# Subflow environment variables issue (\_info, \_type)
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/subflow-environment-variables-issue-info-type/26894
**Category:** General
**Created:** [19 May 2020 06:18 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/subflow-environment-variables-issue-info-type/26894 "2020-05-19T06:18:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@offreal](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/offreal)
#### Post date: [19 May 2020 06:18 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/subflow-environment-variables-issue-info-type/26894/1 "2020-05-19T06:18:08Z")
Hi,
I created simple subflow with one input, and one output.
Subflow has 3 properties: unit\_test, unit\_type, unit\_tell. All of them are dropdowns with two options and string values.
Inside subflow there are function, that reads environment variables:
```auto
msg.env = [env.get("unit_test"), env.get("unit_type"), env.get("unit_tell")];
return msg;
```
On my flow, at subflow output I got this: `["opt1",null,"asdf"]`
It means, that `env.get("unit_type")` always return `null`.
I tested this on multiple PCs and there is always this problem.
What wrong with `"unit_type"`?
Node-red version: 1.0.6
Nodes to test:
```auto
[{"id":"818111e.14a84f","type":"subflow","name":"test","info":"","category":"","in":[{"x":600,"y":320,"wires":[{"id":"aac98841.4feec8"}]}],"out":[{"x":880,"y":320,"wires":[{"id":"aac98841.4feec8","port":0}]}],"env":[{"name":"unit_test","type":"str","value":"opt1","ui":{"icon":"font-awesome/fa-arrow-circle-down","label":{"en-US":"Unit test"},"type":"select","opts":{"opts":[{"l":{"en-US":"opt1"},"v":"opt1"},{"l":{"en-US":"opt2"},"v":"opt2"}]}}},{"name":"unit_type","type":"str","value":"aaa","ui":{"icon":"font-awesome/fa-align-left","label":{"en-US":"Unit type"},"type":"select","opts":{"opts":[{"l":{"en-US":"aaa"},"v":"aaa"},{"l":{"en-US":"bbb"},"v":"bbb"}]}}},{"name":"unit_tell","type":"str","value":"asdf","ui":{"icon":"font-awesome/fa-compass","label":{"en-US":"Unit tell"},"type":"select","opts":{"opts":[{"l":{"en-US":"asdf"},"v":"asdf"},{"l":{"en-US":"qwer"},"v":"qwer"}]}}}],"color":"#DDAA99"},{"id":"aac98841.4feec8","type":"function","z":"818111e.14a84f","name":"","func":"msg.env = [env.get(\"unit_test\"), env.get(\"unit_type\"), env.get(\"unit_tell\")];\nreturn msg;","outputs":1,"noerr":0,"x":730,"y":320,"wires":[[]]},{"id":"259922d3.db2c6e","type":"debug","z":"f31cfc67.f14fb","name":"","active":true,"tosidebar":true,"console":false,"tostatus":false,"complete":"true","targetType":"full","x":830,"y":1840,"wires":[]},{"id":"a85acf85.0a113","type":"subflow:818111e.14a84f","z":"f31cfc67.f14fb","name":"","env":[{"name":"unit_type","value":"bbb","type":"str"}],"x":660,"y":1840,"wires":[["259922d3.db2c6e"]]},{"id":"555ec225.0c57bc","type":"inject","z":"f31cfc67.f14fb","name":"","topic":"","payload":"","payloadType":"date","repeat":"","crontab":"","once":false,"onceDelay":0.1,"x":480,"y":1840,"wires":[["a85acf85.0a113"]]}]
```
---
### Author:  [@JGKK](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/JGKK)
#### Post date: [19 May 2020 07:00 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/subflow-environment-variables-issue-info-type/26894/2 "2020-05-19T07:00:12Z")
This is really strange. I see the same thing when importing your flow. Everything seems right. It’s just like it wasn’t there 🤔
maybe @dceejay or @knolleary can have a look as this indeed looks like a bug unless we are booth missing something obvious here, which could be as i only had one cup of coffee so far ☕ .
---
### Author:  [@offreal](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/offreal)
#### Post date: [19 May 2020 07:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/subflow-environment-variables-issue-info-type/26894/3 "2020-05-19T07:51:27Z")
Looks like, its not bug 🤔
I found this:
`node-red-master\packages\node_modules\@node-red\runtime\lib\nodes\flows\Subflow.js`
```auto
/**
* Get environment variable of subflow
* @param {String} name name of env var
* @return {Object} val value of env var
*/
getSetting(name) {
this.trace("getSetting:"+name);
if (!/^\$parent\./.test(name)) {
var env = this.env;
var is_info = name.endsWith("_info");
var is_type = name.endsWith("_type");
var ename = (is_info || is_type) ? name.substring(0, name.length -5) : name; // 5 = length of "_info"/"_type"
```
Using `"*_info"` as parameter name leads to the same behavior.
---
### Author:  [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)
#### Post date: [19 May 2020 08:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/subflow-environment-variables-issue-info-type/26894/4 "2020-05-19T08:03:56Z")
Hmm, yes - that is an unfortunate naming collision. We need to fix that to reduce the chances of a clash with the internal property names.
So yes, I would call it a bug on the basis that you had every right to expect your flow to work and it didn't because of an internal implementation detail.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [18 July 2020 08:03 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/subflow-environment-variables-issue-info-type/26894/5 "2020-07-18T08:03:58Z")
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