":"debug 443","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"to","targetType":"msg","statusVal":"","statusType":"auto","x":510,"y":1160,"wires":[]},{"id":"b9e4c57df94197e3","type":"change","z":"804978a6e5408fa5","name":"","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"to","pt":"msg","to":"$.payload[*][*].email","tot":"jsonata"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":750,"y":1160,"wires":[["390780a76666cd4a"]]},{"id":"fac2f4c6c23d45fd","type":"split","z":"804978a6e5408fa5","name":"","splt":"\\n","spltType":"str","arraySplt":1,"arraySpltType":"len","stream":false,"addname":"","x":570,"y":1040,"wires":[["eb37e0d589a8e012"]]},{"id":"eb37e0d589a8e012","type":"join","z":"804978a6e5408fa5","name":"","mode":"custom","build":"string","property":"payload","propertyType":"msg","key":"topic","joiner":";","joinerType":"str","accumulate":false,"timeout":"","count":"","reduceRight":false,"reduceExp":"","reduceInit":"","reduceInitType":"","reduceFixup":"","x":650,"y":1100,"wires":[["b9e4c57df94197e3"]]},{"id":"858e43b95512654b","type":"json","z":"804978a6e5408fa5","name":"","property":"payload","action":"","pretty":true,"x":410,"y":1040,"wires":[["fac2f4c6c23d45fd"]]}]
```
---
### Author:  [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)
#### Post date: [18 November 2023 08:21 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/array-to-string-with-delimiting-characters/82980/2 "2023-11-18T08:21:48Z")
You can split the inner array, then use msg.parts to change the join type
e.g.
```auto
[{"id":"b38fb534d33b53f6","type":"inject","z":"d1395164b4eec73e","name":"Input from MySQL Query","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"","payload":"[[{\"email\":\"someone1@somewhere.com\"},{\"email\":\"someone2@somewhere.com\"},{\"email\":\"someone3@somewhere.com\"},{\"email\":\"someone4@somewhere.com\"},{\"email\":\"someone5@somewhere.com\"},{\"email\":\"someone6@somewhere.com\"},{\"email\":\"someone7@somewhere.com\"}]]","payloadType":"json","x":330,"y":1360,"wires":[["cdb293191ed60bc3"]]},{"id":"cdb293191ed60bc3","type":"change","z":"d1395164b4eec73e","name":"","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"payload","pt":"msg","to":"payload[0]","tot":"msg"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":380,"y":1420,"wires":[["a53919dcac6f7afa"]]},{"id":"a53919dcac6f7afa","type":"split","z":"d1395164b4eec73e","name":"","splt":"\\n","spltType":"str","arraySplt":1,"arraySpltType":"len","stream":false,"addname":"","x":530,"y":1420,"wires":[["b9e4c57df94197e3"]]},{"id":"b9e4c57df94197e3","type":"change","z":"d1395164b4eec73e","name":"","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"payload","pt":"msg","to":"payload.email","tot":"msg"},{"t":"set","p":"parts.type","pt":"msg","to":"string","tot":"str"},{"t":"set","p":"parts.ch","pt":"msg","to":";","tot":"str"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":680,"y":1420,"wires":[["eb37e0d589a8e012"]]},{"id":"eb37e0d589a8e012","type":"join","z":"d1395164b4eec73e","name":"","mode":"custom","build":"string","property":"payload","propertyType":"msg","key":"topic","joiner":";","joinerType":"str","accumulate":false,"timeout":"","count":"","reduceRight":false,"reduceExp":"","reduceInit":"","reduceInitType":"","reduceFixup":"","x":810,"y":1420,"wires":[["390780a76666cd4a"]]},{"id":"390780a76666cd4a","type":"debug","z":"d1395164b4eec73e","name":"debug 442","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"false","statusVal":"","statusType":"auto","x":970,"y":1400,"wires":[]}]
```
---
### Author:  [@smanjunath211](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/smanjunath211)
#### Post date: [18 November 2023 08:24 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/array-to-string-with-delimiting-characters/82980/3 "2023-11-18T08:24:36Z")
> [@smanjunath211](#):
>
> I am almost there
No I was no where near.
Thanks for the solution..
---
### Author:  [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)
#### Post date: [18 November 2023 08:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/array-to-string-with-delimiting-characters/82980/4 "2023-11-18T08:37:14Z")
> [@smanjunath211](#):
>
> (this is working by the way, since extra semicolons are ignored).
> Is there an elegant way to do this
Missed this line. If extra semicolons are ignored you can also do it direct in a template node
e.g
```auto
[{"id":"b38fb534d33b53f6","type":"inject","z":"d1395164b4eec73e","name":"Input from MySQL Query","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"","payload":"[[{\"email\":\"someone1@somewhere.com\"},{\"email\":\"someone2@somewhere.com\"},{\"email\":\"someone3@somewhere.com\"},{\"email\":\"someone4@somewhere.com\"},{\"email\":\"someone5@somewhere.com\"},{\"email\":\"someone6@somewhere.com\"},{\"email\":\"someone7@somewhere.com\"}]]","payloadType":"json","x":330,"y":1360,"wires":[["9652e618c79c91bb"]]},{"id":"9652e618c79c91bb","type":"template","z":"d1395164b4eec73e","name":"","field":"payload","fieldType":"msg","format":"handlebars","syntax":"mustache","template":"{{#payload.0}}{{{email}}};{{/payload.0}}","output":"str","x":540,"y":1360,"wires":[["390780a76666cd4a"]]},{"id":"390780a76666cd4a","type":"debug","z":"d1395164b4eec73e","name":"debug 442","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"false","statusVal":"","statusType":"auto","x":870,"y":1360,"wires":[]}]
```
---
### Author:  [@smanjunath211](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/smanjunath211)
#### Post date: [18 November 2023 08:52 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/array-to-string-with-delimiting-characters/82980/5 "2023-11-18T08:52:40Z")
Yes, currently this is exactly my workaround and as i said it is working fine, I wanted an elegant way, which you provided. Surprised though you didn't give me a **jsonata** solution. 😀
---
### Author:  [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)
#### Post date: [18 November 2023 09:10 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/array-to-string-with-delimiting-characters/82980/6 "2023-11-18T09:10:46Z")
I thought you wanted a low code option
JSONata
```auto
$join($$.payload[0].email, ";")
```
Javascript
```auto
msg.payload = msg.payload[0].map(obj => obj.email).join(";");
return msg;
```
I thought you mustache template was not dynamic, that's why i added a dynamic template.
---
### Author:  [@smanjunath211](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/smanjunath211)
#### Post date: [18 November 2023 09:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/array-to-string-with-delimiting-characters/82980/7 "2023-11-18T09:38:07Z")
> [@E1cid](#):
>
> I thought you mustache template was not dynamic
Oh!, I am so sorry. I did not realise the template node you gave was dynamic, its perfect.
Now I have Four ways to acheive the same result. !!! Excellent.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [2 December 2023 09:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/array-to-string-with-delimiting-characters/82980/8 "2023-12-02T09:38:57Z")
This topic was automatically closed 14 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.