# Flow not doing what it should. Tests ok though

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-not-doing-what-it-should-tests-ok-though/35240>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [2 November 2020 20:34 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-not-doing-what-it-should-tests-ok-though/35240 "2020-11-02T20:34:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [2 November 2020 20:34 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-not-doing-what-it-should-tests-ok-though/35240/1 "2020-11-02T20:34:34Z")

</div>

I have a flow which _backs up_ a file every month.

External nodes required: `moment``fs-ops` `cronplus`

The flow.

```auto
[{"id":"9d9dc047.2a46a8","type":"function","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"Build stuff","func":"//msg.SourcePath = msg.path + \"reboot\";\nmsg.SourcePath = msg.path;\nmsg.Destination = msg.path + msg.directory + \"/\";\nreturn msg;","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":1940,"y":550,"wires":[["f09ccb9.91b22b8"]]},{"id":"f09ccb9.91b22b8","type":"fs-ops-dir","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"","path":"SourcePath","pathType":"msg","filter":"SourceFile","filterType":"msg","dir":"payload","dirType":"msg","x":2130,"y":550,"wires":[["8cfdb301.5eb908","41aff8c9.17778"]]},{"id":"416cb465.8b53d4","type":"template","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"Fix filename","field":"Month","fieldType":"msg","format":"handlebars","syntax":"mustache","template":"{{Month}}_{{SourceFile}}","output":"str","x":2490,"y":510,"wires":[["953146ce.6f11a","9d9dc047.2a46a8"]]},{"id":"8cfdb301.5eb908","type":"debug","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"Process","active":false,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","x":2280,"y":470,"wires":[]},{"id":"41aff8c9.17778","type":"switch","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"","property":"payload[0]","propertyType":"msg","rules":[{"t":"nnull"}],"checkall":"true","repair":false,"outputs":1,"x":2270,"y":550,"wires":[["d42f4c01.a38cf","25379d9b.104602","1dd9139a.be159c"]]},{"id":"953146ce.6f11a","type":"debug","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","x":2650,"y":510,"wires":[]},{"id":"14d07e63.e43202","type":"change","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"Set Filename here","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"SourceFile","pt":"msg","to":"AC_In.db","tot":"str"},{"t":"move","p":"year","pt":"msg","to":"directory","tot":"msg"},{"t":"set","p":"path","pt":"msg","to":"event_paths","tot":"global"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":2310,"y":510,"wires":[["48cb1b59.4c5bc4","416cb465.8b53d4"]]},{"id":"d42f4c01.a38cf","type":"fs-ops-mkdir","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"","path":"SourcePath","pathType":"msg","dirname":"directory","dirnameType":"msg","mode":"777","fullpath":"directory","fullpathType":"msg","x":1960,"y":590,"wires":[["ae9fe60.3953b98"]]},{"id":"25379d9b.104602","type":"delay","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"Delay","pauseType":"delay","timeout":"2","timeoutUnits":"seconds","rate":"1","nbRateUnits":"1","rateUnits":"second","randomFirst":"1","randomLast":"5","randomUnits":"seconds","drop":false,"x":1930,"y":630,"wires":[["caae316e.836ff","4e6b9776.81c218"]]},{"id":"1dd9139a.be159c","type":"debug","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"OUT","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","x":2650,"y":550,"wires":[]},{"id":"48cb1b59.4c5bc4","type":"debug","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"RAW","active":false,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","x":2470,"y":470,"wires":[]},{"id":"865d2f4.74af3d","type":"moment","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"Month","topic":"","input":"payload","inputType":"msg","inTz":"Australia/Sydney","adjAmount":0,"adjType":"days","adjDir":"add","format":"MMM","locale":"en_AU","output":"Month","outputType":"msg","outTz":"Australia/Sydney","x":2120,"y":510,"wires":[["14d07e63.e43202"]]},{"id":"ae9fe60.3953b98","type":"debug","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"1","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","x":2120,"y":590,"wires":[]},{"id":"caae316e.836ff","type":"debug","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"1d","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","x":2120,"y":670,"wires":[]},{"id":"4e6b9776.81c218","type":"fs-ops-move","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"","sourcePath":"SourcePath","sourcePathType":"msg","sourceFilename":"SourceFile","sourceFilenameType":"msg","destPath":"Destination","destPathType":"msg","destFilename":"Month","destFilenameType":"msg","link":false,"x":2130,"y":630,"wires":[["2948fb28.41cfb4"]]},{"id":"c958bf6f.7c5d3","type":"moment","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"Year","topic":"","input":"payload","inputType":"msg","inTz":"Australia/Sydney","adjAmount":0,"adjType":"days","adjDir":"add","format":"YYYY","locale":"en_AU","output":"year","outputType":"msg","outTz":"Australia/Sydney","x":1930,"y":510,"wires":[["865d2f4.74af3d"]]},{"id":"2948fb28.41cfb4","type":"debug","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"2","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","x":2270,"y":630,"wires":[]},{"id":"a1873562.affbf","type":"inject","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"Test","topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"date","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":1780,"y":550,"wires":[["c958bf6f.7c5d3"]]},{"id":"62315ad4.03cf1c","type":"cronplus","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"Monthly","outputField":"payload","timeZone":"","persistDynamic":false,"commandResponseMsgOutput":"output1","outputs":1,"options":[{"name":"Monthly","topic":"Monthly","payloadType":"str","payload":"Backup","expressionType":"cron","expression":"0 55 23 L * *","location":"","offset":"0","solarType":"all","solarEvents":"sunrise,sunset"}],"x":1770,"y":370,"wires":[["bbb7e036.106ec","c958bf6f.7c5d3"]]},{"id":"86e71dcd.ebff98","type":"comment","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"AC in file","info":"","x":2280,"y":430,"wires":[]},{"id":"b98c060f.df7f3","type":"comment","z":"1c428643.6f708a","name":"Read me *","info":"2020 10 05\nName in `set filename` had leading `_`.\nRemoved and shall see what happens now.","x":2460,"y":430,"wires":[]}]

