What kind of input can the Entity node handle?

[Timmiej93]

I have a JSON object like this:

{
  name: irrelevantData,
  name2: irrelevantData,
}

I want to create a binary_sensor for each name. They all have the same characteristics, only the name and the state changes (state is handles outside of JSON object).

The entity node has an option for "input override". I tried messing with this, but the documentation tells me nothing about what kind of input this node can handle / expects. Is it possible to set the Home Assitant Config section (not the Attribute section) through input data?

I know I could use a split and switch node to send each name to its respective entity node, but that sucks for reusability, since I'd have to add a entity node and change the switch node each time a new name is added to my JSON object.

[zachowj]

Valid inputs are listed https://zachowj.github.io/node-red-contrib-home-assistant-websocket/node/entity.html#sensors-inputs.

Not being able to set HA options of the entity dynamic is a limitation of the node. It needs those values to be able to register itself with HA at the time of deployment.

You can create entities dynamically using the API node and WebSocket endpoints the entity nodes uses. You can follow a past conversation on the topic here.

[Timmiej93]

Valid inputs are listed https://zachowj.github.io/node-red-contrib-home-assistant-websocket/node/entity.html#sensors-inputs.

Well don't I feel stupid now... I've seen that page at least a dozen times, each time thinking that only the very top section was about the entity node, and the rest being about other nodes, like the "configuration" node...

You can create entities dynamically using the API node and WebSocket endpoints the entity nodes uses. You can follow a past conversation on the topic here.

I like the suggestion, but I'm having some trouble with getting it to work properly. The documentation is a bit lacking. Some questions:

• When do I need to send a command to nodered/discovery? Only once, after every reboot of HA?
• What are server_id and node_id? Is node_id basically the text that comes after sensor./binary_sensor.? server_id is a complete mystery to me.
• Where can I find what kind of data Home Assistant requires? I can set the device class and icon easily, but I'm having a lot of trouble distinguishing between the friendlyName and entityId. Is there a way to set those two independently? If so, how?

[zachowj]

The documentation is a bit lacking.

There is no documentation. It's not really meant for public user consumption. It could break it at any time.

• When do I need to send a command to nodered/discovery? Only once, after every reboot of HA?

Yes, once after every HA reboot.

• What are server_id and node_id? Is node_id basically the text that comes after sensor./binary_sensor.? server_id is a complete mystery to me.

Home Assistant needs a unique identifier for each entity. The NR integration uses a form of the server_id and node_id at that identifier.

https://github.com/zachowj/hass-node-red/blob/2a11f2e0d96fac862a30be7c8b273f1b1acf53ea/custom_components/nodered/__init__.py#L112

The values can really be anything as long as they stay the same for each entity every time it is registered with HA.

• but I'm having a lot of trouble distinguishing between the friendlyName and entityId. Is there a way to set those two independently? If so, how?

The friendly name is set by the property config.name during discovery. When HA sees a new unique id it will create the entity id based on the name property or default to something like <domain>.nodered_<serverid>_<nodeid>. After that first discovery of a new id changing the name property won't change the entity id only the friendly name. You can only change the entity id from within the HA UI or using other HA WebSocket endpoints.

[Timmiej93]

Thanks for the extensive reply, really helpful.

Home Assistant needs a unique identifier for each entity. The NR integration uses a form of the server_id and node_id at that identifier.

Why are there two unique identifiers though? Can they both be the same string?

After that first discovery of a new id changing the name property won't change the entity id only the friendly name.

What does "first discovery" mean in this instance, only the very first discovery, or every "first" discovery after HA reboot?

[zachowj]

Why are there two unique identifiers though? Can they both be the same string?

In NR these are based on the node id of the entity node and node id of the server config. If you're running two instances of NR that happen to have an entity with the same node id in each instance, you imported one to the other or just random luck, the server id will still distinguish them from each other.

Yes, they can be the same string as long combined id is unique to each entity sent to HA.

What does "first discovery" mean in this instance, only the very first discovery, or every "first" discovery after HA reboot?

Only the first time the discovery endpoint is hit not the first time after each reboot. You can do multiple discovery calls at any point to change any of the HA config options.

[Timmiej93]

Awesome, thank you very much for your help, this should be enough to get me going.