# How to split an array based on an element within the array?
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-split-an-array-based-on-an-element-within-the-array/42067
**Category:** General
**Created:** [5 March 2021 08:27 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-split-an-array-based-on-an-element-within-the-array/42067 "2021-03-05T08:27:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@dclear](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dclear)
#### Post date: [5 March 2021 08:27 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-split-an-array-based-on-an-element-within-the-array/42067/1 "2021-03-05T08:27:45Z")
Sorry, I've Googled and Googled but I can't find out how to do this. I've looked at threads that show functions, jsonata expressions, split nodes, change nodes - but because the array will have staff in different positions every time I can't work out how to split the payload the same way reliably.
So today, my own name is here:
`payload[2].employee_name`
but tomorrow it could be
`payload[0].employee_name`
or
`payload[3].employee_name`
So I'm just wondering how I can interrogate that part of the payload...when the key (is it called a key?) is subject to daily change!
thanks
---
### Author:  [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)
#### Post date: [5 March 2021 09:00 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-split-an-array-based-on-an-element-within-the-array/42067/2 "2021-03-05T09:00:01Z")
you can do this using standard JavaScript `find` function.
e.g...
_function node_
```auto
var users = msg.payload;
var find_id = "221244"; //you could pass this in msg.find_id if you wish!
var user = users.find(e => e.employee_id == find_id);
msg.payload = user;
return msg;
```
or less verbose...
```auto
msg.payload = msg.payload.find(e => e.employee_id == "221244");
return msg;
```
---
### Author:  [@dclear](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dclear)
#### Post date: [5 March 2021 10:00 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-split-an-array-based-on-an-element-within-the-array/42067/3 "2021-03-05T10:00:18Z")
Sadly for both of those I get an error
either:
`"TypeError: users.find is not a function"`
`"TypeError: msg.payload.find is not a function"`
sorry!! Googled for half an hour to see if I could fix this myself without bothering you but found nothing ☹
---
### Author:  [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)
#### Post date: [5 March 2021 10:05 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-split-an-array-based-on-an-element-within-the-array/42067/4 "2021-03-05T10:05:45Z")
I wrote that based on your screenshot that shows `msg.payload` is an array...
Put a debug BEFORE this new function - to see what is going into the function. It should be the same as your original screenshot (an array in msg.payload)
If you are not feeding an array of objects into the function as `msg.payload`, it wont work.
share your flow by selecting the relevant nodes and pressing CTRL+E then copy to clipboard then paste into a reply (press the `` code button before pasting code)
---
### Author:  [@dclear](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dclear)
#### Post date: [5 March 2021 10:30 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-split-an-array-based-on-an-element-within-the-array/42067/5 "2021-03-05T10:30:53Z")
```auto
[{"id":"c9595213.416a8","type":"inject","z":"aea73244.52bb5","name":"","topic":"","payload":"{\"status\":1,\"data\":[{\"employee_id\":\"221244\",\"employee_eid\":\"\",\"employee_name\":\"Dane Boomatron\",\"employee_avatar\":\"0\",\"employee_avatar_url\":\"{\\\"large\\\":\\\"avatars\\\\/large_221244-2212441575277008.jpg\\\",\\\"small\\\":\\\"avatars\\\\/small_221244-2212441575277008.jpg\\\",\\\"bigger\\\":\\\"avatars\\\\/bigger_221244-2212441575277008.jpg\\\",\\\"full\\\":\\\"avatars\\\\/full_221244-2212441575277008.jpg\\\",\\\"profile\\\":\\\"avatars\\\\/profile_221244-2212441575277008.jpg\\\",\\\"forum\\\":\\\"avatars\\\\/forum_221244-2212441575277008.jpg\\\"}\",\"employee_avatar_url_small\":\"https://s3aws.com/uf.shiftping.com/avatars%441575277008.jpg\",\"schedule_id\":\"335645\",\"schedule_name\":\"Keyholder\",\"schedule_color\":\"1\",\"timeclock_id\":\"154394679\",\"clockin_time\":{\"id\":4327,\"month\":3,\"day\":4,\"wday\":4,\"year\":2021,\"weekday\":\"Thu\",\"mname\":\"Mar\",\"week\":9,\"dayid\":5,\"timeid\":37,\"timeid_exact\":37,\"formatted\":\"Mar 