# Embedding NodeRed & Creating nodes

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/embedding-nodered-creating-nodes/22940>\
**Category:** Developing Nodes\
**Created:** [10 March 2020 17:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/embedding-nodered-creating-nodes/22940 "2020-03-10T17:03:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![manuel-burato](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/manuel-burato/32/18207_2.png) [@manuel-burato](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/manuel-burato)\
**Post date:** [10 March 2020 17:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/embedding-nodered-creating-nodes/22940/1 "2020-03-10T17:03:29Z")

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Hi folks,  
thanks for furter reading. I'm tryng to integrate nodered with my already existing typescript@node.js app. I already use express as ws, so, by follow embedding guide ([https://nodered.org/docs/user-guide/runtime/embedding](https://nodered.org/docs/user-guide/runtime/embedding)) I'm able to start an embedded fully operational version of NodeRed. Ok, so good 🙂  
Then I would like to have some nodes that interact with my app mechanichs, such as websocket or graphQL interface. I tryed to create a basic nodeType with RED.nodes.registerType function from inside my app lifecycle right after RED initialization promise resolution (in it's then). On NodeRed log output I can't see anything relevant but the node won't appear on editor.

So my questions are: what is the right way to achieve this kind of integration? Where I put html file and how can bring it to embed node-red?  
Unfortunately the documentation about embedding doesn't explain well this part. Also @types I found on npm isn't corrected forcing me to use a lot of "any", losing precious intellisense aid 🙂

I'm struggling into this since a couple of days and the only achieve I got is a tera-headache 😃  
Any halp is greatly appreciated, thank you again 🙂  
Manuel

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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:** [11 March 2020 19:13 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/embedding-nodered-creating-nodes/22940/2 "2020-03-11T19:13:22Z")

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That's a good question. And I don't know the answer. Trying to find some time to do some investigation.

In the meantime, I would try running your app with embedded Node-RED using the node.js `--inspect` option or via vscode or some other way to be able to dig into the innards.

Put a debugger break statement into your custom node so that the debugger pauses there and you should be able to see exactly what you have access to.

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**Author:** ![manuel-burato](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/manuel-burato/32/18207_2.png) [@manuel-burato](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/manuel-burato)\
**Post date:** [11 March 2020 19:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/embedding-nodered-creating-nodes/22940/3 "2020-03-11T19:36:29Z")

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Hi Julian, thanks for response 🙂  
I passed last 3 days literally inside nodered code and maybe I found a way to achieve that bypassing some input checks. I'm working right now to clean up the code and refactor it in a less messy way.  
If the solution will satisfy me I will post some snippets to you

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**Author:** ![knolleary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/knolleary/32/3_2.png) [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)\
**Post date:** [11 March 2020 20:13 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/embedding-nodered-creating-nodes/22940/4 "2020-03-11T20:13:42Z")

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There is no way to inject nodes into the runtime - it has to discover them for itself on startup by scanning the node\_modules directories in the node-red user directory (~/.node-red by default)

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**Author:** ![tilleul](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/tilleul/32/78_2.png) [@tilleul](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/tilleul)\
**Post date:** [12 March 2020 06:15 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/embedding-nodered-creating-nodes/22940/5 "2020-03-12T06:15:14Z")

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Create user-defined NR nodes and store them in the `node_modules` subfolder of the folder defined by `userDir` in `settings.js` ... (of course respect `package.json` requirements). Create your NR nodes so they communicate with ports you've opened in your app using the protocol you choose ...

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**Author:** ![manuel-burato](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/manuel-burato/32/18207_2.png) [@manuel-burato](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/manuel-burato)\
**Post date:** [12 March 2020 09:05 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/embedding-nodered-creating-nodes/22940/6 "2020-03-12T09:05:31Z")

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Hi François, yep this was what my app did in past versions. It used to communicate with a standalone nodered with unix socket. It's a nice solution but with some drawbacks. Atm I'm able to import and interact with pieces of my app direcly inside my custom node as follow:

```auto
[...]
import { AppState } from '../../appstate.module'
[...]

export class CommMqttInputTEST extends BaseCustomNode {

    constructor(config: NodeRed.NodeProperties) {
        const RED: any = NodeRed
        super(config, RED)

        AppState.app.mqttBroker.inboundMessages.subscribe((m: Message) => { this.send(m) })
    }

    protected onInput(data: any): void {
        this.logger.debug(data)
        this.status({ fill: "green", shape: "dot", text: "Status test" })
    }
}

```

and my abstract base class:

```auto
[...]
export interface BaseCustomNode {
    on(event: string, handler: (msg: any) => void): void
    status(statusObject: StatusObject): void
    send(messages: any[]): void
}

export abstract class BaseCustomNode {
    constructor(config: any, RED: any) {
        RED.nodes.createNode(this, config);
        this.on('input', (msg: any) => { this.onInput(msg) })
        // this.on('close', () => { this.onClose() })
    }

    protected abstract onInput(msg: any): void
    // protected abstract onClose(): void
   [...]
}

```

The interface bring type support to mixin applied from RED.nodes.createNode: on, status and send are NR's methods.  
It's all messy yet. I'm refactoring it in a more elegant way

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [11 May 2020 09:05 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/embedding-nodered-creating-nodes/22940/7 "2020-05-11T09:05:34Z")

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