I currently have this sensor:
---
platform: template
sensors:
garbage_paper:
friendly_name: 'Papier'
entity_id: sensor.time, sensor.afval
value_template: >-
{% set date = strptime(state_attr('sensor.afval', 'paper'), '%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S%z') %}
{% set diff = as_timestamp(date) - as_timestamp(strptime(states.sensor.date_time.state, "%Y-%m-%d, %H:%M")) %}
{% set days = diff | timestamp_custom("%j") | int %}
{% set hours = (diff / 3600) | int %}
{% if days == 1 %}Morgen{% elif days == 2 %}Overmorgen{% elif days > 0 %}Over {{ days }} dagen{% elif hours > 0 %}Over {{ hours }} uur{% else %}Zometeen{% endif %}
garbage_organic:
friendly_name: 'GFT'
entity_id: sensor.time, sensor.afval
value_template: >-
{% set date = strptime(state_attr('sensor.afval', 'organic'), '%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S%z') %}
{% set diff = as_timestamp(date) - as_timestamp(strptime(states.sensor.date_time.state, "%Y-%m-%d, %H:%M")) %}
{% set days = diff | timestamp_custom("%j") | int %}
{% set hours = (diff / 3600) | int %}
{% if days == 1 %}Morgen{% elif days == 2 %}Overmorgen{% elif days > 0 %}Over {{ days }} dagen{% elif hours > 0 %}Over {{ hours }} uur{% else %}Zometeen{% endif %}
garbage_other:
friendly_name: 'Rest + Plastic'
entity_id: sensor.time, sensor.afval
value_template: >-
{% set date = strptime(state_attr('sensor.afval', 'other'), '%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S%z') %}
{% set diff = as_timestamp(date) - as_timestamp(strptime(states.sensor.date_time.state, "%Y-%m-%d, %H:%M")) %}
{% set days = diff | timestamp_custom("%j") | int %}
{% set hours = (diff / 3600) | int %}
{% if days == 1 %}Morgen{% elif days == 2 %}Overmorgen{% elif days > 0 %}Over {{ days }} dagen{% elif hours > 0 %}Over {{ hours }} uur{% else %}Zometeen{% endif %}
Which parses pickup dates for my garbage bins into readable date formats (in Dutch).
As you can see the value_template for each sensor is almost identical (apart from the attribute definition; paper, organic, other). It all works well, but I’m not happy with the duplication of the ‘code’.
Isn’t there a way this can be improved so I can only have one place that handles the parsing of these dates.
Maybe in the lovelace card itself? Any ideas are welcome.