# \[q-gate\]Feature Request - 2nd debug output

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/q-gate-feature-request-2nd-debug-output/29939>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [12 July 2020 09:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/q-gate-feature-request-2nd-debug-output/29939 "2020-07-12T09:50:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![cymplecy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/cymplecy/32/2773_2.png) [@cymplecy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/cymplecy)\
**Post date:** [12 July 2020 09:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/q-gate-feature-request-2nd-debug-output/29939/1 "2020-07-12T09:50:07Z")

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@drmibell Hi Mike  
Just had an (maybe a bit OTT) idea pop into my head so I thought I'd get it out there before it vanishes 🙂

A lot of the time - I use q-gate to hold messages back during testing/debugging flows

It would be nice to direct stuff to a 2nd output that could be sent to a debug node instead of the normal output

That way, we can examine the queued messages without them being sent onwards to the next real node in the flow

If you think this sounds OK to you but you're busy - I'd be willing to try implementing it and let you see the results before doing a PR - if I can get it to work nicely that is 🙂

_Initial idea is have a toggle in the UI to select single/double outputs and then use a control messages to direct the node output to main or the debug one_

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**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [12 July 2020 15:14 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/q-gate-feature-request-2nd-debug-output/29939/2 "2020-07-12T15:14:09Z")

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Do you mean all output (while switched) would go to the second output instead of the first one, but everything else is the same? Or something more complex than that?

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**Author:** ![cymplecy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/cymplecy/32/2773_2.png) [@cymplecy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/cymplecy)\
**Post date:** [12 July 2020 19:45 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/q-gate-feature-request-2nd-debug-output/29939/3 "2020-07-12T19:45:22Z")

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My idea is for all output to be switched so you can do what you want with peeking/releasing one message at a time to see what's in the queue

Or anything else.

Like I said - this is for when I use a q-gate to stop testing messages going onto things like twitter nodes.

it would be great to switch the output away from its normal destination during early debugging testing

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [12 July 2020 20:45 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/q-gate-feature-request-2nd-debug-output/29939/4 "2020-07-12T20:45:56Z")

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Oh I see. So you could peek at it via o/p 2 and then decide whether to delete it or release it on o/p 1.  
Would that flow be any simpler than using a node on the output that checks each message and either bins it or passes it on?

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**Author:** ![cymplecy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/cymplecy/32/2773_2.png) [@cymplecy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/cymplecy)\
**Post date:** [12 July 2020 20:58 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/q-gate-feature-request-2nd-debug-output/29939/5 "2020-07-12T20:58:54Z")

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> [@Colin](#):
>
> Oh I see. So you could peek at it via o/p 2 and then decide whether to delete it or release it on o/p 1.

That would be a good use for it 🙂

> [@Colin](#):
>
> Would that flow be any simpler than using a node on the output that checks each message and either bins it or passes it on?

Well this is intended for Mark I eyeball debugging 🙂

So you'd temporarily divert the output of node from normal to secondary output port and (most likely) send that to a debug node.

It saves having to disconnect the real output - do a reploy - then do your checks/inspections on the queded messages

I'll knock up a prototype suffix node to show how I envisage it working

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [12 July 2020 21:13 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/q-gate-feature-request-2nd-debug-output/29939/6 "2020-07-12T21:13:52Z")

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At the moment you can only peek the next one to be released, so if you want to see more than that then you won't later be able to release them on o/p 1. Perhaps you don't want to do that but just want to watch them for a while before deciding they are ok and then switching to o/p 1. So basically the same as disconnecting the output and sending it to a debug node and then, after checking, restore the connection.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cymplecy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/cymplecy/32/2773_2.png) [@cymplecy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/cymplecy)\
**Post date:** [12 July 2020 21:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/q-gate-feature-request-2nd-debug-output/29939/7 "2020-07-12T21:36:21Z")

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> [@Colin](#):
>
> So basically the same as disconnecting the output and sending it to a debug node and then, after checking, restore the connection.

