[userModule] XMLDevice

Tips, Tricks and Scripts to enhance your home automation and workaround known device bugs, limitations and incompatibilities
pz1
Posts: 2053
Joined: 08 Apr 2012 13:44

[userModule] XMLDevice

Post by pz1 »

Last version: 1.0.3 (2016-07-09)
Tested with: v2.2.4-rc2
STATUS: Stable
Download: Online Appstore

userModule XMLDevice


XMLDevice has been developed in response to the existing httpDevice. Both do create "normalised" virtual devices that are compatible with the Z-Way Home Automation system.
This module has been derived from the OpenWeather module. It is meant to turn a single XML element into a virtual device. In the configuration screen the user has to specify a number of parameters that defines the virtual device. It is important to adhere as close as possible to standard terminology as defined in the scales.xml file from Z-Way.
XMLDevice.PNG
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For the time being sources are only kept on Github.
Since 29-12-2016 I am no longer a moderator for this forum
pz1
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Joined: 08 Apr 2012 13:44

Re: [userModule] XMLDevice

Post by pz1 »

I would like to extend this module with an automatic selection of a metric-type icon to be displayed on the Home Automation screen.
  • What is the path to the icon folder used with the automatically generated virtual devices?
  • How to deal with user supplied icons?
pz1
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Joined: 08 Apr 2012 13:44

Re: [userModule] XMLDevice

Post by pz1 »

A few days ago, I did encounter a problem with this module. The values assigned to this virtual device, probably is of type:string. I found out because the userModule Arithmetic could not deal with the value. That worked after I added parseFloat to the code (not yet on github)

So I guess the module should at least have the options to deliver the retrieved XML element as:
type:float
type:int
type:text


Unfortunately the Z-Way API does not list a DeviceType in which I can store text. Float and Int types can quite well fit in sensorMultilevel, but text is appropriate.

How do I solve this? Can I use DeviceType text, just as in the new InfoWidget module? Is DeviceType:text now formally part of your apiary.io, and recognised by the HA engine?

17:00 Updated last two lines
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PoltoS
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Re: [userModule] XMLDevice

Post by PoltoS »

It would be good to add a checkbox in options to select between numeric (float/int) and text values and change deviceType accordingly. text like in InfoWidget is perfect.
pz1
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Joined: 08 Apr 2012 13:44

Re: [userModule] XMLDevice

Post by pz1 »

Thanks, this helps to simplify it for the user side.
pz1
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Joined: 08 Apr 2012 13:44

Re: [userModule] XMLDevice

Post by pz1 »

There is a new release on Github (see link in first post) that uses PoltoS' suggestion.

Worked for me as text and numerical nodes. The later both with float/integer conversions.
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PoltoS
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Re: [userModule] XMLDevice

Post by PoltoS »

I've also updated CodeDevice and HTTPDevice recently on github. I think you might want to add these new features to your module too.

https://github.com/Z-Wave-Me/home-autom ... 51123d228f
pz1
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Joined: 08 Apr 2012 13:44

Re: [userModule] XMLDevice

Post by pz1 »

PoltoS wrote:I've also updated CodeDevice and HTTPDevice recently on github. I think you might want to add these new features to your module too.
It crossed my mind yesterday while perusing the changes on github.

The starting point of XMLDevice was in the OpenWeather module, from which I derived this generalisation for a single XML sensor module. Actually a a slow module for not to rapidly changing data. As a result, as it is now, the minimum polling interval is one minute.

If you think a device like this is something that should be part of your core collection of modules, please feel free to take it further. Almost all IP comes from you anyhow :mrgreen: .
Though I have learned a little bit of JS recently, I say it again, I am not a programmer! Making this in something comparable to the http device is well beyond my league and ambitions.
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PoltoS
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Re: [userModule] XMLDevice

Post by PoltoS »

We will try to review it once we are ready with our modules "shop"
pz1
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Re: [userModule] XMLDevice

Post by pz1 »

PoltoS wrote:We will try to review it once we are ready with our modules "shop"
If you do want your own XML Device, don't try to fix mine, but throw it away, and do it properly based on the idea/functionality of the present module
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