JobFlow Debugger

See what changed at every step

Timeline visualization with JSON diff comparison. Track message changes across nodes, grouped by Job ID.

The Problem We Discovered

"I can't tell what changed in my message. Each node transforms it but I don't know how. By the time it reaches the end, I have no idea what happened along the way."

The default debug sidebar shows raw output but doesn't show changes. Messages transform through multiple nodes and you lose track of what happened where. Comparing before and after states means adding debug nodes everywhere.

Complex workflows with conditional routing become impossible to trace. You know something changed, but finding where and why requires detective work.

Visual Message Tracking

Timeline View:

  • Grouped by Job ID: Messages organized by job, not just arrival time
  • Expandable Cards: Click to see the full timeline of snapshots
  • Node Path: Visual timeline showing message path through nodes
  • Relative Timestamps: Human-readable times ("2m ago", "just now")
  • Message Size: Byte count displayed for all entries

JSON Diff View:

  • Green [+]: Property was added
  • Red [-]: Property was removed
  • Yellow [~]: Property was modified (shows old and new)
  • Collapsible: Expand/collapse objects and arrays
  • Copy Buttons: Hover to copy path or value with one click

Additional Features

Search and Filtering:

  • Filter jobs by Job ID, flow name, or node names
  • Show all flows or only current flow
  • Expand/collapse all snapshots with one click

Debug Messages Tab:

  • Captures all debug node output
  • Same rendering features: collapsible JSON, copy buttons
  • Unified interface across Jobs and Debug views

Properties Tab:

  • Learned properties from flow execution
  • Source tracking: which nodes produce each property
  • Autocomplete integration in msg typedInput fields

Workspace Integration:

  • Detached Window: Pop out debugger into separate window
  • Node Hover: Hovering node names highlights them in editor
  • Auto-Scroll: Automatically scroll to new jobs
  • Enable/Disable: Right-click toolbar button to pause/resume

How to Use

  • Click the bug icon in the JobFlow Pro Editor toolbar
  • Send messages through your flows
  • Messages appear grouped by Job ID
  • Click a job card to expand the timeline
  • Click a snapshot to see the JSON diff
  • Hover over properties for copy buttons
  • Use the search box to filter by ID, flow, or node

Get Started

# Quick install
cd ~/.node-red
npm install @fierylab.io/fiery-contrib-plugin-jobflow-debugger
node-red-restart

Requirements:

  • Node-RED 3.0.0 or higher
  • Node.js 18 or higher

Ready to see what changed?