# Retrieving both values from dropdown

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/retrieving-both-values-from-dropdown/63574>\
**Category:** Dashboard\
**Created:** [7 June 2022 13:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/retrieving-both-values-from-dropdown/63574 "2022-06-07T13:31:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fmarzocca](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/fmarzocca/32/35901_2.png) [@fmarzocca](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/fmarzocca)\
**Post date:** [7 June 2022 13:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/retrieving-both-values-from-dropdown/63574/1 "2022-06-07T13:31:12Z")

</div>

I am using a standard ui\_dropdown widget, populated from a function which sets msg.option but for my use case I need to get (from the output) both selected label AND value, not just value.

Is there any way to achieve this?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![E1cid](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/e1cid/32/77971_2.png) [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)\
**Post date:** [7 June 2022 14:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/retrieving-both-values-from-dropdown/63574/2 "2022-06-07T14:37:28Z")

</div>

Can you not just create the msg.options array to have a array as value, this array would hold the label and the value  
e.g.

```auto
[{"one":["one",1]},{"two":["two",2]}]

```

Then when label `one` is selected the output would be `["one", 1]`

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fmarzocca](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/fmarzocca/32/35901_2.png) [@fmarzocca](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/fmarzocca)\
**Post date:** [7 June 2022 14:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/retrieving-both-values-from-dropdown/63574/3 "2022-06-07T14:44:33Z")

</div>

It's what I am doing, but the msg.options is not coming out from the dropdown. Only msg.payload and topic. ( I have checked the "pass-thru")

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![E1cid](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/e1cid/32/77971_2.png) [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)\
**Post date:** [7 June 2022 14:58 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/retrieving-both-values-from-dropdown/63574/4 "2022-06-07T14:58:11Z")

</div>

The dropdown only returns msg.payload  
The below image shows the drop down return an array which holds the label and value.

 ![chrome_screenshot_1654613727804](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/8/4/8488313b18a2f6cc64ab92f618a40f8e1754321c.png)  
Clearly returning what you asked for the label and value.

> [@fmarzocca](#):
>
> I need to get (from the output) both selected label AND value, not just value.

You could send it as an object to.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fmarzocca](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/fmarzocca/32/35901_2.png) [@fmarzocca](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/fmarzocca)\
**Post date:** [7 June 2022 15:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/retrieving-both-values-from-dropdown/63574/5 "2022-06-07T15:28:52Z")

</div>

I tried your flow, but the dropdown is only sending the "value" and not the "label".

```auto
[{"id":"c27b3fdd1169ac09","type":"change","z":"fd95058a.48e3e8","name":"","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"options","pt":"msg","to":"[{\"Elisa Essentials\":\"tidal:playlist:f21450d7-c515-4dac-b446-ad93c64b0d3d\"},{\"I miei brani di Shazam\":\"tidal:playlist:4b639e84-4aca-4b17-808e-91113efee180\"},{\"Jazz Got Soul\":\"tidal:playlist:941851f7-7d06-4ddd-883c-834360c4ce74\"},{\"Kitty Margolis\":\"tidal:playlist:f0383781-3159-4bb0-9124-ff80cefbddda\"}]","tot":"jsonata"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":210,"y":1320,"wires":[["a1a60971c32310d7","b1afb4d2f310774d"]]},{"id":"493b0a8adb95b651","type":"inject","z":"fd95058a.48e3e8","name":"","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"date","x":120,"y":1440,"wires":[["c27b3fdd1169ac09"]]},{"id":"a1a60971c32310d7","type":"debug","z":"fd95058a.48e3e8","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","statusVal":"","statusType":"auto","x":300,"y":1380,"wires":[]},{"id":"b1afb4d2f310774d","type":"ui_dropdown","z":"fd95058a.48e3e8","name":"","label":"","tooltip":"","place":"Select option","group":"4143016bc7f8443b","order":4,"width":0,"height":0,"passthru":true,"multiple":false,"options":[{"label":"","value":"","type":"str"}],"payload":"","topic":"topic","topicType":"msg","className":"","x":440,"y":1320,"wires":[["cfabfeaea1a6a8bf"]]},{"id":"cfabfeaea1a6a8bf","type":"debug","z":"fd95058a.48e3e8","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","statusVal":"","statusType":"auto","x":600,"y":1280,"wires":[]},{"id":"4143016bc7f8443b","type":"ui_group","name":"Prova test","tab":"5b337e3b.68826","order":5,"disp":true,"width":"6","collapse":false,"className":""},{"id":"5b337e3b.68826","type":"ui_tab","name":"Servizi","icon":"home","order":3,"disabled":false,"hidden":false}]

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![E1cid](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/e1cid/32/77971_2.png) [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)\
**Post date:** [7 June 2022 15:34 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/retrieving-both-values-from-dropdown/63574/6 "2022-06-07T15:34:02Z")

</div>

You need to set up the object value to be an array and add the label there to