```

Walk through:  
Top left going right.

`cronplus` generates a signal at 23:55 on the last day of the month. (`Backup`)

`mement` nodes to get the `year` and `month`. (`msg.year` and `msg.month` respectively)

`change` node gets/sets some things: `msg.SourceFile` `msg.directory` (from `msg.year`) `msg.path` from `global.event_paths`

`template` node to construct the destination file name.

`function` node to build a bit more. I'm not sure why I just don't use `msg.path`, but.....  
This sets `msg.SourcePath` from `msg.path`, `msg.destination` set from `msg.path` + `msg.directory` + "/"

I see the correct stuff here.

The next bit is where `fs-ops` checks if there is a file existing that needs moving.  
This is not clear why it is here, but it will become obvious in a moment.

the `switch` node only lets the message pass if there is a file. Ok in this case there will be as it is an active database.

Split here.  
1 - Make a directory (needed to put/move file into it)  
2 - `delay` (2 second) Just to be sure the directory is made.  
move the file.

Here are screen shots of it happening when I press the `test` button.  
(when I did it, the link from the `delay` to `fs-ops` was deleted to stop it actually being moved)

 ![Screenshot from 2020-11-03 07-19-00](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/6/2/6250f2ec2250d2d1e8ea2afecd3f64dad369dfcd.png)

(Above)  
you can see the message going through. Blue Pink Yellow.  
Yes, I haven't expanded them here. No problem See next.

 ![Screenshot from 2020-11-03 07-19-05](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/1/c/1cbf29c8228619f768110e83e66b0fe5303a5d89.png)

So, the message arrives.  
You have the bits:  
`msg.month` -- destination file name.  
`msg.SourceFile` -- the original file name.  
`msg.path` -- old message  
`msg.SourcePath` -- path to the file.  
`msg.destination` -- path to where the file is to be moved.

That would work.

A couple of times on the 1'st of the month, I would do it properly and the file would be moved.

But what is happening is when I look I have:

```auto
pi@TelePi:/media/pi/9020-9C27/events $ ls
2020 archive Forced_WiFi_up_commanded.txt IFF.db MQTT.db Uplink.db WAP_Status_Change.txt
_AC_In.db commands_received.txt Forced_WiFi_up.txt Main.db MusicPi.db WAP.db
AC_In.db Flow errors.txt health.db MQTT_Comms_Fail.db TimePi_status.db WAP_Scan_timeout.txt
pi@TelePi:/media/pi/9020-9C27/events $ cd 2020
pi@TelePi:/media/pi/9020-9C27/events/2020 $ ls
Apr_AC_In.db Aug_AC_In.db Jul_AC_In.db Jun_AC_In.db May_AC_In.db Sep_AC_In.db
pi@TelePi:/media/pi/9020-9C27/events/2020 $ cd ..
pi@TelePi:/media/pi/9020-9C27/events $ mv _AC_In.db 2020/Oct_AC_In.db

```

There is this file `_AC_In.db`

I don't get why it works if I press the `inject` (test) button but fails if left to its own devices.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [3 November 2020 08:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-not-doing-what-it-should-tests-ok-though/35240/2 "2020-11-03T08:43:06Z")

</div>

As always, the first thing to do is to have determine which node is not sending what you expect. Make sure you have sufficient debug nodes to determine what the problem and and work out where it is going wrong. If, as in this case, if it is an intermittent problem, then set the debug nodes to output to the console, and you can then, if you wish, disable them in the editor, they will still send to the console. Then after it fails you can look in the log and work out what went wrong.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [3 November 2020 08:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-not-doing-what-it-should-tests-ok-though/35240/3 "2020-11-03T08:56:53Z")

</div>

I agree with what you say.

But as you can see all the debug nodes.

The messages are working through as it is only done once a month at 23:55 on the last day and it doesn't seem to work.

What I've done is stuck a whole lot of `change` nodes which set an unused message thing to `a` `b` `c` `d` etc and send those messages to a queue to later examination.

I know it is probably trivial to do, but I don't want to do it now. (OCD and the like. Can't mess up the data logging.)

Bah! I will give it a go now.

# (Typical huh)

It worked now.

I'll get back to you next month.

---

<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:** [2 January 2021 08:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flow-not-doing-what-it-should-tests-ok-though/35240/4 "2021-01-02T08:56:55Z")

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