# Function node problems

**URL:** <https://forums.losant.com/t/function-node-problems/1937>\
**Category:** Help\
**Tags:** workflow\
**Created:** [June 28, 2019, 7:15pm UTC](https://forums.losant.com/t/function-node-problems/1937 "2019-06-28T19:15:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Lars\_Andersson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@Lars\_Andersson](https://forums.losant.com/u/Lars_Andersson)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 7:15pm UTC](https://forums.losant.com/t/function-node-problems/1937/1 "2019-06-28T19:15:36Z")

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My brain must be getting old this friday.

Shouldn’t I be able to do this in a function node:

var date = payload.opc\_to\_db.record\_date + “T” + payload.opc\_to\_db.record\_time ;  
date = new Date(date);  
payload.data.myTimestamp = (date.getTime());

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**Author:** ![Brandon\_Cannaday](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.losant.com/brandon_cannaday/32/14_2.png) [@Brandon\_Cannaday](https://forums.losant.com/u/Brandon_Cannaday)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 7:29pm UTC](https://forums.losant.com/t/function-node-problems/1937/2 "2019-06-28T19:29:54Z")

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What error are you seeing?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lars\_Andersson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@Lars\_Andersson](https://forums.losant.com/u/Lars_Andersson)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 7:31pm UTC](https://forums.losant.com/t/function-node-problems/1937/3 "2019-06-28T19:31:36Z")

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payload.data.myTimestamp shows as null

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Brandon\_Cannaday](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.losant.com/brandon_cannaday/32/14_2.png) [@Brandon\_Cannaday](https://forums.losant.com/u/Brandon_Cannaday)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 7:33pm UTC](https://forums.losant.com/t/function-node-problems/1937/4 "2019-06-28T19:33:34Z")

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Add `console.log(date)` to the 2nd line to see what your string is.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Brandon\_Cannaday](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.losant.com/brandon_cannaday/32/14_2.png) [@Brandon\_Cannaday](https://forums.losant.com/u/Brandon_Cannaday)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 7:37pm UTC](https://forums.losant.com/t/function-node-problems/1937/5 "2019-06-28T19:37:39Z")

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The likely issue is your date string not being valid. The below snippet also results in `null` on the payload:

```auto
payload.blah = (new Date('Bad')).getTime()
//payoad.blah = null

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Brandon\_Cannaday](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.losant.com/brandon_cannaday/32/14_2.png) [@Brandon\_Cannaday](https://forums.losant.com/u/Brandon_Cannaday)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 7:39pm UTC](https://forums.losant.com/t/function-node-problems/1937/6 "2019-06-28T19:39:47Z")

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Here’s some info on what the JavaScript Date constructor will support:

> **[Date](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Date)**
>
> Creates a JavaScript Date instance that represents a single moment in time in a platform-independent format.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lars\_Andersson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@Lars\_Andersson](https://forums.losant.com/u/Lars_Andersson)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 7:48pm UTC](https://forums.losant.com/t/function-node-problems/1937/7 "2019-06-28T19:48:31Z")

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If I use this it works:  
var date = “06/28/2019 01:02:03” ;

If I use this it doesn’t:  
var date = “06/28/2019” + " " + “01:02:03” ;

Can’t I add strings that way?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Brandon\_Cannaday](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.losant.com/brandon_cannaday/32/14_2.png) [@Brandon\_Cannaday](https://forums.losant.com/u/Brandon_Cannaday)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 7:52pm UTC](https://forums.losant.com/t/function-node-problems/1937/8 "2019-06-28T19:52:31Z")

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Those are equivalent. I see no issues.

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/getstructure/original/2X/5/541e20a36b43b1f006836a2d4855913487c589d4.png)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lars\_Andersson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@Lars\_Andersson](https://forums.losant.com/u/Lars_Andersson)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 7:58pm UTC](https://forums.losant.com/t/function-node-problems/1937/9 "2019-06-28T19:58:56Z")

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It was the “T” inbetween date and time it didn’t like.  
Just a space got it to work.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Brandon\_Cannaday](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.losant.com/brandon_cannaday/32/14_2.png) [@Brandon\_Cannaday](https://forums.losant.com/u/Brandon_Cannaday)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2019, 8:00pm UTC](https://forums.losant.com/t/function-node-problems/1937/10 "2019-06-28T20:00:38Z")

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Yeah, the Date constructor is a bit picky on the formats it accepts. Glad we got it figured out!