# Question about node.send() specifying a message
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/question-about-node-send-specifying-a-message/79143
**Category:** Developing Nodes
**Created:** [12 June 2023 10:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/question-about-node-send-specifying-a-message/79143 "2023-06-12T10:36:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Angin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Angin)
#### Post date: [12 June 2023 10:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/question-about-node-send-specifying-a-message/79143/1 "2023-06-12T10:36:23Z")
In a custom node, I only want to output msg information that meets certain conditions. Other msg information that does not meet the conditions should not output any information when passing through the custom node.
```auto
node.on("input", function (msg) {
let str = msg.payload.toString("hex");
if(str.slice(2, 4) == "01"){
msg.operinfo = str.slice(24, 26);
}
// else{
// msg.payload = null;
// }
node.send({ payload: msg.operinfo });
});
```
other msg.payload information passing through this node is displayed as undefined. I want undefined information not to be displayed. How do I set this?
Thank you for your reply.
---
### Author:  [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)
#### Post date: [12 June 2023 10:41 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/question-about-node-send-specifying-a-message/79143/2 "2023-06-12T10:41:37Z")
> [@Angin](#):
>
> I want undefined information not to be displayed
I assume you mean to be NOT displayed in the debug output?
Then you would `delete` the property.
e.g. `delete msg.payload.a_prop_i_dont_want`
> [@Angin](#):
>
> `node.send({ payload: msg.operinfo });`
This is a bad idea. Many users expect the `msg` to still have properties that they placed in the `msg` to still be there after traveling through your node - for later use downstream in the flow. In fact, what you have written breaks many things (dashboard, HTTP to name a few - since they EXPECT `msg.xyz` to be present).
Far better to simply update the property you care about then return the original `msg` object
e.g.
```auto
msg.payload = {} // whatever
node.send(msg)
```
---
### Author:  [@Angin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Angin)
#### Post date: [12 June 2023 11:05 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/question-about-node-send-specifying-a-message/79143/3 "2023-06-12T11:05:00Z")
Thank you for your quick reply. Yes, I do not want to display undefined debug outputs, as shown in the figure.
I only want to output "1c", I do not need to output "undefined".
In addition, is delete msg.payload used like this? I tested it and did not get the results I wanted.
```auto
node.on("input", function (msg) {
let str = msg.payload.toString("hex");
if(str.slice(2, 4) == "01"){
msg.payload = str.slice(24, 26);
}
else{
delete msg.payload;
}
node.send(msg);
});
```
---
### Author:  [@jbudd](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/jbudd)
#### Post date: [12 June 2023 11:15 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/question-about-node-send-specifying-a-message/79143/4 "2023-06-12T11:15:15Z")
> [@Angin](#):
>
> Thank you for your quick reply. Yes, I do not want to display undefined debug outputs, as shown in the figure.
>
> 
If your problem is that the entire payload is sometimes undefined:
a) Use a switch node after your function to pass only messages whose payload is not null.
or b) Only call node.send(msg) when msg.payload is relevant - inside your if() block.
---
### Author:  [@Angin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Angin)
#### Post date: [12 June 2023 12:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/question-about-node-send-specifying-a-message/79143/5 "2023-06-12T12:31:16Z")
Thank you very much for your suggestions. I have found a solution:
```auto
node.on("input", function (msg) {
let str = msg.payload.toString("hex");
if(str.slice(2, 4) == "01"){
msg.payload = str.slice(24, 26);
node.send(msg);
}
});
```
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [26 June 2023 12:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/question-about-node-send-specifying-a-message/79143/6 "2023-06-26T12:31:50Z")
This topic was automatically closed 14 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.