Intro to Node-RED: Part 2 Best Practices

In this Node-RED tutorial for beginners Opto 22's Terry Orchard goes over some best practices for creating an IIoT Node-RED flow. A few of the tips and tricks covered in this video workshop include:
- Importing and exporting flows
- Back up flows
- Copy, paste, move nodes
- Using Comment nodes
- Wiring nodes
- Snap to grid
- keyboard shortcuts
- Library

0:00 Introduction
1:42 Import into a new flow
2:03 Export an entire flow
2:41 Import/export all flows
3:07 Move nodes between flows
3:24 Add/ delete flows
3:45 Name and describe flows
4:44 Tips on wiring nodes
5:51 Keyboard shortcuts
6:12 Using libraries
6:56 Function nodes
8:43 Subflow nodes
10:08 Catch nodes

#nodered #tutorial

[RedMageGaming]

I mean, I can tell ypou know what your doing, but this video changed gears so hard from the first I got whiplash. Video one, was a fantastic start. Teaching what node-red is, and giving a small example of how it works. This video jumps into a whole bunch of nuts and bolts that people who are trying to learn what node red is aren't going to be able to completely grasp outside of a "huh that seems handy" kind of thought.

To put it in simple terms, in this video your teaching how to garnish the plate, before you've taught how to even prepare a meal. Programming is at its heart "The solution to a problem." So when teaching/learning programming there needs to be a problem. A challenge to overcome that can be gone over broken down and explained how node-red can be used to 'solve' the problem.

[peekpt]

Your node-RED tutorials are awesome! Thanks so much! Congratulations!

[ltcameron]

Great video- easy to follow and a pleasant narration. very professional. Thank you.

[DolphinAerie]

Excellent tutorial; I'm really enjoying it. I'm a newbie to Node Red and I'm finding your video's very helpful and clear. One note, in case you ever revise this video: in the 'Split String' demonstration, the second example in which you changed the function to split the string at the 's' character, your second text string "Hello world!" doesn't contain any 'S' characters, so the example of how changing one didn't change the other falls (just a little) flat.

[WilliamKopans]

Your videos are extremely helpful, I wish videos like this got more attention. Keep up the great work!

[foxyt]

thank you so much on your videos explaining node red!

[OzDeaDMeaT]

Great video, is there anywhere in your videos where you talk about how to setup the subflow status node?

[banzobeans]

thanks. Very well done, clear and helpful!

[EdwinFairchild]

@7:05 when you show the code for the function node.. what languages can you type in there and how do you till it what language you are using and how much of that language is available ... Example standard libraries etc..

[ratbagley]

Where can I find out how to integrate microconrollers like the ESP32 to node-red? Great stuff, well done video!

[maxpuleo]

Do you know if there is a way to group subflows? I would like to group them on left side of the screen. Like the dashboard UI nodes. Thanks

[tdtrecordsmusic]

I dunno what the other commenters are griping about. Your style is fine. Maybe the title is a bit off, caz the vid topics are more like >> overview, common things to know b4 starting, getting familiar <<

[squalazzo]

very well done, neat tricks, thanks :)

[kingsolarman]

Thanks for the series of the Node-Red tutorials. I have a simple question. When is the best practice to separate flows in a separate 'Flow tab'? Besides the variables scope will be different, what is the reason to use a new Flow tab for flows. Is it for one task in a Flow tab? I mean by the task is like reading from serial port and process it is one task in a Flow tab, control GPIO in a Flow tab, ui in a Flow tab or just for visual organization? Thanks

[qzorn]

What would be the procedure to Node-Red an Automation-Direct Cmore Hmi from a Raspberry Pi? Great videos!

[francescovergentini]

I need to configure node red in order to collect hundreds of tags from a PLC to be sent to our cloud via MQTT.
The point is that if I image to manually make the configuration by the graphical interface it will gonna take a wile.
We also make different machines and we have to adapt the configuration machine by machine and it involve many of this tags that make the usage of the graphical interface again very difficult.
Do you think there is any way to use text file to import the configuration (list of tags) in order to make the config process automatic?

Thanks for any suggestion

[ekasusilo]

I exported a function as a library and it works just fine, but is there a way to delete a library from the menu?

[TheFlyingKiwiNZ]

Easier to mouse select around the nodes you want to duplicate, ctrl+c to copy, then ctrl+v on the flow you want to paste them.

[SriRam-dvmb]

can you tell me what language is used in "function node" java (or) java script

[JottyOL]

Thanks for the curse! But I have a problem with Your concept.
You explain the motor, the clutch, the brakes etc. of a car befor you teach driving. It would be more motivating and easier to learn, if You would chose examples with increasing complexity and introduce all the tools, when they are needed. And the more Your examples have a practical use, the better the students will learn the concept of Node Red.