Tech News: Node-RED 3.0. Install Now
Node-RED, the IoT visual programming tool, has released version 3.0. It includes a number of improvements to the node editor, new features for managing flows, and updates to the nodes themselves.
The previous major update 2.0 was introduced in July 2021. Since then, 4 beta versions have been released. Let's see what the development team has been doing for a whole year and what interesting things the service has acquired.
To start with, you must have Node.js 14.x or later to upgrade. Internet Explorer is also no longer compatible. As for the feature updates, the developers divided them into 3 main blocks: Editor, Runtime, and Nodes.
Editor updates include the definitive replacement of the Ace text editor with Monaco, a new right-click Context Menu with a list of actions, Debug Path Tooltip showing the full route to a node, and improved search and navigation options.
But the most interesting innovation in this section is Junctions, a new node type. It helps clearly organize the connection of wires in the flow and eliminates visual noise. Here’s what it looks like:
As for Runtime, you can now stop and start flows directly from the editor. Also, the new admin endpoint will now send reports with information about the runtime environment and the system when errors occur. Both of these options can be turned on and off as needed.
Finally, Node updates give additional editing options. For example, specifying environment variables.
To find out the full list of updates, you can read the official Node-RED Change Log on GitHub.
The tool is expected to get the next version 3.1 in late October or November. Node-Red 2 will also continue to work for the time being and even receive updates with fixes.
And to make using Node-RED 3 even more comfortable, don’t forget to set up instant notifications to your smartphone.
Notify.Events is a turnkey solution with over 50 notification recipient services including popular chatting apps, push, SMS, and voice calls. It connects to a chain of nodes in order to send messages about the actions performed to your device at the right time.
Just add the Notify.Events package, configure a new node using the individual token and start getting alerts to Slack, Telegram, Microsoft Teams or other favorite services.
