Make input pills default to full JSON path and automatically update in expressions

Feature Requests
1

The idea is:

When you drag a data pill into a node, it should automatically default to the full JSON path.

For example, for a field named Video link:
It should never default to the short version with a node: {{ $json[‘Video Link’] }}
It would always default to {{ $(‘NODE_NAME’).item.json[‘Video Link’] }}

Also, when you go to change a node name, it should automatically update all existing in use nodes expressions with that name.

This would be a major continuity fix that would save lots of time having to go back and update when renaming nodes. A lot of developers build things in different orders, and when you add steps in between existing steps, you end up with multiple fields named the same thing and the nodes get confused with it and populate the wrong data because it can’t determine whether {{ $json[‘XYZ’] }} is from the 1st node version of it, 2nd node version of it or 3rd… etc. I rarely know what I should name the the node until im done building and testing with it. Then I have to go back and change the expressions.

My use case:

See above

I think it would be beneficial to add this because:

I have 5+ years of workflow development experience in Servicenow. This was easily the biggest quality of life change to Flow Designer and is an approach most professional low-code/no code workflow platforms take.

Any resources to support this?

N/A

Are you willing to work on this?

Absolutely.

2

Thanks for this - it’s an interesting idea.

If expressions don’t auto-update on rename, that’s a bug we should fix.

As for always using the absolute path rather than the relative one, it’s not a problem I’ve personally had so I’m wondering if we architect/build our workflows differently.

Would you be able to share a video of rename breaking expressions plus a real-life workflow of a scenario where you find yourself wishing we didn’t have relative expressions?

I believe this is a real problem for you and I’d just like to understand your setup better. Thanks!

3

Sure. See workflow below. Which includes step by step written instructions.

4

Thanks for the clarification, @Trust

So the renaming issue is on renaming fields, rather than nodes?

5

Yeah, I’ve seen it break both ways (node rename and field name rename)… but right now, I can only re-create field name. Unsure if you guys patched something recently that fixed node renaming or if there is more layers to the bug. I just worked through it tbh, but if i see it again, I’ll stop.

Below is same workflow, just copied, dragged both fields into node3 then renamed node1 and renamed field name on node2. Node name rename worked, Field name rename didn’t.

6

I guess auto-adjusting expressions when a field is renamed would only really work in the Edit Fields node. But that would be doable.