# Global context variables do not display in the Context Sidebar

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [14 September 2018 20:22 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153 "2018-09-14T20:22:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 3

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![shrickus](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/shrickus/32/517_2.png) [@shrickus](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/shrickus)\
**Post date:** [18 September 2018 20:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153/41 "2018-09-18T20:38:37Z")

</div>

What if he tries upgrading to node-red 0.19.4?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hotNipi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/hotnipi/32/383_2.png) [@hotNipi](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/hotNipi)\
**Post date:** [18 September 2018 20:46 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153/42 "2018-09-18T20:46:28Z")

</div>

Might have kind of point in here. I missed 0.19.3 in both my systems.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tree-frog](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/tree-frog/32/89303_2.png) [@tree-frog](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/tree-frog)\
**Post date:** [18 September 2018 20:59 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153/43 "2018-09-18T20:59:35Z")

</div>

I just upgraded to 0.19.4... It still isn't showing any Global Context variable information in the Context Sidebar.

😣

However, I added the contextStorage... localfilesystem syntax to the settings.js and that's working great.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Andrei](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/andrei/32/10446_2.png) [@Andrei](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Andrei)\
**Post date:** [18 September 2018 21:04 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153/44 "2018-09-18T21:04:32Z")

</div>

> [@tree-frog](#):
>
> I inserted it before the comments of functionGlobalContext: {},

