Issues on exporting / importing flows using the api

General
1

i have two instances of node red running, i would like to copy a given flow from instance one to instance two.

flow_id = '8429e42d5be21f50'
handler.get_flow(flow_id)
print(json.dumps(flow, indent=4))

provides:

{'disabled': False,
 'env': [],
 'id': '8429e42d5be21f50',
 'info': '',
 'label': 'Simple-Export',
 'nodes': [{'crontab': '',
            'id': '5f74a245600e657d',
            'name': '',
            'once': False,
            'onceDelay': 0.1,
            'payload': '',
            'payloadType': 'date',
            'props': [{'p': 'payload'}, {'p': 'topic', 'vt': 'str'}],
            'repeat': '',
            'topic': '',
            'type': 'inject',
            'wires': [['a009c29205ae3027']],
            'x': 500,
            'y': 260,
            'z': '8429e42d5be21f50'},
           {'action': '',
            'from': '',
            'id': 'a009c29205ae3027',
            'name': '',
            'property': '',
            'reg': False,
            'rules': [{'p': 'payload',
                       'pt': 'msg',
                       't': 'set',
                       'to': 'set',
                       'tot': 'str'}],
            'to': '',
            'type': 'change',
            'wires': [['aef6a32098eda1e8']],
            'x': 750,
            'y': 260,
            'z': '8429e42d5be21f50'},
           {'active': True,
            'complete': 'payload',
            'console': False,
            'id': 'aef6a32098eda1e8',
            'name': '',
            'statusType': 'auto',
            'statusVal': 'payload',
            'targetType': 'msg',
            'tosidebar': True,
            'tostatus': True,
            'type': 'debug',
            'wires': [],
            'x': 1010,
            'y': 260,
            'z': '8429e42d5be21f50'}]}

            "rules": [
                {
                    "t": "set",
                    "p": "payload",
                    "pt": "msg",
                    "to": "set",
                    "tot": "str"
                }
            ],
            "action": "",
            "property": "",
            "from": "",
            "to": "",
            "reg": false,
            "x": 750,
            "y": 260,
            "wires": [
                [
                    "aef6a32098eda1e8"
                ]
            ]
        },
        {
            "id": "aef6a32098eda1e8",
            "type": "debug",
            "z": "8429e42d5be21f50",
            "name": "",
            "active": true,
            "tosidebar": true,
            "console": false,
            "tostatus": true,
            "complete": "payload",
            "targetType": "msg",
            "statusVal": "payload",
            "statusType": "auto",
            "x": 1010,
            "y": 260,
            "wires": []
        }
    ]
}

after copying that one to the second instance using:

handler.copy_flow(flow_id)

i get:
200
{'id': '435a67050951dc8a'}

the code used for sending the flow was:
r = requests.post('https://{destination}/flow'.format(destination=self.destination), data=flow, headers=self.headers)

in the node-red log i see:

25 Jan 09:52:12 - [info] Waiting for missing types to be registered:
25 Jan 09:52:12 - [info] - undefined
25 Jan 09:52:12 - [info] Adding flow: Simple-Export [435a67050951dc8a]

if i reload the flows in the destination installation of node red i get following error:

Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'substring')

i don't have an idea where this undefined is comming from.

thanks for help!

2

Does the Node-red instance you are importing into have the cron node installed?

3

Paul, you probably didnt notice the type property is "inject" (crontab is a property of the inject node)

1 Like
4

Somewhere in your code, you are trying to set a flow with a value of False by the looks of it (false in JavaScript/JSON is false not False)

Are you processing via python?

5

yes iam using a python script for executing the api calls

6

crontab ist installed on the source system, but not yet on the destination system.
iam installing only modules used (identified as used) by the source flow.

7

As explained above, crontab is not a node type.

A node type is defined by the type field!

