Is there a cookbook with the different possible values for each of the entities?
I expect there must be, I just don’t seem to locate it.
It is useful to have it while setting up Automations as sometimes it can be confusing.
For instance, through the YR component, the output is a number.
I was able to find out what each value means by following the API link, but it would make more sense to have everything consolidated.
Could also be something to be included somehow in the States page under Development Tools.
It’s a good idea, but kind of out of the scope of HA. And with some of the attributes of an API producing tons of potential values (for instance, the DarkSky icon has number of different values for both day and night weather conditions), space on the dev page would be a problem.
The API for the third party providers is always going to be the most complete and authoritative source.
I agree- HA has been designed to be completely open ended in this respect - it doesn’t know or even care what the values are, it just reports them and accepts them as input. You need to go on a case by case basis for each device.
Maybe I shouldn’t have given an example Because now the focus is on the concrete example and not on the actual idea behind having a centralized source to help Automations and Developments.
However, let me try again… with another example
I think - based on behavior I’ve seen so far - that the standard output of the device_trackers (I have one based on OwnTracks for myself and one based on iCLOUD for my partner) is the name of the zone where the device currently is. Or ‘away’ in case the device is outside any of the zones defined by the user.
However, the group ‘all_devices’ (automatically created by Home Assistant) only knows a status ‘home’ or ‘not_home’ (and I like that as it is all I need to know).
But it’s different outputs, so when I create an Automation that applies to one specific device_tracker, I need to program it differently then when I would do it for the group.
Again, don’t focus too much on the example as such, it’s just to illustrate that a centralized repository with possible values for each entity would be useful. And for external 3rd party providers, simply a link to their webpage where they document their output would indeed make sense.
I understand that HA doesn’t want to limit but that is not the point. This is about documenting the behavior of the component/entity and centralizing it. I am definitely not an expert, but I’m pretty sure that an open-source platform like HA insists on a number of best practices, rules, conventions, etc… that it wants the numerous contributors to respect. My question is to be seen in that spirit, an obligation for contributors to document the behavior and a centralized repository where they can do so.
Usually when I am starting out with a new automation I try to get a list of states from influxdb with select distinct. Obviously this only helps for states I’ve seen but these are usually the ones you care about hope this helps.
Because now the focus is on the concrete example and not on the actual idea behind having a centralized source to help Automations and Developments.