This is not how I configured in my system. I added the context storage at the very end.

```auto
logging: {
        // Only console logging is currently supported
        console: {
            // Level of logging to be recorded. Options are:
            // fatal - only those errors which make the application unusable should be recorded
            // error - record errors which are deemed fatal for a particular request + fatal errors
            // warn - record problems which are non fatal + errors + fatal errors
            // info - record information about the general running of the application + warn + error + fatal errors
            // debug - record information which is more verbose than info + info + warn + error + fatal errors
            // trace - record very detailed logging + debug + info + warn + error + fatal errors
            // off - turn off all logging (doesn't affect metrics or audit)
            level: "info",
            // Whether or not to include metric events in the log output
            metrics: false,
            // Whether or not to include audit events in the log output
            audit: false
        }
    },
    editorTheme: {
        projects: {
            enabled: true
        }
    },
    contextStorage: {
        default: {
            module: "localfilesystem"
        },
        memoryOnly: {
            module: "memory"
        }
     }
}

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hotNipi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/hotnipi/32/383_2.png) [@hotNipi](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/hotNipi)\
**Post date:** [18 September 2018 21:08 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153/45 "2018-09-18T21:08:46Z")

</div>

So you see your global context stored in filesystem in folder C:\Users\YourUserName\ .node-red\context\global\global.json but still nothing in right side panel? is this correct?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tree-frog](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/tree-frog/32/89303_2.png) [@tree-frog](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/tree-frog)\
**Post date:** [18 September 2018 21:10 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153/46 "2018-09-18T21:10:23Z")

</div>

Andrei,  
How are you switching between the default persistence and the memory type? Do you specify that somewhere else in the configuration or does it only load the "default" and you change that in the file here?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hotNipi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/hotnipi/32/383_2.png) [@hotNipi](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/hotNipi)\
**Post date:** [18 September 2018 21:12 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153/47 "2018-09-18T21:12:43Z")

</div>

All about presistable context storage  
[https://nodered.org/docs/user-guide/context](https://nodered.org/docs/user-guide/context)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tree-frog](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/tree-frog/32/89303_2.png) [@tree-frog](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/tree-frog)\
**Post date:** [18 September 2018 21:14 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153/48 "2018-09-18T21:14:09Z")

</div>

yes, it's in the file. Also There IS Flow Context Data. on the Flow tab. it works when I switch the flow tabs.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Andrei](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/andrei/32/10446_2.png) [@Andrei](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Andrei)\
**Post date:** [18 September 2018 21:16 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153/49 "2018-09-18T21:16:29Z")

</div>

> [@tree-frog](#):
>
> How are you switching between the default persistence and the memory type?

I do like explained in the middle of this post...

> [@Logic error - can i get some input please?](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/logic-error-can-i-get-some-input-please/3028/15):
>
> When using a node like the change node you can select the storage option with the icon on the right side. [r-01] When using JavaScript statement inside a function node then you follow the explanation given in this link (multiple context stores): [https://nodered.org/docs/writing-functions#storing-data](https://nodered.org/docs/writing-functions#storing-data)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hotNipi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/hotnipi/32/383_2.png) [@hotNipi](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/hotNipi)\
**Post date:** [18 September 2018 21:19 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153/50 "2018-09-18T21:19:24Z")

</div>

So this is certainly something for @knolleary to figure out. Needs deep knowledge of whole thing here. Very strange indeed.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [18 September 2018 21:20 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153/51 "2018-09-18T21:20:24Z")

</div>

> [@hotNipi](#):
>
> something for @knolleary to figure out

Please don't let me stop y'all trying to figure it out whilst I'm busy with other things.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hotNipi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/hotnipi/32/383_2.png) [@hotNipi](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/hotNipi)\
**Post date:** [18 September 2018 21:22 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153/52 "2018-09-18T21:22:19Z")

</div>

We tried. We failed. Sorry 😶

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tree-frog](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/tree-frog/32/89303_2.png) [@tree-frog](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/tree-frog)\
**Post date:** [18 September 2018 21:23 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153/53 "2018-09-18T21:23:28Z")

</div>

🥺

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tree-frog](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/tree-frog/32/89303_2.png) [@tree-frog](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/tree-frog)\
**Post date:** [19 September 2018 20:06 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153/54 "2018-09-19T20:06:48Z")

</div>

Andrei,  
Thanks, I had not connected the dots... I had wondered how you could select type of storage since you probably only want a select few of variables to be persistent. Otherwise you need to do a bunch of clean-up initializing values at re-starts. That view of the change node configuration explained a bunch. And the documentation has been updated to explain it as well.

Thanks,

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![craigcurtin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/94ad74/32.png) [@craigcurtin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/craigcurtin)\
**Post date:** [19 September 2018 20:14 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153/55 "2018-09-19T20:14:18Z")

</div>

And it works very well too - based on what Andrei told me in that previous thread i have been using it for about 4 or 5 days now and no problems. One surprise i had - i thought a deploy would clear out the memory variables - it does not - you neeed a Systemctl restart nodered for that to happen

Craig

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tree-frog](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/tree-frog/32/89303_2.png) [@tree-frog](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/tree-frog)\
**Post date:** [20 September 2018 13:14 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153/56 "2018-09-20T13:14:33Z")

</div>

I tried yet another thing this morning... I installed "node-red-contrib-contextbrowser" so I would have this function in another capacity... It does not work.

It does show information however. It shows  
GLOBAL:  
| **Info** |  
|Name|-|  
|Type|-|  
|Id|[Open](http://127.0.0.1:1880/contextbrowser/global)|  
|Timestamp|09/20/18, 09:09:13|

FLOW:  
**Info**  
Name - Flow 1  
Type- tab  
Id [d0ab1f89.619cf](http://127.0.0.1:1880/contextbrowser/flow/d0ab1f89.619cf)  
Timestamp 09/20/18, 09:12:58

But nothing useful.

Yes, Injected nodes, refreshed, re-started Node-RED, Refreshed Context browser etc..

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tree-frog](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/tree-frog/32/89303_2.png) [@tree-frog](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/tree-frog)\
**Post date:** [20 September 2018 14:35 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153/57 "2018-09-20T14:35:16Z")

</div>

Nick,  
I have a question for you.  
I copied this flow from the "flows" title:

# "Function that dumps all context.global vars to debug window"