Exactly 🙂 but without the need to disconnect - redeploy - test - reconnect and redeploy again

You can just switch back and forth at with an inject control node (or a pair of them)

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**Author:** ![drmibell](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/drmibell/32/8424_2.png) [@drmibell](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/drmibell)\
**Post date:** [12 July 2020 22:55 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/q-gate-feature-request-2nd-debug-output/29939/8 "2020-07-12T22:55:30Z")

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> [@cymplecy](#):
>
> without the need to disconnect - redeploy - test - reconnect and redeploy again

As in this flow:

```auto
[{"id":"bbb40586.0165c8","type":"q-gate","z":"eb950a0f.0fc638","name":"","controlTopic":"control","defaultState":"open","openCmd":"open","closeCmd":"close","toggleCmd":"toggle","queueCmd":"queue","defaultCmd":"default","triggerCmd":"trigger","flushCmd":"flush","resetCmd":"reset","peekCmd":"peek","dropCmd":"drop","statusCmd":"status","maxQueueLength":"100","keepNewest":false,"qToggle":false,"persist":false,"x":290,"y":380,"wires":[["dfc30fba.91ba48"]]},{"id":"dfc30fba.91ba48","type":"switch","z":"eb950a0f.0fc638","name":"","property":"debug","propertyType":"flow","rules":[{"t":"eq","v":"false","vt":"jsonata"},{"t":"eq","v":"true","vt":"jsonata"}],"checkall":"true","repair":false,"outputs":2,"x":410,"y":380,"wires":[["95c755ac.e40e5"],["dceda48b.b6fb68"]]},{"id":"2db31376.109324","type":"inject","z":"eb950a0f.0fc638","name":"","topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"date","repeat":"2","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":150,"y":380,"wires":[["bbb40586.0165c8"]]},{"id":"95c755ac.e40e5","type":"debug","z":"eb950a0f.0fc638","name":"normal output","active":false,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":true,"complete":"payload","targetType":"msg","x":600,"y":340,"wires":[]},{"id":"dceda48b.b6fb68","type":"debug","z":"eb950a0f.0fc638","name":"debug output","active":false,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":true,"complete":"payload","targetType":"msg","x":600,"y":420,"wires":[]},{"id":"60d5eadd.96c9bc","type":"debug","z":"eb950a0f.0fc638","name":"debug enabled","active":false,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":true,"complete":"$flowContext('debug')","targetType":"jsonata","x":440,"y":480,"wires":[]},{"id":"7d1f8d98.1fbbe4","type":"inject","z":"eb950a0f.0fc638","name":"toggle","topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"date","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":130,"y":480,"wires":[["9e7c377c.503bf"]]},{"id":"9e7c377c.503bf","type":"change","z":"eb950a0f.0fc638","name":"debugging","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"debug","pt":"flow","to":"$not($flowContext('debug'))\t","tot":"jsonata"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":270,"y":480,"wires":[["60d5eadd.96c9bc"]]}]

```

What you want to do makes sense, but I'm not sure it calls for brain surgery on the `q-gate` node.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cymplecy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/cymplecy/32/2773_2.png) [@cymplecy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/cymplecy)\
**Post date:** [13 July 2020 07:42 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/q-gate-feature-request-2nd-debug-output/29939/9 "2020-07-13T07:42:08Z")

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> [@drmibell](#):
>
> but I'm not sure it calls for brain surgery

well ... it would save 2 extra nodes and pollution of the flow context space 🙂

But, in the meantime, I'll just add a custom function node and wrap the two into an invisible group and then come back and raise the issue again after I prove that its an invaluable debugging tool 🙂

#EvenMadderIdea - I'll raise a PR on the switch node to do the job.............. 😆

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cymplecy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/cymplecy/32/2773_2.png) [@cymplecy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/cymplecy)\
**Post date:** [11 September 2020 07:42 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/q-gate-feature-request-2nd-debug-output/29939/10 "2020-09-11T07:42:13Z")

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Closed on 11 September 2020 07:42 UTC

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