# Subflow field labels increase width

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/subflow-field-labels-increase-width/53612>\
**Category:** Feature Requests\
**Created:** [12 November 2021 06:17 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/subflow-field-labels-increase-width/53612 "2021-11-12T06:17:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bakman2](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/bakman2/32/6207_2.png) [@bakman2](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/bakman2)\
**Post date:** [12 November 2021 06:17 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/subflow-field-labels-increase-width/53612/1 "2021-11-12T06:17:04Z")

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Could the field label in the subflow be increased a little bit ?  
It is currently 100px which is not a lot of text.

 ![Screenshot 2021-11-12 at 07.14.49](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/4/b/4b8edd4c139f7d92d104ddde32be965ca2a31410.jpeg)

additional requests:

- add a field duplication option in the subflow environment variables, it is a lot of work to populate 2 select boxes with the same values but with different fieldnames.
- if the field type is set to `none`, it produces a span `<span> </span>` with a space in between, which causes an empty space to be printed below, would be a bit nicer without the empty space:

 ![Screenshot 2021-11-12 at 08.07.39](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/3/c/3caea5cb4a4266170dec425c967ee684852736e1.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![dceejay](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dceejay/32/38_2.png) [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)\
**Post date:** [12 November 2021 09:34 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/subflow-field-labels-increase-width/53612/2 "2021-11-12T09:34:09Z")

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Hi, Can you clarify where exactly this name field is ? Both the subflow edit properties name field and a subflow instance name field are already much wider than 100px.  
(and I don't recognise one with Foreground Color mentioned)

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**Author:** ![bakman2](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/bakman2/32/6207_2.png) [@bakman2](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/bakman2)\
**Post date:** [12 November 2021 09:35 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/subflow-field-labels-increase-width/53612/3 "2021-11-12T09:35:58Z")

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These properties are set in the environment variables in a subflow (there they end up with 100px).

I changed them to fgColor and bgColor instead, example

 ![Screenshot 2021-11-12 at 10.37.04](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/a/3/a3b237e974cbd0980b842426ba6c1eaf9e17f6ad.jpeg)  
 ![Screenshot 2021-11-12 at 10.37.11](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/7/4/74e03f23618d1af0590638dcfbcd79dfcc6df0e2.jpeg)

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**Author:** ![dceejay](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dceejay/32/38_2.png) [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)\
**Post date:** [12 November 2021 09:43 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/subflow-field-labels-increase-width/53612/4 "2021-11-12T09:43:07Z")

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Ah right. yes that is the standard across the whole of Node-RED.

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**Author:** ![bakman2](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/bakman2/32/6207_2.png) [@bakman2](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/bakman2)\
**Post date:** [12 November 2021 09:52 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/subflow-field-labels-increase-width/53612/5 "2021-11-12T09:52:47Z")

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Yes, wouldn't hurt to make it a bit wider throughout NR ?

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**Author:** ![dceejay](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/dceejay/32/38_2.png) [@dceejay](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/dceejay)\
**Post date:** [12 November 2021 09:57 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/subflow-field-labels-increase-width/53612/6 "2021-11-12T09:57:25Z")

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> [@bakman2](#):
>
> a bit wider

so 105 ? 110 ?  
or let's just call it a design constraint 🙂

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**Author:** ![BartButenaers](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/bartbutenaers/32/10476_2.png) [@BartButenaers](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/BartButenaers)\
**Post date:** [12 November 2021 11:24 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/subflow-field-labels-increase-width/53612/7 "2021-11-12T11:24:11Z")

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Yes indeed. Every time I create a custom node, I run into this limitation. So finding shorter words has become some kind of second nature 😂.  
When I see _Foreground color"_ my brain immediately thinks: hell no, this will never fit into that small area. Hopefully _"Front color"_ or something like that will fit...

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**Author:** ![knolleary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/knolleary/32/3_2.png) [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)\
**Post date:** [12 November 2021 11:29 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/subflow-field-labels-increase-width/53612/8 "2021-11-12T11:29:22Z")

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Here's the problem. If we change the default it will likely break the layouts of lots of nodes that have some hardcoded CSS in them.

We _could_ change the default for the generated property list used by subflows as we are in complete control of that panel.

But I also think we should look at improving the overall CSS/structure that node edit dialogs should follow - but done in a way that allows old and new to co-exist - ie by making the 'new' opt-in via adding a particular CSS class to the top of your node's edit dialog.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [11 January 2022 11:30 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/subflow-field-labels-increase-width/53612/9 "2022-01-11T11:30:10Z")

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