# My thread on moving to DB-2 from the original one

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/my-thread-on-moving-to-db-2-from-the-original-one/96320>\
**Category:** Dashboard\
**Tags:** docker, dashboard-2\
**Created:** [29 March 2025 08:20 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/my-thread-on-moving-to-db-2-from-the-original-one/96320 "2025-03-29T08:20:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [29 March 2025 08:20 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/my-thread-on-moving-to-db-2-from-the-original-one/96320/1 "2025-03-29T08:20:03Z")

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This is kind of a continuation of this thread - as it is closed/solved - and I don't want to steal it.

> [@Dashboard 2 Migration using AI?](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/dashboard-2-migration-using-ai/96235/27):
>
> I have had a fair few issues with Dashboard 2. Some were bugs, some related to appearance, some to usability and some just down to me misunderstanding. But @BartButenaers has perfectly reasonably asked for specific examples where DB2 requires more coding than DB1. The first example that jumps to my mind is with the gauge - how to represent a value of 1234.56789 as 1,234.57%. Please note, I don't claim that this is a sensible thing to want to do. Nor am I asking for this widget to be fixed. …

When I started with NR - can't remember how long ago, but I'd put it at about 10 years ago - and I worked _strictly_ with the editor screen.

# NO GUI at all.

But because of the _need creep_ of GUI things, I had to start using the `Dashboard`.

That had some problems for me as I tried to be too smart for my own good and had multiple dashboards which caused conflicts.

But when I got that confusion sorted out there were problems with the layout.

_Not helped_ by the `zoom` level sometimes being ..... _adjusted_ and so when I loaded the dashboard the layout was _corrupted_ from the other time.

In the meantime, `docker` came along and I have only played with it a couple of times on another machine but haven't got into it.  
I won't go on about it here as it is outside the scope.

I've been told I can have both `dashboards` installed on the same instance.  
So I could (thinking hypothetically from here on) slowly _migrate_ the `dashboard` nodes form V1 to V2.

But reading the afore mentioned thread: That isn't as easy as I would have thought.

There is a bit of discussion about the newer version being too...... _difficult_ (too many options?) to be ...... conducive to not being used.

## So that raises a question - from my position at this point in time:

Putting aside the GUI tweaks you can have on/in the items, can you just ignore them and have them _vanilla_ and use them out of the box?

This way it wouldn't be too much work to get/migrate an existing dashboard to the newer one.

Then you can/could go back and add the fancy stuff later?

What I **THINK** :  
You have a working ...... `gauge`.  
No big.  
You replace the `v1` with `v2` one. Then just before the new node, you can add the extra _eye candy_ to take advantage of the new GUI stuff.

This would be done with something like a `change` node that would add extra _structure_ to the message.

I think I've dug a fairly big/deep hole here and don't want to dig much more.

I hope this can grow to not only help me get my head around moving from the original `dashboard` to `dashboard-2`.

Thanks in advance.

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**Author:** ![Paul-Reed](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/paul-reed/32/66906_2.png) [@Paul-Reed](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Paul-Reed)\
**Post date:** [29 March 2025 08:57 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/my-thread-on-moving-to-db-2-from-the-original-one/96320/2 "2025-03-29T08:57:35Z")

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> [@Trying\_to\_learn](#):
>
> I hope this can grow to not only help me get my head around moving from the original `dashboard` to `dashboard-2`

But please remember to start a new forum topic for each subject/issue, each with it's own descriptive title.

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**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [29 March 2025 09:01 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/my-thread-on-moving-to-db-2-from-the-original-one/96320/3 "2025-03-29T09:01:40Z")

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Ok.

I read the mentioned thread and it opened a few questions I have about going from DB-1 to DB-2.

As there were a few questions mentioned there: I thought I'd start a new thread to cover them.

On the other hand, I didn't want to open..... _a lot_ of threads, each one a question relating to the migration.

I'm not sure what you mean then.

Should I open a lot of different threads?

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**Author:** ![Paul-Reed](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/paul-reed/32/66906_2.png) [@Paul-Reed](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Paul-Reed)\
**Post date:** [29 March 2025 09:17 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/my-thread-on-moving-to-db-2-from-the-original-one/96320/4 "2025-03-29T09:17:45Z")

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> [@Trying\_to\_learn](#):
>
> Should I open a lot of different threads?