8

flows.json before the import:

[
    {
        "id": "5c1bbfa9991b92e6",
        "type": "tab",
        "label": "Flow 1",
        "disabled": false,
        "info": "",
        "env": []
    },
    {
        "id": "8e869e83530d854d",
        "type": "ui_base",
        "theme": {
            "name": "theme-light",
            "lightTheme": {
                "default": "#0094CE",
                "baseColor": "#0094CE",
                "baseFont": "-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,Segoe UI,Roboto,Oxygen-Sans,Ubuntu,Cantarell,Helvetica Neue,sans-serif",
                "edited": true,
                "reset": false
            },
            "darkTheme": {
                "default": "#097479",
                "baseColor": "#097479",
                "baseFont": "-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,Segoe UI,Roboto,Oxygen-Sans,Ubuntu,Cantarell,Helvetica Neue,sans-serif",
                "edited": false
            },
            "customTheme": {
                "name": "Untitled Theme 1",
                "default": "#4B7930",
                "baseColor": "#4B7930",
                "baseFont": "-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,Segoe UI,Roboto,Oxygen-Sans,Ubuntu,Cantarell,Helvetica Neue,sans-serif"
            },
            "themeState": {
                "base-color": {
                    "default": "#0094CE",
                    "value": "#0094CE",
                    "edited": false
                },
                "page-titlebar-backgroundColor": {
                    "value": "#0094CE",
                    "edited": false
                },
                "page-backgroundColor": {
                    "value": "#fafafa",
                    "edited": false
                },
                "page-sidebar-backgroundColor": {
                    "value": "#ffffff",
                    "edited": false
                },
                "group-textColor": {
                    "value": "#1bbfff",
                    "edited": false
                },
                "group-borderColor": {
                    "value": "#ffffff",
                    "edited": false
                },
                "group-backgroundColor": {
                    "value": "#ffffff",
                    "edited": false
                },
                "widget-textColor": {
                    "value": "#111111",
                    "edited": false
                },
                "widget-backgroundColor": {
                    "value": "#0094ce",
                    "edited": false
                },
                "widget-borderColor": {
                    "value": "#ffffff",
                    "edited": false
                },
                "base-font": {
                    "value": "-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,Segoe UI,Roboto,Oxygen-Sans,Ubuntu,Cantarell,Helvetica Neue,sans-serif"
                }
            },
            "angularTheme": {
                "primary": "indigo",
                "accents": "blue",
                "warn": "red",
                "background": "grey",
                "palette": "light"
            }
        },
        "site": {
            "name": "Node-RED Dashboard",
            "hideToolbar": "false",
            "allowSwipe": "false",
            "lockMenu": "false",
            "allowTempTheme": "true",
            "dateFormat": "DD.MM.YYYY",
            "sizes": {
                "sx": 48,
                "sy": 48,
                "gx": 6,
                "gy": 6,
                "cx": 6,
                "cy": 6,
                "px": 0,
                "py": 0
            }
        }
    }
]

after the import:

[
    {
        "id": "5c1bbfa9991b92e6",
        "type": "tab",
        "label": "Flow 1",
        "disabled": false,
        "info": "",
        "env": []
    },
    {
        "id": "8e869e83530d854d",
        "type": "ui_base",
        "theme": {
            "name": "theme-light",
            "lightTheme": {
                "default": "#0094CE",
                "baseColor": "#0094CE",
                "baseFont": "-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,Segoe UI,Roboto,Oxygen-Sans,Ubuntu,Cantarell,Helvetica Neue,sans-serif",
                "edited": true,
                "reset": false
            },
            "darkTheme": {
                "default": "#097479",
                "baseColor": "#097479",
                "baseFont": "-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,Segoe UI,Roboto,Oxygen-Sans,Ubuntu,Cantarell,Helvetica Neue,sans-serif",
                "edited": false
            },
            "customTheme": {
                "name": "Untitled Theme 1",
                "default": "#4B7930",
                "baseColor": "#4B7930",
                "baseFont": "-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,Segoe UI,Roboto,Oxygen-Sans,Ubuntu,Cantarell,Helvetica Neue,sans-serif"
            },
            "themeState": {
                "base-color": {
                    "default": "#0094CE",
                    "value": "#0094CE",
                    "edited": false
                },
                "page-titlebar-backgroundColor": {
                    "value": "#0094CE",
                    "edited": false
                },
                "page-backgroundColor": {
                    "value": "#fafafa",
                    "edited": false
                },
                "page-sidebar-backgroundColor": {
                    "value": "#ffffff",
                    "edited": false
                },
                "group-textColor": {
                    "value": "#1bbfff",
                    "edited": false
                },
                "group-borderColor": {
                    "value": "#ffffff",
                    "edited": false
                },
                "group-backgroundColor": {
                    "value": "#ffffff",
                    "edited": false
                },
                "widget-textColor": {
                    "value": "#111111",
                    "edited": false
                },
                "widget-backgroundColor": {
                    "value": "#0094ce",
                    "edited": false
                },
                "widget-borderColor": {
                    "value": "#ffffff",
                    "edited": false
                },
                "base-font": {
                    "value": "-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,Segoe UI,Roboto,Oxygen-Sans,Ubuntu,Cantarell,Helvetica Neue,sans-serif"
                }
            },
            "angularTheme": {
                "primary": "indigo",
                "accents": "blue",
                "warn": "red",
                "background": "grey",
                "palette": "light"
            }
        },
        "site": {
            "name": "Node-RED Dashboard",
            "hideToolbar": "false",
            "allowSwipe": "false",
            "lockMenu": "false",
            "allowTempTheme": "true",
            "dateFormat": "DD.MM.YYYY",
            "sizes": {
                "sx": 48,
                "sy": 48,
                "gx": 6,
                "gy": 6,
                "cx": 6,
                "cy": 6,
                "px": 0,
                "py": 0
            }
        }
    },
    {
        "type": "tab",
        "label": "Simple-Export",
        "id": "916297197f476c45",
        "info": "",
        "disabled": "False"
    },
    "id",
    "type",
    "z",
    "name",
    "props",
    "repeat",
    "crontab",
    "once",
    "onceDelay",
    "topic",
    "payload",
    "payloadType",
    "x",
    "y",
    "wires",
    "id",
    "type",
    "z",
    "name",
    "rules",
    "action",
    "property",
    "from",
    "to",
    "reg",
    "x",
    "y",
    "wires",
    "id",
    "type",
    "z",
    "name",
    "active",
    "tosidebar",
    "console",
    "tostatus",
    "complete",
    "targetType",
    "statusVal",
    "statusType",
    "x",
    "y",
    "wires"
]
9

