# Convert buffer to string using core nodes
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/convert-buffer-to-string-using-core-nodes/74556
**Category:** Share Your Projects
**Created:** [1 February 2023 12:54 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/convert-buffer-to-string-using-core-nodes/74556 "2023-02-01T12:54:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@cymplecy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/cymplecy)
#### Post date: [1 February 2023 12:54 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/convert-buffer-to-string-using-core-nodes/74556/1 "2023-02-01T12:54:35Z")
Following last years string - \> buffer thread 🙂
[https://discourse.nodered.org/t/convert-string-to-buffer/60755/12](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/convert-string-to-buffer/60755/12)
This year I wanted the other way so this is what I've done
Split payload
and join back again
---
### Author:  [@SuperNinja](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/SuperNinja)
#### Post date: [11 July 2024 14:01 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/convert-buffer-to-string-using-core-nodes/74556/2 "2024-07-11T14:01:29Z")
Hi, I'm trying to do the same thing with NR 4.0.2 :
_one of the payloads at the exit of the SPLIT node_
I see that the JOIN node is different:
I have to check this box otherwise I have no payload:
So I do have a string payload at the end of JOIN node, but not as I would like: I'm waiting for "81733B0D....FF" instead I have this:
there is a transformation in ASCII (probably ?) that I can't understand why?
---
### Author:  [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)
#### Post date: [11 July 2024 17:12 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/convert-buffer-to-string-using-core-nodes/74556/3 "2024-07-11T17:12:14Z")
Your data looks to be byte pairs of ascii with some odd chars up front.
Where are you getting the data from?
The buffer-parser nodes can do this without resorting to splits and joins (or you can use a function node - but the difficulty of that depends on the data format, byte-swapping etc)
If you want further help, paste a copy of the raw buffer data and tell me what is SHOULD be when represented as a string.
---
### Author:  [@SuperNinja](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/SuperNinja)
#### Post date: [12 July 2024 07:17 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/convert-buffer-to-string-using-core-nodes/74556/4 "2024-07-12T07:17:38Z")
> [@Steve-Mcl](#):
>
> Where are you getting the data from?
the data comes from an iot device which sends via MQTT a buffer frame of bytes which I must assemble then separate according to a protocol.
> [@Steve-Mcl](#):
>
> The buffer-parser nodes can do this
yes that's exactly what I want to do with your "Buffer-parser"node :
Yes, I can also do it in a Function node (my javascript basics are starting to be good thanks to your help 😉 )
But, here the idea was to take what @cymplecy proposed with core nodes WITHOUT having to use a node-red-contrib :
Example from a buffer : [0x79, 0x35, 0x32 ..., 0x33] To a string: "793532...33"
---
### Author:  [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)
#### Post date: [12 July 2024 07:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/convert-buffer-to-string-using-core-nodes/74556/5 "2024-07-12T07:25:06Z")
> [@SuperNinja](#):
>
> But, here the idea was to take what @cymplecy proposed with core nodes WITHOUT having to use a node-red-contrib :
Fair enough & good luck making something in less than 5 minutes in less than 5 nodes that is performant, extensible, easy to understand and reusable in place of a node specifically designed for this purpose.
---
### Author:  [@SuperNinja](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/SuperNinja)
#### Post date: [12 July 2024 08:18 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/convert-buffer-to-string-using-core-nodes/74556/6 "2024-07-12T08:18:48Z")
> [@Steve-Mcl](#):
>
> Fair enough & good luck making something in less than 5 minutes in less than 5 nodes
that's why the proposal of a split followed by a join node was cool.. but obviously doesn't give the expected result... too bad. I will pass through your buffer-parser node (or Function node).
---
### Author:  [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)
#### Post date: [12 July 2024 08:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/convert-buffer-to-string-using-core-nodes/74556/7 "2024-07-12T08:36:45Z")
external systems, passing binary or ascii data often require specialise conversion that requires specialist routines that strip out control characters, CRCs, do data type conversions etc. If this were a simple, single string, then you can use core nodes (inluding a single function and probably a change+jsonata) but in most real life cases, interfacing real devices that often encode multiple data element in multiple differing formats (often for good reason, often for no good reason) - you will need specialist nodes or custom programming.