Text box

A multiline text field that outputs its contents as a string. You type your prompt (or any text) into it, and it feeds that text to wherever you wire it. The whole reason to use a standalone text node instead of typing directly into a CLIP Text Encode is reuse and organization: one text box can feed the same prompt into several encoders, or you can keep all your prompt text in dedicated nodes off to the side where it's easy to find and edit.

It's a "Variables" node from Derfuu_ComfyUI_ModdedNodes, an older utility pack. Heads-up on the name: current builds of the pack register this as DF_Text_Box - "Text box" with spaces is the older class name for the same node. Derfuu renamed things across pack reorganizations, which matters for old workflows (see troubleshooting).

How it works

Nothing to it. One widget, Text (STRING, multiline), and one STRING output. Multiline means you get a proper resizable box for long prompts with line breaks, versus a single-line field. Type, wire the output into a CLIP Text Encode, a string operation, or anything expecting text.

Where you'd use it

The honest answer is: as tidy prompt storage. In a big graph, having your positive and negative prompts in labeled Text boxes off to one side - rather than buried inside encoder nodes - makes the workflow much easier to read and hand to someone else. You can also chain it into string ops like String Concatenate to assemble a prompt from parts, or Search In Text to test it for a keyword.

Worth being straight: this is one of the most-reinvented node types in the ecosystem. Core ComfyUI, rgthree, WAS Node Suite, and just about every utility pack ship a text/string primitive. They're interchangeable - any "string" node with a text input will do. Derfuu's is fine; it's just not special. Note also the pack has a separate DynamicPrompts text box if you want {a|b|c} wildcard syntax - this plain Text box does not process those.

Common issues & troubleshooting

Old workflow shows a red "Text box" node. This is the classic Derfuu gotcha. The maintainer has a documented habit of deleting deprecated node classes on update instead of leaving them in place, so a workflow saved against the old "Text box" class can break after a pack update. The fix: replace it with the current node (DF_Text_Box) - right-click, add node, search "text", re-wire. As one user put it after getting bitten, you can also just swap in any other string node and connect it the same way.

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'custom_nodes.Derfuu_ComfyUI_ModdedNodes'. Same root cause - an old graph referencing a module path that moved. Update the pack, reload, replace the node.

Wildcards like {red|blue} come out literally. This is the plain text box, not the DynamicPrompts one. Use the pack's DynamicPrompts Text Box for that syntax.

Install: ComfyUI Manager → search "Derfuu" → install → restart, or cd ComfyUI/custom_nodes && git clone https://github.com/Derfuu/Derfuu_ComfyUI_ModdedNodes then restart. No models, no heavy dependencies.