Where did you get these JSON from? From the flows file? from the API?

You do realise the 2nd JSON is completely invalid (from the POV of node-red)

You need to capture to file (for later inspection) the following:

  • what was retrieved from instance 1
  • what was sent to instance 2
  • what is in flows file of instance 2
    • before
    • after

Once you have this, you will see where your processing is being broken

10

yes understootd, i thought that maybe the property causes the issue because it is not installed in the desitnation system. i reduced the exported flow to :slight_smile:

{
    "id": "8429e42d5be21f50",
    "label": "Simple-Export",
    "disabled": false,
    "info": "",
    "env": [],
    "nodes": [
        {
            "id": "a009c29205ae3027",
            "type": "change",
            "z": "8429e42d5be21f50",
            "name": "",
            "rules": [
                {
                    "t": "set",
                    "p": "payload",
                    "pt": "msg",
                    "to": "set",
                    "tot": "str"
                }
            ],
            "action": "",
            "property": "",
            "from": "",
            "to": "",
            "reg": false,
            "x": 750,
            "y": 260,
            "wires": [
                [
                    "aef6a32098eda1e8"
                ]
            ]
        },
        {
            "id": "aef6a32098eda1e8",
            "type": "debug",
            "z": "8429e42d5be21f50",
            "name": "",
            "active": true,
            "tosidebar": true,
            "console": false,
            "tostatus": true,
            "complete": "payload",
            "targetType": "msg",
            "statusVal": "payload",
            "statusType": "auto",
            "x": 1010,
            "y": 260,
            "wires": []
        }
    ]
}

i have still the same issue.

should it worl to use the api on instance one with get /flow/flowid and taking the result json and use it on instance two two with put /flow ?

11

that's why i am wondering:
the json from my last reply is what i have retreived from a as json and what i have sent to b as json

12

thx for the dumping hint, i found the issue - it was sent as get params.

wondering that there is no error thrown on the api call.

13

is there a way to "copy" a flow including their related config nodes like broker on the mqtt nodes?

14

Hello
I'm in the same situation as @msmthng
I would like to backup individual flows automatically in the same format as the "Export - current flow" menu does which mean including subflows and configuration nodes.

I have been able to use the API for individual flow: GET /flow/:id GET /flow/:id : Node-RED
But as you know, subflows and configuration nodes are not part of it

Is there a way to get that from a single API call ?
Or must I go through the complete JSON with GET /flows or even reading the flows.json file and parse it myself ?

I haven't looked into node-red code, but I can do if you can point me to the part of the code that match the "Export - current flow" menu.

Thanks

15

This code might help - it's from the NR codebase and does an flow export in the client, not server. It generates the same format that export flow uses.

16

Thanks @gregorius
I wouldn't event thought about looking in the client code base
I will investigate that path