Boolean format API/MQTT options 1/0 and true/false don't work as expected

[pswid]

Latest v3.5.0-dev.16.

If I choose the 1/0 option as the Boolean Format API/MQTT, the quotation marks are added anyway in MQTT, so the option works the same as the option "1"/"0". The same problem with true/false option.

[MichaelDvP]

Only if you are using HA. That's another stupid limitation of HA. Disable HA and you get the native format.
Maybe we should skip these option from the selectbox if HA is enabled?
But HA affects only mqtt, the option is for mqtt and api. If we skip it, there is no way to use native bool in api when ha is enabled.
See here:

EMS-ESP32/src/emsdevice.cpp

Lines 1528 to 1530 in ede8e7d

	if (Mqtt::ha_enabled() && (output_target == OUTPUT_TARGET::MQTT)) {
	char s[12];
	json[name] = Helpers::render_boolean(s, value_b); // for HA always render as string

[pswid]

Can you write something more about this HA limitation? Maybe there's a way to workaround it...

[MichaelDvP]

No, i'm not using HA. Proddy has spend a lot of time and work to add code and comments for the HA extras. I'm only reading the comments (as quoted).

[proddy]

It's a limitation of HA's MQTT Discovery (e.g. https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/switch.mqtt/) which requires payload_on and payload_off as being Strings in the MQTT payload. I'll experiment a few workarounds.

..but if you're using Home Assistant you shouldn't really care what the API/MQTT format is? Do you have a use-case @pswid that I've overlooked? Like do you need numeric 1 and 0?

[pswid]

in fact payload_on and payload_off doesn't need to be a string. In case of "on/off" option selected, just change in MQTT discovery config, from:

  "payload_on": "true",
  "payload_off": "false",

to:

  "payload_on": true,
  "payload_off": false,

remove the condition:

EMS-ESP32/src/emsdevice.cpp

Lines 1528 to 1530 in ede8e7d

	if (Mqtt::ha_enabled() && (output_target == OUTPUT_TARGET::MQTT)) {
	char s[12];
	json[name] = Helpers::render_boolean(s, value_b); // for HA always render as string

and boolean option "on/off" will start working (I've just tested it). Option "0/1" too! Howewer it would also be good to remove quotes from payload_on/off definitions (just for more "clarity").

... I'm using API/MQTT not only with HA.

[proddy]

ok great, that's what I was hoping for. Home Assistant finally fixed it (I promise it didn't use to be like this!)

[pswid]

@proddy do you want me to try to prepare a fix?

[proddy]

If you have time that would be great. Do test all scenarios.

[pswid]

ok I will. hopefully this weekend

[pswid]

done. everything seems to work fine, though if you select option true/false, HA sends True/False (uppercase first letter) instead. This is not a problem, because Helpers::value2bool is case-insensitive (executes toLower(value) at the beginning).

[proddy]

Nice! I'll try it out.