```auto
[{"id":"493b0a8adb95b651","type":"inject","z":"bf9e1e33.030598","name":"","props":[{"p":"payload"},{"p":"topic","vt":"str"}],"repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"date","x":210,"y":2460,"wires":[["c27b3fdd1169ac09"]]},{"id":"c27b3fdd1169ac09","type":"change","z":"bf9e1e33.030598","name":"","rules":[{"t":"set","p":"options","pt":"msg","to":"[\t {\t \"Elisa Essentials\":[\"Elisa Essentials\",\"tidal:playlist:f21450d7-c515-4dac-b446-ad93c64b0d3d\"]\t },\t {\t \"I miei brani di Shazam\":[\"I miei brani di Shazam\",\"tidal:playlist:4b639e84-4aca-4b17-808e-91113efee180\"]\t },\t {\t \"Jazz Got Soul\":[\"Jazz Got Soul\",\"tidal:playlist:941851f7-7d06-4ddd-883c-834360c4ce74\"]\t },\t {\t \"Kitty Margolis\":[\"Kitty Margolis\",\"tidal:playlist:f0383781-3159-4bb0-9124-ff80cefbddda\"]\t }\t]","tot":"jsonata"}],"action":"","property":"","from":"","to":"","reg":false,"x":300,"y":2340,"wires":[["a1a60971c32310d7","b1afb4d2f310774d"]]},{"id":"a1a60971c32310d7","type":"debug","z":"bf9e1e33.030598","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","statusVal":"","statusType":"auto","x":390,"y":2400,"wires":[]},{"id":"b1afb4d2f310774d","type":"ui_dropdown","z":"bf9e1e33.030598","name":"","label":"","tooltip":"","place":"Select option","group":"4143016bc7f8443b","order":4,"width":0,"height":0,"passthru":true,"multiple":false,"options":[{"label":"","value":"","type":"str"}],"payload":"","topic":"topic","topicType":"msg","className":"","x":530,"y":2340,"wires":[["cfabfeaea1a6a8bf"]]},{"id":"cfabfeaea1a6a8bf","type":"debug","z":"bf9e1e33.030598","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","statusVal":"","statusType":"auto","x":690,"y":2300,"wires":[]},{"id":"4143016bc7f8443b","type":"ui_group","name":"Prova test","tab":"5b337e3b.68826","order":5,"disp":true,"width":"6","collapse":false,"className":""},{"id":"5b337e3b.68826","type":"ui_tab","name":"Servizi","icon":"home","order":3,"disabled":false,"hidden":false}]

```

Basically construct the msg.options slightly different.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fmarzocca](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/fmarzocca/32/35901_2.png) [@fmarzocca](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/fmarzocca)\
**Post date:** [7 June 2022 15:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/retrieving-both-values-from-dropdown/63574/7 "2022-06-07T15:37:53Z")

</div>

Ahhh! That's a major PITA as I have to re-write the generating code...  
I think I could fix by sending the array also in msg.topic (that will be relayed at the output) so I will then make an array lookup and find the label.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fmarzocca](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/fmarzocca/32/35901_2.png) [@fmarzocca](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/fmarzocca)\
**Post date:** [7 June 2022 15:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/retrieving-both-values-from-dropdown/63574/8 "2022-06-07T15:48:37Z")

</div>

@E1cid Maybe I could find a function to convert the incoming data flow:

```auto
[{"name":"Adore Jazz","uri":"m3u:Adore%20Jazz.m3u8"},{"name":"Excluded","uri":"m3u:Excluded.m3u8"},{"name":"Radio Italia","uri":"m3u:Radio%20Italia.m3u"},{"name":"RadioEstere","uri":"m3u:RadioEstere.m3u8"},{"name":"Radiotunes","uri":"m3u:Radiotunes.m3u8"},{"name":"Suoni della natura","uri":"m3u:Suoni%20della%20natura.m3u8"},{"name":"random","uri":"m3u:random.m3u8"},{"name":"* I consigli dello staff","uri":"tidal:playlist:0108cc4a-91b0-47f5-a6ba-7769ca88b842"}]

```

into the one you suggested for the dropdown...

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![E1cid](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/e1cid/32/77971_2.png) [@E1cid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/E1cid)\
**Post date:** [7 June 2022 16:10 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/retrieving-both-values-from-dropdown/63574/9 "2022-06-07T16:10:58Z")

</div>

```auto
msg.options = msg.payload.map(obj => {
    return {[obj.name]: obj}
})
return msg;

```

would return msg.options as

```auto
[
    {"Adore Jazz":
        {"name":"Adore Jazz","uri":"m3u:Adore%20Jazz.m3u8"}},
    {"Excluded":
        {"name":"Excluded","uri":"m3u:Excluded.m3u8"}},
    {"Radio Italia":
        {"name":"Radio Italia","uri":"m3u:Radio%20Italia.m3u"}},
    {"RadioEstere": 
        {"name":"RadioEstere","uri":"m3u:RadioEstere.m3u8"}},
    {"Radiotunes":
       {"name":"Radiotunes","uri":"m3u:Radiotunes.m3u8"}},
    {"Suoni della natura":
       {"name":"Suoni della natura","uri":"m3u:Suoni%20della%20natura.m3u8"}},
    {"random":
       {"name":"random","uri":"m3u:random.m3u8"}},
    {"* I consigli dello staff":
       {"name":"* I consigli dello staff","uri":"tidal:playlist:0108cc4a-91b0-47f5-a6ba-7769ca88b842"}}]

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![fmarzocca](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/fmarzocca/32/35901_2.png) [@fmarzocca](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/fmarzocca)\
**Post date:** [7 June 2022 16:14 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/retrieving-both-values-from-dropdown/63574/10 "2022-06-07T16:14:51Z")

</div>

> [@E1cid](#):
>
> ```auto
> msg.options = msg.payload.map(obj => {
> return {[obj.name]: obj}
> })
> return msg;
> 
> ```

Thank you!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [21 June 2022 16:14 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/retrieving-both-values-from-dropdown/63574/11 "2022-06-21T16:14:52Z")

</div>

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