4, 2021\",\"iso8601\":\"2021-03-04T09:00:00+0000\",\"time\":\"09:00\",\"timestamp\":1614848400,\"hours\":9,\"minutes\":0,\"seconds\":0,\"date\":\"Mar 4, 2021\",\"day_of_year\":\"62\",\"week_adjusted\":9,\"sp_wday\":5,\"date_timestamp\":\"2021-03-04 09:00:00\"},\"shift_id\":null,\"shift_start\":null,\"shift_end\":null,\"is_on_break\":null,\"break\":[]}],\"metadata\":[],\"token\":\"7a1935d8bd7b7309367902dfba\",\"error\":null}","payloadType":"json","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":110,"y":360,"wires":[["a30e8c.3d725178","c717c9cf.98bca8","3fb8dc6e.db0b34"]]},{"id":"c717c9cf.98bca8","type":"function","z":"aea73244.52bb5","name":"","func":"msg.payload = msg.payload.find(e => e.employee_id == \"221244\");\nreturn msg;","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":370,"y":520,"wires":[[]]},{"id":"3fb8dc6e.db0b34","type":"debug","z":"aea73244.52bb5","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"false","x":340,"y":400,"wires":[]}]
```
---
### Author:  [@dclear](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dclear)
#### Post date: [5 March 2021 10:34 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-split-an-array-based-on-an-element-within-the-array/42067/6 "2021-03-05T10:34:51Z")
Sorry totally agree it's now showing as an object rather than an array which I'm really confused about because I don't think I'm doing anything different or have changed anything...clearly I have but I don't know what?!
---
### Author:  [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)
#### Post date: [5 March 2021 10:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-split-an-array-based-on-an-element-within-the-array/42067/7 "2021-03-05T10:38:40Z")
```auto
msg.payload = msg.payload.data.find(e => e.employee_id == "221244");
return msg;
```
now it works
---
### Author:  [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)
#### Post date: [5 March 2021 10:40 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-split-an-array-based-on-an-element-within-the-array/42067/8 "2021-03-05T10:40:24Z")
You could also use JSONata in a change node to find object item
```auto
[{"id":"c9595213.416a8","type":"inject","z":"5a245aa1.510164","name":"","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"name","v":"Dane Boomatron","vt":"str"}],"repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"","payload":"{\"status\":1,\"data\":[{\"employee_id\":\"221244\",\"employee_eid\":\"\",\"employee_name\":\"Dane Boomatron\",\"employee_avatar\":\"0\",\"employee_avatar_url\":\"{\\\"large\\\":\\\"avatars\\\\/large_221244-2212441575277008.jpg\\\",\\\"small\\\":\\\"avatars\\\\/small_221244-2212441575277008.jpg\\\",\\\"bigger\\\":\\\"avatars\\\\/bigger_221244-2212441575277008.jpg\\\",\\\"full\\\":\\\"avatars\\\\/full_221244-2212441575277008.jpg\\\",\\\"profile\\\":\\\"avatars\\\\/profile_221244-2212441575277008.jpg\\\",\\\"forum\\\":\\\"avatars\\\\/forum_221244-2212441575277008.jpg\\\"}\",\"employee_avatar_url_small\":\"https://s3aws.com/uf.shiftping.com/avatars%441575277008.jpg\",\"schedule_id\":\"335645\",\"schedule_name\":\"Keyholder\",\"schedule_color\":\"1\",\"timeclock_id\":\"154394679\",\"clockin_time\":{\"id\":4327,\"month\":3,\"day\":4,\"wday\":4,\"year\":2021,\"weekday\":\"Thu\",\"mname\":\"Mar\",\"week\":9,\"dayid\":5,\"timeid\":37,\"timeid_exact\":37,\"formatted\":\"Mar 4, 2021\",\"iso8601\":\"2021-03-04T09:00:00+0000\",\"time\":\"09:00\",\"timestamp\":1614848400,\"hours\":9,\"minutes\":0,\"seconds\":0,\"date\":\"Mar 4, 2021\",\"day_of_year\":\"62\",\"week_adjusted\":9,\"sp_wday\":5,\"date_timestamp\":\"2021-03-04 09:00:00\"},\"shift_id\":null,\"shift_start\":null,\"shift_end\":null,\"is_on_break\":null,\"break\":[]}],\"metadata\":[],\"token\":\"7a1935d8bd7b7309367902dfba\",\"error\":null}","payloadType":"json","x":190,"y":2360,"wires":[["c0ba082f.13824"]]},{"id":"c0ba082f.13824","type":"change","z":"5a245aa1.510164","name":"","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"payload","pt":"msg","to":"payload.data[employee_name=$$.name]","tot":"jsonata"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":400,"y":2360,"wires":[["e26feb98.54a348"]]},{"id":"e26feb98.54a348","type":"debug","z":"5a245aa1.510164","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","statusVal":"","statusType":"auto","x":610,"y":2360,"wires":[]}]
```
```auto
payload.data[employee_name=$$.name]
```
where $$.name is the search term set by msg.name in inject node.