```auto
[{"id":"26917602.d96e8a","type":"inject","name":"trigger","topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"string","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"x":274,"y":163,"z":"1115f4b3.eeea0b","wires":[["3d0110db.c2fef"]]},{"id":"3d0110db.c2fef","type":"function","name":"dump: context.global ","func":"// dumps all vars in context.global \nvar objs = \"context.global: \";\n\nfor(var index in context.global) { \n if(typeof context.global[index] == \"object\"){\n \tobjs += \" \" + showKeys(index,context.global[index]);\n\t} else {\n\t objs += \" \"+ index+\":\"+context.global[index]+\" , \"; \n\t}\n}\n\nfunction showKeys(parent,keys){\n \tvar tkeys=\"\";\n \tfor(var subIndex in keys) { \n\t\tif(typeof context.global[parent][subIndex] == \"object\"){\t\t\n\t\t\ttkeys += \" \"+ showKeysKeys(subIndex,context.global[parent][subIndex],parent);\n\t\t} else {\n\t\t\ttkeys += \" \"+ parent+\".\"+subIndex+\": \"+context.global[parent][subIndex]+\", \";\t\n\t\t}\n\t}\n\treturn tkeys;\n}\n\nfunction showKeysKeys(parent,keys,pp){\n \tvar tkeys =\"\";\n \tfor(var subIndex in keys) { \n\t\t\ttkeys += \" \"+pp+\".\"+parent+\".\"+subIndex+\": \"+context.global[pp][parent][subIndex]+\", \";\t\n\t}\n\treturn tkeys;\n}\n\nmsg.payload = objs;\nreturn msg;","outputs":1,"x":516,"y":162,"z":"1115f4b3.eeea0b","wires":[["870a5c65.78f5a"]]},{"id":"870a5c65.78f5a","type":"debug","name":"show","active":true,"console":"false","complete":"payload","x":733,"y":162,"z":"1115f4b3.eeea0b","wires":[]},{"id":"d314beef.2ceb4","type":"inject","name":"delete var","topic":"all","payload":"","payloadType":"string","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"x":270,"y":198,"z":"1115f4b3.eeea0b","wires":[["b6240402.49dbf8"]]},{"id":"4fbef425.b0410c","type":"function","name":"Set vars example","func":"context.global.myvar = \"foo\";\ncontext.global.myarry = [\"foo\",\"/\",\"bar\"];\ncontext.global.debug = context.global.debug || {state:0, statePrevious: {pa:1,pb:2,pc:3}, darry: [0,1,2,3] };","outputs":1,"x":516,"y":234,"z":"1115f4b3.eeea0b","wires":[["870a5c65.78f5a"]]},{"id":"71b65ee1.8e49a","type":"inject","name":"trigger","topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"date","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"x":274,"y":235,"z":"1115f4b3.eeea0b","wires":[["4fbef425.b0410c"]]},{"id":"b6240402.49dbf8","type":"function","name":"delete vars from global.context","func":"// Delete vars\nif(msg.topic!=\"\"){ \n\tif(msg.topic.toLowerCase() == \"all\"){\n\t\tfor(var index in context.global) { \n\t\t\tdelete context.global[index];\n\t\t}\n\t} else {\n\t\tfor(var index in context.global) { \n\t\t\tif(index == msg.topic){\n\t\t\t\tdelete context.global[index];\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t}\n}","outputs":1,"x":488,"y":197,"z":"1115f4b3.eeea0b","wires":[["870a5c65.78f5a"]]}]

```

it is an example how to display all ... context.global items on the debug window.  
It works for the context which it stores them using this syntax...  
context.global.myvar = "foo";

but it does not show items which I stored using this syntax...  
global.set('mynewvar','321');

They are different... I cannot use this example to pull up "mynewvar"... so, how can I get the items which are stored in the same context as "mynewvar" to show them on the debug page?

Kind Regards,

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![hotNipi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/hotnipi/32/383_2.png) [@hotNipi](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/hotNipi)\
**Post date:** [20 September 2018 16:25 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153/58 "2018-09-20T16:25:41Z")

</div>

Try this

```auto
[{"id":"69095e3a.45e6d","type":"function","z":"636437be.db70f8","name":"get global objects","func":"var keys = global.keys();\nvar v,k;\nvar pl = {}\nfor(var i in keys){\n v = global.get(keys[i])\n k = keys[i]\n pl[k] = v\n \n}\nmsg.payload = pl\nreturn msg;","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":420,"y":910,"wires":[["4b166c4d.ba8924"]]},{"id":"4b166c4d.ba8924","type":"debug","z":"636437be.db70f8","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"false","x":600,"y":910,"wires":[]},{"id":"5f528a20.8991e4","type":"inject","z":"636437be.db70f8","name":"","topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"date","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":250,"y":910,"wires":[["69095e3a.45e6d"]]}]

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**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:** [20 September 2018 22:45 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153/59 "2018-09-20T22:45:15Z")

</div>

Hi @tree-frog

There are two ways of accessing context. The old way of doing was to access the `context.global` object directly - such as:

```
context.global.foo = "bar"; 

```

That just adds the property to the `context.global` object in memory and nothing else.

