diff --git a/front/php/server/util.php b/front/php/server/util.php
index fb23a070..ed5e17a9 100755
--- a/front/php/server/util.php
+++ b/front/php/server/util.php
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ function saveSettings()
 {
   global $SETTINGS, $FUNCTION, $config_file, $fullConfPath, $configFolderPath, $timestamp;   
 
-  // save in the file
+  // save to the file
   $new_name = $config_file.'_'.$timestamp.'.backup';
   $new_location = $configFolderPath.$new_name;
 
@@ -265,15 +265,64 @@ function saveSettings()
     }
   }
 
+  echo "--SETTINGS<br>";
+  echo count($SETTINGS);
+  echo "--SETTINGS session<br>";
+  echo count($_SESSION['pia_settingsArray']); //pia_settingsArray
+  echo "--SETTINGS session<br>";
+  echo $_SESSION['pia_settingsArray']; //pia_settingsArray
+
+  $index = 0;
+  foreach($SETTINGS as $setting)
+  {
+    if(count($setting) < 3)
+    {
+      echo "--PREV<br>";
+      echo json_encode($SETTINGS[$index -1]);
+      echo "--<br>";
+      echo json_encode($setting);
+      echo "--<br>";
+      echo count($setting);
+      echo "--NEXT<br>";
+      echo json_encode($SETTINGS[$index +1]);
+      echo "--<br>";
+    }
+
+    $index = $index +1;
+  }
+  
+
   // go thru the groups and prepare settings to write to file
   foreach($groups as $group)
   {
     $txt = $txt."\n\n# ".$group;
     $txt = $txt."\n#---------------------------\n" ;
+    
+    $index = 0;
     foreach($SETTINGS as $setting)
     {
+      $index = $index +1;
       if($group == $setting[0])
       {            
+        // if (count($setting) < 3)
+        if ($index == 248)
+        {
+          echo json_encode($index-1);
+          echo json_encode($setting[0]);
+          echo json_encode($setting[1]);
+        }
+
+        if (count($setting) < 3)
+        // if ($index == 248)
+        {
+          echo "<br>----------------<br>";
+          echo json_encode($index-1);
+          echo json_encode($setting[0]);
+          echo json_encode($setting[1]);
+        }
+        
+
+
         if($setting[2] == 'text' or $setting[2] == 'password' or $setting[2] == 'readonly' or $setting[2] == 'text.select')
         {
           $val = encode_single_quotes($setting[3]);
@@ -304,6 +353,9 @@ function saveSettings()
 
           $temp = $temp.']';  // close brackets 
           $txt = $txt.$setting[1]."=".$temp."\n" ; 
+        } elseif($setting[2] == 'json')
+        {
+          $txt = $txt.$setting[1]."=".$setting[3]."\n" ; 
         }            
       }
     }
diff --git a/front/settings.php b/front/settings.php
index 65c6f62f..45dbbc3a 100755
--- a/front/settings.php
+++ b/front/settings.php
@@ -425,12 +425,12 @@ while ($row = $result -> fetchArray (SQLITE3_ASSOC)) {
     var settingsArray = [];
 
     // generate javascript to collect values    
-    const noConversion = ['text', 'integer', 'password', 'readonly', 'text.select', 'integer.select', 'text.multiselect'];
+    const noConversion = ['text', 'integer', 'string', 'password', 'readonly', 'text.select', 'integer.select', 'text.multiselect'];
 
     settingsJSON["data"].forEach(set => {
       if (noConversion.includes(set['Type'])) {
 
-        console.log($(set["Code_Name"]).val())
+        console.log($('#'+set["Code_Name"]).val())
         console.log(set["Code_Name"])
         
         settingsArray.push([set["Group"], set["Code_Name"], set["Type"], $('#'+set["Code_Name"]).val()]);
@@ -455,13 +455,18 @@ while ($row = $result -> fetchArray (SQLITE3_ASSOC)) {
           }
         });        
         settingsArray.push([set["Group"], set["Code_Name"], set["Type"], JSON.stringify(temps)]);
-      } else if (set['Type'] === 'json') {
-        // todo: fix jquery value collection
-        const temps = $('#'+set["Code_Name"]).val();
+      } else if (set['Type'] === 'json') {        
+        const temps = $('#'+set["Code_Name"]).val();        
         settingsArray.push([set["Group"], set["Code_Name"], set["Type"], temps]);
       }
     });
+
+    // todo fix passing values between front end and server 
+    console.log("settingsArray");
     console.log(settingsArray);
+
+    sessionStorage.setItem('pia_settingsArray', settingsArray);
+
     return settingsArray;
   }  
 
diff --git a/pialert/plugin.py b/pialert/plugin.py
index c0e2147e..a47be964 100755
--- a/pialert/plugin.py
+++ b/pialert/plugin.py
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ def plugin_param_from_glob_set(globalSetting):
     setTyp = globalSetting[3] # setting type
 
 
-    noConversion = ['text', 'integer', 'boolean', 'password', 'readonly', 'integer.select', 'text.select', 'integer.checkbox'  ]
+    noConversion = ['text', 'string', 'integer', 'boolean', 'password', 'readonly', 'integer.select', 'text.select', 'integer.checkbox'  ]
     arrayConversion = ['text.multiselect', 'list'] 
 
     if setTyp in noConversion: