# Live Flow Activity Monitoring with Data Preview for Node-RED

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/live-flow-activity-monitoring-with-data-preview-for-node-red/92275>\
**Category:** Feature Requests\
**Created:** [10 October 2024 01:58 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/live-flow-activity-monitoring-with-data-preview-for-node-red/92275 "2024-10-10T01:58:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 11

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**Author:** ![gregorius](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/gregorius/32/73816_2.png) [@gregorius](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/gregorius)\
**Post date:** [13 October 2024 08:05 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/live-flow-activity-monitoring-with-data-preview-for-node-red/92275/11 "2024-10-13T08:05:58Z")

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> [@knolleary](#):
>
> This is why I'm keen to get some interest in contribution to the core rather than doing everything via plugins. Whilst the hooks API does make it easier to do, I suspect there will be more efficient approaches when do in conjunction with the core.

If this is the case, then have a look at what I did with the introspection msg tracing. I'm using as much inbuilt Node-RED as I can, something that would be nice would be a method for highlighting message in the debug panel. I put something together but it's based on doing CSS changes directly on the divs of the debug panel - not very Node-RED like.

> [@knolleary](#):
>
> This is about having the tools in the editor to help develop your flows.

Exactly! This what I'm trying to do but via a plugin because via a plugin it is far simpler to experiment and try things out. The latest version, [0.9.3](https://flows.nodered.org/node/@gregoriusrippenstein/node-red-contrib-introspection), I've started using `RED.utils.createNodeIcon(...)`, in combination with `treeList(..)` widget, the end result is a simple but elegant (IMHO) listing of nodes being called during flow execution:

 ![Screenshot 2024-10-13 at 09.58.02](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/3/d/3d86761bd0654e2a45a9b0f916d05c2fd2f51a5b.png)

Plugins are good for this type of prototyping - considering I started [three days ago](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/message-tracing-for-beginners/92287) with simple message tracing. I would not have been able to do the same prototyping having to update the NR debugger with each step.

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