Why am I unable to use data from a previous step in a code step?

Help
1

This topic was automatically generated from Slack. You can find the original thread here.

I have issues using data from a previous step in a code step.

I have a first step get_tokens_from_xano which returns an object.

Then I’m trying to use this like:

  async run({ steps, $ }) {
    const url = "https://********.com/auth/token";
    const headers = {
      "********-instance": this.instanceName,
    };
    const prev = steps.get_tokens_from_xano;
    console.log(prev);

But this fails with error Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'get_tokens_from_xano') at this specific like where I set const prev.

I’ve tried with return and $.export but both result in the same error.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

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2

can you show me how to use the $return_value from a step export from a previous step in my workflow titled get_tokens_from_xano?

Specifically I want to send an HTTP request with this returned value from that step as the body for the request.

3

Sure! To use the $return_value from the get_tokens_from_xano step and send an HTTP request with it as the body, you can use the following code in a new code step: import { axios } from "@pipedream/platform"; export default defineComponent({ async run({ steps, $ }) { const url = "https://your-api-url.com/endpoint"; const body = steps.get_tokens_from_xano.$return_value; const response = await axios(this, { method: "POST", url: url, data: body, }); return response; }, }); Replace https://your-api-url.com/endpoint with the actual URL you want to send the request to. This code sends a POST request with the $return_value from the get_tokens_from_xano step as the request body.

4

Thanks . In this case I was not using the $return_value since the previous step was exporting values with $.**export**("tokens", tokens); , not returning them.

Even then however, this is returning undefined

5

Just tested again returning a value from get_tokens_from_xano instead of exporting it, and the following throws on get_tokens_from_xano being undefined:

    const prev = steps.get_tokens_from_xano.$return_value.tokens;
    console.log(prev);

Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'get_tokens_from_xano')

6

FWIW those code actions are actions saved to My actions (components). Not sure if this can make any difference in the behavior of the workflow?

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7

Ah, so are you aware that steps aren’t available in published actions?

8

gosh no, I wasn’t aware

9

Any input data into a published action needs to a prop

10
11

Gotcha, thanks a bunch

12

There’s a section called “Why can’t I use steps in my published Node.js code steps?” that explains this

13

Sure thing

14

one quick question if I may. Any way to set variables global to a workflow, that can be modified in any step?

Is this something we can do with exports ($.export)? Or would I need to use the data store or temp file for that.

Thanks

15

Correct, for mutable data that’s common between steps, then I would recommend using a Data Store

16

Or you can use MySQL, Postgres, MongoDB, DynamoDB, etc

17

You can connect to any of those services from Pipedream

18

Awesome thanks!