[req.] Add to User-Settings: `[ ]` Debug `"payload"` only

Core Development
1

Every each time I place a new Debug node to a flow,

  1. I have to double click and
  2. change from "payload" only -> to Whole msg
  3. Click Done

I thing even a beginner should rather see the whole msg, instead of just the "payload".
Even more since "topic" was introduced.

I think it's time to change that policy. It does much more harm than good.
After all, it is a:

Debug

node! Not some half-camouflage tool to show some very limited info.

if accepted:

  • It is very easy to double clock on the right palette, to show details, and
  • teaching beginners about the whole msg structure from the first view.
  • Also preventing possible errors
    (Last time it took me days to figure out what's going on, and wasted the time of many of You here at the forum too, because I've simply forgot to change that at one Debug node. This forum is full of similar topics.)

But to calm everyone, who thinks that "payload only" behaviour by default is good,
I recommend to add a checkbox to the User-Settings, under "Nodes" section:

  • [ ] Debug "payload" only by default (default unchecked)

To code devs:

  • Please backport it to NR 4.x version too !
2

I believe this was originally set to payload, as each debug adds overheads and each complete message adds greater overload.

I agree there is a need to inform new users that there could be more msg properties other than payload and topic.

One possible suggestion, a flag on the debug node (default payload) when extra properties available ( hover for message and possibly clickable to access the config).

3

This PR was already merged into v5 - Allow a nodes defaults to be overridden by settings.js file by dceejay · Pull Request #5591 · node-red/node-red · GitHub that allows you to set the defaults for that and many more nodes if required.