The proper way to access context is to use the get/set functions:

```
global.set("foo", "bar");

```

That stores the value in the internal context store - wherever that may be configured to end up.

The example flow you have shared enumerates the properties on the `context.global` object. That is _not_ the same as enumerating the properties that have been properly set on global context using the `set` function.

The Context data sidebar lists the properties that have been properly set.

The example from @hotNiPi shows how to achieve much the same result, but by accessing the proper global context object via its `get/set/keys` api functions.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tree-frog](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/tree-frog/32/89303_2.png) [@tree-frog](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/tree-frog)\
**Post date:** [21 September 2018 13:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/global-context-variables-do-not-display-in-the-context-sidebar/3153/60 "2018-09-21T13:50:24Z")

</div>

I used this example to check to see if the values were the same "context", or the same named variable.

```auto
[{"id":"c4decc37.7768b","type":"inject","z":"d0ab1f89.619cf","name":"","topic":"","payload":"store 123 into mynewvar","payloadType":"str","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":210,"y":760,"wires":[["ef2b6834.f4fd78"]]},{"id":"86b2cb82.282928","type":"inject","z":"d0ab1f89.619cf","name":"","topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"date","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":180,"y":880,"wires":[["2c12437a.1e4294"]]},{"id":"ef2b6834.f4fd78","type":"function","z":"d0ab1f89.619cf","name":"Global Set mynewvar 123 memoryOnly","func":"global.set('mynewvar','123');\nreturn msg;","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":540,"y":760,"wires":[["95bc555c.61225"]]},{"id":"2c12437a.1e4294","type":"function","z":"d0ab1f89.619cf","name":"Global Get mynewvar","func":"var v = global.get('mynewvar');\nmsg.payload= v;\nreturn msg;","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":400,"y":880,"wires":[["aa904188.995a3"]]},{"id":"95bc555c.61225","type":"debug","z":"d0ab1f89.619cf","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"false","x":830,"y":760,"wires":[]},{"id":"aa904188.995a3","type":"debug","z":"d0ab1f89.619cf","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"false","x":750,"y":880,"wires":[]},{"id":"350c554a.8d89d2","type":"inject","z":"d0ab1f89.619cf","name":"","topic":"","payload":"store 321 into mynewvar","payloadType":"str","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":210,"y":800,"wires":[["a144fe97.6c0498"]]},{"id":"a144fe97.6c0498","type":"function","z":"d0ab1f89.619cf","name":"Context Global mynewvar = 321","func":"context.global.mynewvar ='321';\nreturn msg;","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":510,"y":800,"wires":[["fdc732d2.2bb418"]]},{"id":"fdc732d2.2bb418","type":"debug","z":"d0ab1f89.619cf","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"false","x":810,"y":800,"wires":[]},{"id":"6f0779e1.5d4a5","type":"inject","z":"d0ab1f89.619cf","name":"","topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"date","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":180,"y":920,"wires":[["fd827e4a.f1bf1"]]},{"id":"fd827e4a.f1bf1","type":"function","z":"d0ab1f89.619cf","name":"payload = Context Global mynewvar","func":"var v = context.global.mynewvar;\nmsg.payload= v;\nreturn msg;","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":450,"y":920,"wires":[["9d119140.7f5db"]]},{"id":"9d119140.7f5db","type":"debug","z":"d0ab1f89.619cf","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"false","x":750,"y":920,"wires":[]}]

```

I redefined my system to default to 'memory' Global variables.

This flow does a few things...

1. Store a value in a context.global.mynewvar
2. Store a value in set.global('mynewvar')
3. Retrieve the content of context.global.mynewvar
4. Retrieve the content of global.get('mynewvar')

When you set the values to the same variable, you get 2 different results when you write the variable and read the variable data. It is acting like you have 2 different global variables...

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/2X/d/d4c1fbd3f8b54baf077fdf651c31186b91bb1d2f.png)

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