# Dumb question about editing a node

**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dumb-question-about-editing-a-node/34434
**Category:** General
**Created:** [18 October 2020 04:20 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dumb-question-about-editing-a-node/34434 "2020-10-18T04:20:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 40

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### Author: ![hepcat72](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/hepcat72/32/8078_2.png) [@hepcat72](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/hepcat72)
#### Post date: [22 October 2020 13:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dumb-question-about-editing-a-node/34434/40 "2020-10-22T13:56:36Z")

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Thanks for the vote oC.

So I found [this post](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/accessing-server-side-from-client-side/26022) which is pretty much about the same thing and I tried to see how it's done. Basically, they're looking up ports using the "server". Following the code, it looks like the ports come from here:

> <https://github.com/node-red/node-red-nodes/blob/eddeef9630fee3dcc1d3eddd02b654b43696d3ce/io/serialport/25-serial.js#L488>

...and `ports` are returned by `serialp`. I'm guessing that `serialp` is the analog of my `server`. However, that `serialp` "server" via a `require`. There's no constructor in the file. I read that `require` is a node red function to basically import `modules`.

What I don't understand is what is list() here returning?:

> <https://github.com/node-red/node-red-nodes/blob/eddeef9630fee3dcc1d3eddd02b654b43696d3ce/io/serialport/25-serial.js#L489>

My take-away is that I need to provide access to the server in the same way serialp is providing access in the example and that I need to have a function(?) akin to `list` that returns circles? Is that on the right track? Because trying to instantiate the location class isn't setting the server data member inside the location object.

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