# "Function tried to send a message of type number"
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/function-tried-to-send-a-message-of-type-number/18021
**Category:** General
**Created:** [15 November 2019 21:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/function-tried-to-send-a-message-of-type-number/18021 "2019-11-15T21:50:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@JaredG](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/JaredG)
#### Post date: [15 November 2019 21:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/function-tried-to-send-a-message-of-type-number/18021/1 "2019-11-15T21:50:39Z")
I'm sure this is some type of newb thing. I'm trying to return a value from my array with:
return msg.payload[0].V
(Yes, I want the first value in the array. )
But I keep getting this error:
"Function tried to send a message of type number"
Does the return need to be converted to a string or some other format?
---
### Author:  [@hotNipi](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/hotNipi)
#### Post date: [15 November 2019 21:57 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/function-tried-to-send-a-message-of-type-number/18021/2 "2019-11-15T21:57:35Z")
Object must be returned. msg is object. Object can have properties. Mostly we use `payload` for transport the valuable info. This payload property can be any type.
`return msg.payload[0].V` sends out number as `V` is probably number in your case.
You should use that `V` as` msg.payload`
`msg.payload = (manage the value of V here).`
then `return msg`
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### Author:  [@JaredG](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/JaredG)
#### Post date: [15 November 2019 23:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/function-tried-to-send-a-message-of-type-number/18021/3 "2019-11-15T23:03:23Z")
thank you your comment fixed it.
msg.payload = msg.payload[0].V
return msg