---
### Author:  [@dclear](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dclear)
#### Post date: [5 March 2021 10:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-split-an-array-based-on-an-element-within-the-array/42067/9 "2021-03-05T10:41:31Z")
Thanks guys, really appreciate this!
---
### Author:  [@dclear](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dclear)
#### Post date: [5 March 2021 10:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-split-an-array-based-on-an-element-within-the-array/42067/10 "2021-03-05T10:43:19Z")
Thank you - and I also noticed how carefully you'd obfuscated the token - I had also supplied a 'fake' token but it's really kind of you to notice that and consider that I might not have. Cheers!
---
### Author:  [@dclear](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dclear)
#### Post date: [5 March 2021 12:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-split-an-array-based-on-an-element-within-the-array/42067/11 "2021-03-05T12:41:49Z")
Thanks again - I've made leaps and bounds worth of progress since this morning, but hit a stumbling block with a particular individual - can't figure out why for this one individual my functions aren't working and are instead just dumping the entire payload?
```auto
[{"id":"e439a48a.6dfef8","type":"inject","z":"66862370.3ad20c","name":"","topic":"","payload":"{\"status\":1,\"data\":[{\"employee_id\":\"4157152\",\"employee_eid\":\"\",\"employee_name\":\"Todd\",\"employee_avatar\":\"0\",\"employee_avatar_url\":\"{\\\"large\\\":\\\"avatars\\\\/large_4157152-.jpg\\\",\\\"small\\\":\\\"avatars\\\\/small_4157152-41571521574718514.jpg\\\",\\\"bigger\\\":\\\"avatars\\\\/bigger_4157152-41571521574718514.jpg\\\",\\\"full\\\":\\\"avatars\\\\/full_4157152-41571521574718514.jpg\\\",\\\"profile\\\":\\\"avatars\\\\/profile_4157152-41571521574718514.jpg\\\",\\\"forum\\\":\\\"avatars\\\\/forum_4157152-41571521574718514.jpg\\\"}\",\"employee_avatar_url_small\":\"xxx\",\"schedule_id\":\"126235\",\"schedule_name\":\"Assistant\",\"schedule_color\":\"1\",\"timeclock_id\":\"154423384\",\"clockin_time\":{\"id\":4328,\"month\":3,\"day\":5,\"wday\":5,\"year\":2021,\"weekday\":\"Fri\",\"mname\":\"Mar\",\"week\":9,\"dayid\":6,\"timeid\":37,\"timeid_exact\":36,\"formatted\":\"Mar 5, 2021\",\"iso8601\":\"2021-03-05T08:56:40+0000\",\"time\":\"08:56\",\"timestamp\":1614934600,\"hours\":8,\"minutes\":56,\"seconds\":40,\"date\":\"Mar 5, 2021\",\"day_of_year\":\"63\",\"week_adjusted\":9,\"sp_wday\":6,\"date_timestamp\":\"2021-03-05 08:56:40\"},\"shift_id\":\"762556286\",\"shift_start\":{\"id\":4328,\"month\":3,\"day\":5,\"wday\":5,\"year\":2021,\"weekday\":\"Fri\",\"mname\":\"Mar\",\"week\":9,\"dayid\":6,\"timeid\":37,\"timeid_exact\":37,\"formatted\":\"Mar 5, 2021\",\"iso8601\":\"2021-03-05T09:00:00+0000\",\"time\":\"09:00\",\"timestamp\":1614934800,\"hours\":9,\"minutes\":0,\"seconds\":0,\"date\":\"Mar 5, 2021\",\"day_of_year\":\"63\",\"week_adjusted\":9,\"sp_wday\":6,\"date_timestamp\":\"2021-03-05 09:00:00\"},\"shift_end\":{\"id\":4328,\"month\":3,\"day\":5,\"wday\":5,\"year\":2021,\"weekday\":\"Fri\",\"mname\":\"Mar\",\"week\":9,\"dayid\":6,\"timeid\":51,\"timeid_exact\":51,\"formatted\":\"Mar 5, 2021\",\"iso8601\":\"2021-03-05T12:30:00+0000\",\"time\":\"12:30\",\"timestamp\":1614947400,\"hours\":12,\"minutes\":30,\"seconds\":0,\"date\":\"Mar 5, 2021\",\"day_of_year\":\"63\",\"week_adjusted\":9,\"sp_wday\":6,\"date_timestamp\":\"2021-03-05 12:30:00\"},\"is_on_break\":null,\"break\":[]}],\"metadata\":[],\"token\":\"xxx\",\"error\":null}","payloadType":"json","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":90,"y":200,"wires":[["cdd7229f.03f11"]]},{"id":"cdd7229f.03f11","type":"function","z":"66862370.3ad20c","name":"","func":"msg.payload.todd = msg.payload.data.find(e => e.employee_id == \"4157152\");\nreturn