# How to change properties of nodes

**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-change-properties-of-nodes/56393
**Category:** General
**Tags:** node-red-dashboard
**Created:** [10 January 2022 12:15 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-change-properties-of-nodes/56393 "2022-01-10T12:15:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Git](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f1d935/32.png) [@Git](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Git)
#### Post date: [10 January 2022 12:15 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-change-properties-of-nodes/56393/1 "2022-01-10T12:15:16Z")

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Hi,

I would like to display data of different OPC-UA clients with a dashboard. The data for each client is more or less the same. Therefore I would like to create a group of dashboard widgets, for example in a subflow. Within each group only the ui\_grp of the dashboard-widgets differs. The data is then to be shown on the Dashboard-tab side by side for each UPC-UA-client.  
For the property "Group" there is only a drop-down menue, from where one can choose from already created ui\_grps. That's why it feels I am currently forced to change the ui\_grp-property by hand for each widget. This is very undesired, because I would like to keep the widget group as a whole "template" changeable, so that the appearance for the data of all OPC-UA clients is changed simultaneously when changes are made.

I was reading through the Node-Red pages on

- how to create your own node
- how to write functions
- grouping nodes

I am certain, that with writing my own node, I could achieve, what I want. Unfortunately I would have to dive into javascript and html.

I was also considering to write a script wich goes through the .json-file of the flow and changes only the references to the ui\_grp.

Both ways seem to be to much effort for such a seemingly simple adjustment.

Did I miss something? Am I on the wrong track somehow?

tl;dr :  
Is there a way to programmatically edit the properties of nodes, that are originally not meant to be parameterizable?  
Or to simultaneously change a common property of different types of nodes (again: that seem not to be parameterizable)?

Thanks in advance for helpfull advice

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### 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: [13 January 2022 11:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-change-properties-of-nodes/56393/2 "2022-01-13T11:41:56Z")

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> [@Git](#):
>
> Therefore I would like to create a group of dashboard widgets, for example in a subflow

UI widgets in a subflow are not supported & covered a few times in forum posts.

> [@Git](#):
>
> Is there a way to programmatically edit the properties of nodes, that are originally not meant to be parameterizable?

Not at runtime. You could set env variables for a group or flow-tab & use env variables for text type fields - but this is design time.

> [@Git](#):
>
> Or to simultaneously change a common property of different types of nodes (again: that seem not to be parameterizable)?

No, unfortunately not (apart from enable/disable)

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### Author: ![Git](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f1d935/32.png) [@Git](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Git)
#### Post date: [13 January 2022 14:18 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-change-properties-of-nodes/56393/3 "2022-01-13T14:18:02Z")

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Thanks for the clarification.  
Changing shared properties inside a group of nodes might be something for the future though 😉

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### Author: ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [14 March 2022 14:18 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-change-properties-of-nodes/56393/4 "2022-03-14T14:18:38Z")

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