# Change node enhancements

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/change-node-enhancements/2762>\
**Category:** Feature Requests\
**Created:** [2 September 2018 05:52 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/change-node-enhancements/2762 "2018-09-02T05:52:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![drmibell](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/drmibell/32/8424_2.png) [@drmibell](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/drmibell)\
**Post date:** [2 September 2018 05:52 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/change-node-enhancements/2762/1 "2018-09-02T05:52:31Z")

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The `change` node has become the tool I often reach for instead of the `function` node, but it has a few limitations that seem arbitrary.

First, it can read and write the `flow` and `global` contexts but not the local `context`. This would be useful in the same way as in the `function` node, so I wonder if there are technical reasons why it would not be possible.

Also, but less important, it would be nice if the `change` node could call `node.log`, `node.warn`, `node.error`, and `node.status` (and display its status). I sometimes write one or two lines of JavaScript in a `function` node, just to get an error or status message displayed.

I realize that the original purpose of the `change` node was simply to manipulate message properties, but now that it can handle simple conditionals in JSONata and regex, it make sense to use the `function` node only for more complex logic. In a way, the `function` node also just manipulates message and context properties but with the full capabilities of JS. Some new users of Node-RED seem to find learning JS an obstacle, so giving a bit more power to the `change` node might smooth their progress.

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**Author:** ![shrickus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/shrickus/32/517_2.png) [@shrickus](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/shrickus)\
**Post date:** [2 September 2018 12:27 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/change-node-enhancements/2762/2 "2018-09-02T12:27:11Z")

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Mike, funny you should ask this...

I just recently received an email that my PR for [accessing local context in a `change` node (and JSONata)](https://github.com/node-red/node-red/pull/1515) has been targeted for the new dev branch. So it looks like it will be available in an upcoming release.

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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:** [2 September 2018 13:04 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/change-node-enhancements/2762/3 "2018-09-02T13:04:47Z")

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Happily agree with your first point and it looks like that will get sorted.

> [@drmibell](#):
>
> Also, but less important, it would be nice if the `change` node could call `node.log` , `node.warn` , `node.error` , and `node.status` (and display its status). I sometimes write one or two lines of JavaScript in a `function` node, just to get an error or status message displayed.

I get why you are asking for this but that needs to be balanced against the principle that a node should do one thing and do it well. The change node changes things.

What might help would be some explanation of a use-case. How would you expect this to look and work if it were implemented?

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**Author:** ![nlecaude](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/nlecaude/32/25_2.png) [@nlecaude](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/nlecaude)\
**Post date:** [2 September 2018 15:22 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/change-node-enhancements/2762/4 "2018-09-02T15:22:47Z")

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For logging perhaps the debug node could be enhanced with warn/error ?  
I often set my logging message in a change node in msg.log with a debug node set to handle msg.log.

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**Author:** ![dceejay](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dceejay/32/38_2.png) [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)\
**Post date:** [2 September 2018 17:05 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/change-node-enhancements/2762/5 "2018-09-02T17:05:29Z")

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like - [https://trello.com/c/AG9C90iy/124-debug-node-add-loglevels](https://trello.com/c/AG9C90iy/124-debug-node-add-loglevels) 🙂

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![drmibell](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/drmibell/32/8424_2.png) [@drmibell](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/drmibell)\
**Post date:** [2 September 2018 23:02 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/change-node-enhancements/2762/6 "2018-09-02T23:02:58Z")

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@shrickus Thanks! You not only had the idea but did the work. You even picked up the corresponding change in JSONata. Well done.

@TotallyInformation These two flows are trivial cases where a `change` node could easily replace a `function` if it had access to `node.status`.

```auto
[{"id":"8f20d429.7359b","type":"inject","z":"7925ee05.cefd08","name":"good request","topic":"","payload":"https://www.npmjs.com/package/node-red","payloadType":"str","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":"","x":130,"y":200,"wires":[["fef21224.b26d58"]]},{"id":"8d21f60d.734478","type":"http request","z":"7925ee05.cefd08","name":"","method":"GET","ret":"txt","url":"","tls":"","x":470,"y":220,"wires":[["7fc9ce30.aaf89"]]},{"id":"fef21224.b26d58","type":"change","z":"7925ee05.cefd08","name":"","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"url","pt":"msg","to":"payload","tot":"msg"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":310,"y":220,"wires":[["8d21f60d.734478"]]},{"id":"4aa8135e.14befc","type":"inject","z":"7925ee05.cefd08","name":"bad request","topic":"","payload":"https://www.npmjs.com/package/node-blue","payloadType":"str","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":"","x":130,"y":240,"wires":[["fef21224.b26d58"]]},{"id":"7fc9ce30.aaf89","type":"function","z":"7925ee05.cefd08","name":"status","func":"node.status({shape:'dot',text:msg.statusCode,fill:msg.statusCode == 200 ? 'green' : 'red'});\nmsg.status = (msg.statusCode == 200) ? 'nr-dashboard-ok' : 'nr-dashboard-error';\nreturn msg;","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":610,"y":220,"wires":[["1ab61b19.a324b5"]]},{"id":"1ab61b19.a324b5","type":"ui_text","z":"7925ee05.cefd08","group":"172cda24.4d5896","order":1,"width":"6","height":"1","name":"","label":"Server","format":"<i class=\"fa fa-circle fa-1x {{msg.status}}\"></i>","layout":"row-left","x":730,"y":220,"wires":[]},{"id":"28159810.7a6338","type":"exec","z":"7925ee05.cefd08","command":"","addpay":true,"append":"","useSpawn":"false","timer":"","oldrc":false,"name":"","x":290,"y":320,"wires":[["d0029500.0ab12"],[],[]]},{"id":"28be5199.02b4de","type":"inject","z":"7925ee05.cefd08","name":"good command","topic":"","payload":"cd /usr","payloadType":"str","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":140,"y":300,"wires":[["28159810.7a6338"]]},{"id":"5212b0e4.e9e73","type":"inject","z":"7925ee05.cefd08","name":"bad command","topic":"","payload":"cd /foo","payloadType":"str","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":140,"y":340,"wires":[["28159810.7a6338"]]},{"id":"d0029500.0ab12","type":"function","z":"7925ee05.cefd08","name":"rc","func":"node.status({shape:'dot',text:msg.rc.message,fill:msg.rc.code === 0 ? 'green' : 'red'});\nmsg.status = (msg.rc.code === 0) ? 'nr-dashboard-ok' : 'nr-dashboard-error';\nreturn msg;","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":430,"y":320,"wires":[["1fc2a24b.d9d04e"]]},{"id":"1fc2a24b.d9d04e","type":"ui_text","z":"7925ee05.cefd08","group":"172cda24.4d5896","order":2,"width":"6","height":"1","name":"","label":"OS","format":"<i class=\"fa fa-circle fa-1x {{msg.status}}\"></i> {{msg.rc.message}}","layout":"row-left","x":550,"y":320,"wires":[]},{"id":"172cda24.4d5896","type":"ui_group","z":"","name":"","tab":"8ab9a99d.fc461","disp":true,"width":"6","collapse":false},{"id":"8ab9a99d.fc461","type":"ui_tab","z":"7925ee05.cefd08","name":"Server","icon":"dashboard","order":4}]

```

Better examples would use `node.log` or `node.warn`, but the ones in my code are difficult to simplify. You get the idea, and as I said, it's not a big deal. To be honest, I raised the question of `node.status` in an earlier discussion and ended by agreeing with Dave that the `function` node was the right way to go.