# Separate time stamp and payload from string

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/separate-time-stamp-and-payload-from-string/20425>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [16 January 2020 07:16 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/separate-time-stamp-and-payload-from-string/20425 "2020-01-16T07:16:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Christian-Me](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/christian-me/32/10774_2.png) [@Christian-Me](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Christian-Me)\
**Post date:** [16 January 2020 07:58 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/separate-time-stamp-and-payload-from-string/20425/2 "2020-01-16T07:58:39Z")

</div>

Welcome! Your device is sending not so “well” formatted messages but never mind.

You can use a function node using the string.split() function and take your string appart:

```auto
var parts=msg.payload.split(“:”);
msg.timeString=parts[0]+”:”+parts[1]+”:”+parts [2];
msg.payload=Number(parts[3]);
msg.timestamp= new Date();
msg.timestamp=msg.timestamp.setHours(Number(parts[0]), Number(parts[1]), Number(parts[2])).valueOf();
return msg;

```

Code not tested just typed in on my phone but give it a try.

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_[View the full topic](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/separate-time-stamp-and-payload-from-string/20425)._