# Combining strings (Referencing csv and picking a specific value based on a global value)
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/combining-strings-referencing-csv-and-picking-a-specific-value-based-on-a-global-value/49276
**Category:** General
**Created:** [3 August 2021 17:00 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/combining-strings-referencing-csv-and-picking-a-specific-value-based-on-a-global-value/49276 "2021-08-03T17:00:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Christoff](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Christoff)
#### Post date: [3 August 2021 17:00 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/combining-strings-referencing-csv-and-picking-a-specific-value-based-on-a-global-value/49276/1 "2021-08-03T17:00:37Z")
Hi,
I'm trying to put a string together to send to google sheets as a msg.cell.
I've got return from google sheets working and I can use a inject node to pick and choose cells to get.
I'm trying to automate it now and I've got two values: msg.currentitem and msg.plusthree
I want to take those two values and combine them like this Sheet1!A(msg.currentitem):E(msg.plusthree)
I tried the string node and appending it but getting a undefined error in my debug node for the section where I'm referencing the msg items. Also tried a basic function and it gives me the same error. Also at the moment the string node gets triggered twice giving me the following output:
8/3/2021, 6:59:26 PM[node: 1710a041f88e2705](http://localhost:1880/?#)msg.cells : string[25]
"BTC!Aundefined:Eundefined"
8/3/2021, 6:59:26 PM[node: 1710a041f88e2705](http://localhost:1880/?#)msg.cells : string[18]
"BTC!Aundefined:E20"
Any other nodes I can try to stitch it together into one command?
Thanks in advance for any advice
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### Author:  [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)
#### Post date: [3 August 2021 17:19 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/combining-strings-referencing-csv-and-picking-a-specific-value-based-on-a-global-value/49276/2 "2021-08-03T17:19:56Z")
Maybe the template node ?
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### Author:  [@Christoff](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Christoff)
#### Post date: [4 August 2021 07:49 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/combining-strings-referencing-csv-and-picking-a-specific-value-based-on-a-global-value/49276/3 "2021-08-04T07:49:59Z")
How would I use two different incoming msg payloads then as part of the formatting? Tried: `BTC!A{{msg.currentitem}}:E{{msg.plusthree}}`
But it prints it without the messages. Also it still activates twice cause the two values are calculated separately.
I think a function might be a better node to use. I just have no experience with using it or the syntax. The idea is gets a number read in from a csv. Then it needs to stitch the following together:
BTC!A(csv number):E(csv number + 3)
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### Author:  [@Christoff](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Christoff)
#### Post date: [4 August 2021 08:04 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/combining-strings-referencing-csv-and-picking-a-specific-value-based-on-a-global-value/49276/4 "2021-08-04T08:04:38Z")
Here's my current flow. The section bottom left is what I'm trying to replace with a function now
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### Author:  [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)
#### Post date: [4 August 2021 08:12 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/combining-strings-referencing-csv-and-picking-a-specific-value-based-on-a-global-value/49276/5 "2021-08-04T08:12:03Z")
Messages will never arrive from 2 places into the same node at the same time. Never.
So you need to either store values in context (then retrieve them) or use something like the join node.
See [this article in the cookbook](https://cookbook.nodered.org/basic/join-streams) for an example of how to join messages into one object.
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### Author:  [@Christoff](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Christoff)
#### Post date: [4 August 2021 08:17 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/combining-strings-referencing-csv-and-picking-a-specific-value-based-on-a-global-value/49276/6 "2021-08-04T08:17:46Z")
If I can figure out how to do the function node I won't have two messages to join together. Just using nodes to do basic math and then combining it again at the moment.
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### Author:  [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)
#### Post date: [4 August 2021 08:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/combining-strings-referencing-csv-and-picking-a-specific-value-based-on-a-global-value/49276/7 "2021-08-04T08:28:51Z")
Then don't branch flows as that creates multiple messages. Wire in nodes series and store the values in different part of `msg` so as not to overwrite previous values.
Lastly, see the node-red docs regarding writing functions and using context.
Ps,
I recommend watching this playlist: [Node-RED Essentials](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyNBB9VCLmo1hyO-4fIZ08gqFcXBkHy-6). The videos are done by the developers of node-red. They're nice & short and to the point. You will understand a whole lot more in about 1 hour.
There a few gems in that playlist ☝ that will help it all just "click" for you. for example, the copy path button on the debug output.
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### Author:  [@Christoff](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Christoff)
#### Post date: [4 August 2021 13:10 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/combining-strings-referencing-csv-and-picking-a-specific-value-based-on-a-global-value/49276/8 "2021-08-04T13:10:21Z")
Refactored most of my flows now based off that playlist. Also changed things around to now periodically update from the google sheets but also store a local csv. The thing I'm struggling with now is referencing a certain value from the csv as it's a big array(?) of data. Basically I want to go and reference a certain col and then a amount that I've set to a global value but not having any luck with change nodes and understanding how I'm going to filter it.
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### Author:  [@Christoff](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Christoff)
#### Post date: [4 August 2021 13:27 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/combining-strings-referencing-csv-and-picking-a-specific-value-based-on-a-global-value/49276/9 "2021-08-04T13:27:31Z")
The last one is where I'm stuck now. Basically just need to get a value from col 4 and a row that's referenced by a global value.
I've put all of my tcp connections on a separate flow to prevent them from constantly reconnecting whenever I deploy changes.
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [3 October 2021 13:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/combining-strings-referencing-csv-and-picking-a-specific-value-based-on-a-global-value/49276/10 "2021-10-03T13:28:20Z")
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