Specific issues should be in their own respective thread, such as 'changing the input msg structure for DB2', 'how to personalize a DB2 node', 'changing the layout of widgets', etc.

It makes it easier to index topics, and easy for other people to search the forum for similar issues, which in turn avoids duplicity.

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**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [29 March 2025 09:23 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/my-thread-on-moving-to-db-2-from-the-original-one/96320/5 "2025-03-29T09:23:40Z")

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I'm stuck between a rock and hard place.

I am trying to understand the _bigger picture_.

I have never used any DB-2 nodes.

Say they have extra _needs_ (which, ok, I accept) I don't know how many more things are needed and by what nodes.

So - how I read it - I would have to start a new thread for each of the nodes in the new `DB-2`.  
Which I think is a bit too much/many threads.

The original thread was discussing the _difficulty_ of migrating.  
It's closed - for it's answer.

But it left things open.  
**WHAT** - I don't know as I accept I don't know what I don't know.

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**Author:** ![Paul-Reed](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/paul-reed/32/66906_2.png) [@Paul-Reed](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Paul-Reed)\
**Post date:** [29 March 2025 09:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/my-thread-on-moving-to-db-2-from-the-original-one/96320/6 "2025-03-29T09:32:53Z")

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> [@Trying\_to\_learn](#):
>
> Say they have extra _needs_ (which, ok, I accept) I don't know how many more things are needed and by what nodes.

There is extensive and well written DB2 guide which describes individual nodes, their requirements and limitations, so you could determine yourself how they fit into your new structure.  
Have you read it, as that should be your starting place.

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**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [29 March 2025 12:09 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/my-thread-on-moving-to-db-2-from-the-original-one/96320/7 "2025-03-29T12:09:16Z")

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> [@Trying\_to\_learn](#):
>
> I'm stuck between a rock and hard place.
> 
> I am trying to understand the _bigger picture_.
> 
> I have never used any DB-2 nodes.

It would be really helpful if you could share which DB1 nodes you have used in your dashboards.

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**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [29 March 2025 21:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/my-thread-on-moving-to-db-2-from-the-original-one/96320/8 "2025-03-29T21:56:38Z")

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Button, text, gauge, chart and template.

Level, LED.

There may be a couple of other ones.....

But as a start, they are the main ones I use.

ui-control - just remembered  
multistate switch  
week schedule  
ui-scheduler  
slider

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**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [29 March 2025 22:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/my-thread-on-moving-to-db-2-from-the-original-one/96320/9 "2025-03-29T22:28:39Z")

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I think it is not _nice of me_ if I accept this thread is resolved and then go and open a whole lot of new threads.

But taking on what was suggested and TRYING to get my head around some of the nodes:  
`text input` is already a problem.

So it is an INPUT so I type stuff and that is then on sent in the message.

So I put it in a flow.

 ![Screenshot from 2025-03-30 09-23-17](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/8/5/85e15b315ce2952411852d45fc84fd9d1f9c5f63.png)

It is set to `text input - single line`  
I DEPLOY it and this is what I get/see in the GUI side.

 ![Screenshot from 2025-03-30 09-23-29](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/b/7/b74e2f93166b24bf2db504c3fe1afa1444e6a6c0.jpeg)

Clicking anywhere in/on the .... _thing_.... Nowhere do I see a blinking cursor.  
So I am already failing on how to use the `text input` node.

I was - kind of - thrown by the instructions. But I'll cop that.

So what am I NOT doing to be able to input text - be it one line or otherwise?

I have since added a `number` and `button` node.  
Same.  
No change to what I am seeing.

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**Author:** ![Trying\_to\_learn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/trying_to_learn/32/28400_2.png) [@Trying\_to\_learn](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Trying_to_learn)\
**Post date:** [30 March 2025 00:39 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/my-thread-on-moving-to-db-2-from-the-original-one/96320/10 "2025-03-30T00:39:01Z")

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# RESOLVED

I was using the wrong URL to see the newer style dashboard.

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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:** [13 April 2025 00:39 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/my-thread-on-moving-to-db-2-from-the-original-one/96320/11 "2025-04-13T00:39:08Z")

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