msg;","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":230,"y":200,"wires":[["583d7ae4.4f92e4"]]},{"id":"583d7ae4.4f92e4","type":"function","z":"66862370.3ad20c","name":"todd","func":"msg.payload = msg.payload.todd;\nmsg.payload.name = msg.payload.employee_name;\nreturn msg;","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":390,"y":200,"wires":[["ad82d671.2406f8"]]},{"id":"ad82d671.2406f8","type":"function","z":"66862370.3ad20c","name":"","func":"const shiftstart = msg.payload.shift_start.timestamp;\nconst clockin = msg.payload.clockin_time.timestamp;\nconst timeDifference = shiftstart - clockin;\nconst timeDifference2 = clockin - shiftstart;\n if ((timeDifference/60).toFixed(0) > 3){\n msg.payload = msg.payload.name +\" \" + (timeDifference/60).toFixed(0) + \" early \";\n } else if ((timeDifference/60).toFixed(0) < 3){\n msg.payload = msg.payload.name +\" \" + (timeDifference2/60).toFixed(0) + \" late \";\n }\n\nreturn msg;\n\n\n\n \n//const shiftstart = msg.payload.shift_start.timestamp;\n//const clockin = msg.payload.clockin_time.timestamp;\n//const timeDifference = shiftstart - clockin;\n//msg.payload = \" \" + (timeDifference/60).toFixed(0) + \" early \";\n//return msg; ","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":530,"y":200,"wires":[["302b798b.f93456"]]},{"id":"302b798b.f93456","type":"debug","z":"66862370.3ad20c","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"payload","targetType":"msg","x":690,"y":200,"wires":[]}]
```
many thanks if anyone has time to take a look! 🙂
---
### Author:  [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)
#### Post date: [5 March 2021 12:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-split-an-array-based-on-an-element-within-the-array/42067/12 "2021-03-05T12:50:13Z")
> [@dclear](#):
>
> can't figure out why for this one individual my functions aren't working and are instead just dumping the entire payload?
what are you getting vs what you are expecting?
PS, add debug nodes after every node to see what affect your code has on the payload (topi: name the debug nodes to simplify understanding)
---
### Author:  [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)
#### Post date: [5 March 2021 12:52 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-split-an-array-based-on-an-element-within-the-array/42067/13 "2021-03-05T12:52:12Z")
```auto
(timeDifference/60).toFixed(0) > 3)
```
the toFixed makes it a string, then you compare it to a number, maybe this is the issue.
[edit] does it need to be rounded to compare if it is lower or higher than 3?
p.s. you also have no outcome if the difference is 3 exactly.
---
### Author:  [@dclear](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dclear)
#### Post date: [5 March 2021 13:19 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-split-an-array-based-on-an-element-within-the-array/42067/14 "2021-03-05T13:19:19Z")
Thank you, that was it, timedifference having no `else` was the problem. Thank you!
---
### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [5 March 2021 13:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-split-an-array-based-on-an-element-within-the-array/42067/15 "2021-03-05T13:50:22Z")
Note that if you do round it then, for example, 3.4 will be converted to 3 and 3 is not \>3. So you end up deciding that 3.4 is \<= 3 which I would have thought is not what you want. Also as already pointed out comparing a string to a number will have unexpected results. The best practice is, almost always, don't reduce the precision until you are displaying the value.
**[Edit]** I had initially messed up the numbers above, now corrected.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [19 March 2021 13:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/how-to-split-an-array-based-on-an-element-within-the-array/42067/16 "2021-03-19T13:51:23Z")
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