# Split flows.json file for easier diffs

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/split-flows-json-file-for-easier-diffs/96692>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [21 April 2025 20:47 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/split-flows-json-file-for-easier-diffs/96692 "2025-04-21T20:47:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

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**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [22 April 2025 06:09 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/split-flows-json-file-for-easier-diffs/96692/2 "2025-04-22T06:09:38Z")

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This has been requested many times:

- [Formatted Function Node with separate JS files - #2 by knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/formatted-function-node-with-separate-js-files/1760/2)
- [Flows/\*.json instead of flows.json? - #6 by knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/flows-json-instead-of-flows-json/34043/6)
- [Function Node exported json - #2 by knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/function-node-exported-json/77124/2)

One promising (and simple) solution would be to support YAML format (as Nick says in the first link) but unfortunately, as of writing, no one has picked this up.

An option that would make diffs a _little_ easier would be to enable the `flowFilePretty` flag in settings.js. This will make JSON props much easier to compare (but function code will still be escaped unlike an equivalent YAML file format)

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_[View the full topic](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/split-flows-json-file-for-easier-diffs/96692)._