# How to access selection from drop down property

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-selection-from-drop-down-property/84125>\
**Category:** Developing Nodes\
**Created:** [30 December 2023 06:05 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-selection-from-drop-down-property/84125 "2023-12-30T06:05:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bruceb85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a4c791/32.png) [@bruceb85](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/bruceb85)\
**Post date:** [30 December 2023 06:05 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-selection-from-drop-down-property/84125/1 "2023-12-30T06:05:48Z")

</div>

I can access the text input field value, but the drop down selection from the properties windows is undefined.

Below is my code, how can I access which drop down menu was selected?

tester.html

```auto
<script type="text/javascript">
    RED.nodes.registerType('tester', {
        category: 'test nodes',
        color: '#C0C0C0',
        defaults: {
            name: {value: ""},
            instanceId: {value: "", required: true}
        },
        inputs: 1,
        outputs: 1,
        icon: "font-awesome/fa-handshake-o",  
        label: function() {
            return this.name || "tester";
        },
        labelStyle: function() {
            return this.name ? "node_label_italic" : "";
        },
        defaults:{
            JoinID: {value:"", required:true }
        }
    });
</script>

<script type="text/html" data-template-name="tester">
    <!-- Join ID Input -->
    <div class="form-row">
        <label for="node-input-JoinID"><i class="icon-tag"></i> Join ID</label>
        <input type="text" id="node-input-JoinID" placeholder="Join ID">
    </div>
    <!-- drop down -->
    <div class="form-row">
        <label for="node-input-makeSelection"><i class="icon-tag"></i> Make Selection</label>
        <select value="" select id="node-input-makeSelection">
            <option value="Run System Update">Run System Update</option>
            <option value="Clear All Node-RED Flows">Clear All Node-RED Flows</option>
        </select>
    </div>
</script>

<script type="text/html" data-help-name="tester">
    <p>This node is a local tester node</p>
</script>

```

tester.js

```auto
module.exports = function (RED) {
    function TesterNode(config) {
        RED.nodes.createNode(this, config);
        var node = this;
        this.JoinID = config.JoinID;//
        //this.makeSelection = RED.nodes.getNode(config.makeSelection);//
        this.makeSelection = config.makeSelection;//

        // Your node logic here...

        this.on('input', function (msg) {

            node.warn("join id is: " + node.JoinID);//works ok
            node.warn("makeSelection is: " + node.makeSelection);//makeSelection is: undefined
        });
    }

    RED.nodes.registerType("tester", TesterNode);
};

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [30 December 2023 09:58 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-selection-from-drop-down-property/84125/2 "2023-12-30T09:58:07Z")

</div>

> [@bruceb85](#):
>
> ```auto
> defaults: {
> name: {value: ""},
> instanceId: {value: "", required: true}
> }
> 
> ```

You don't have a property named `makeSelection` in your defaults.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dceejay](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dceejay/32/38_2.png) [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)\
**Post date:** [30 December 2023 11:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-selection-from-drop-down-property/84125/3 "2023-12-30T11:44:09Z")

</div>

And indeed two sets of defaults. (Not good)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [30 December 2023 11:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-selection-from-drop-down-property/84125/4 "2023-12-30T11:50:31Z")

</div>

Didn't even spot that 🦅👁

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![bruceb85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a4c791/32.png) [@bruceb85](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/bruceb85)\
**Post date:** [31 December 2023 02:04 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-selection-from-drop-down-property/84125/5 "2023-12-31T02:04:11Z")

</div>

edit: i tried adding the following which appeard to have worked fine.

```auto
defaults:{
            JoinID: {value:"", required:true },
            makeSelection: { value: "", required: true },
        }

```

---

<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:** [29 February 2024 02:04 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-access-selection-from-drop-down-property/84125/6 "2024-02-29T02:04:46Z")

</div>

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