fix for #73 - render object enties as their id value

src/ibek/ioc.py

@@ -58,6 +58,11 @@ def add_ibek_attributes(cls, entity: Entity):
                 setattr(entity, arg, render_with_utils(entity_dict, value))
         return entity
 
+    def __str__(self):
+        # if this entity has an id then its string representation is the value of id
+        id_name = self.__definition__._get_id_arg()
+        return getattr(self, id_name) if id_name else super().__str__()
+
 
 def make_entity_model(definition: Definition, support: Support) -> Type[Entity]:
     """

src/ibek/support.py

@@ -184,6 +184,13 @@ class Definition(BaseSettings):
         description="Environment variables to set in the boot script", default=()
     )
 
+    def _get_id_arg(self):
+        """Returns the name of the ID argument for this definition, if it exists"""
+        for arg in self.args:
+            if isinstance(arg, IdArg):
+                return arg.name
+        return None
+
 
 class Support(BaseSettings):
     """

tests/samples/pydantic/st.cmd

@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ ioc_registerRecordDeviceDriver pdbbase
 testValues test_value:AsynPort1.127.0.0.1
 testValues test_value:AsynPort2.10.0.0.2
 
-# exampleTestFunction AsynPortIP Name Value
-exampleTestFunction IP:10.0.0.2 name:'Consumer of another port' Value:AsynPort2.10.0.0.2
-exampleTestFunction IP:10.0.0.2 name:'Another Consumer of the 2nd port' Value:AsynPort2.10.0.0.2
+# exampleTestFunction AsynPortIP Name Port Value
+exampleTestFunction IP:10.0.0.2 name:'Consumer of another port' port:'AsynPort2' Value:AsynPort2.10.0.0.2
+exampleTestFunction IP:10.0.0.2 name:'Another Consumer of the 2nd port' port:'AsynPort2' Value:AsynPort2.10.0.0.2
 
 dbLoadRecords /tmp/ioc.db
 iocInit

tests/samples/pydantic/test.ibek.support.yaml

@@ -56,4 +56,5 @@ defs:
         args:
           AsynPortIP: IP:{{ PORT.IP }}
           Name: name:'{{ name }}'
+          Port: port:'{{ PORT }}' # defaults to the id of PORT, i.e. PORT.name
           Value: Value:{{ PORT.test_value }}