At this point, @jtp10181 's solution is probably the best option from among those presented. However, I won't start changing Device Labels until I solve this:
When do start changing, my logic is as per below. Please tell me if I got something wrong.
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Device Name vs Label: Name should be the technical data, label should be the user friendly data that I want in a dashboard, because dashboards populate with the data in label (unless label is blank in which case they populate with the data in name)
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Device Name should include all the technical info, ideally in set format, because it is a separate field, so maybe someday we can sort by it, and if I use a set format, when that day comes I will be ready...
- I'm going to start including battery type in this field; I've tried to use Custom Device Note App, but it does not work the way I would want a Custom Device Note to work. As far as I can tell, instead of creating an instance for battery, and then filling it in on the details page of each app (which is a feature I would love to have - I'd create fields for battery, mfg, model number, date purchased, where purchased, cost, reset instructions, misc notes, etc), with the Custom Device Notes app I have to create an instance for each battery type, and then populate that from the app. I don't see what advantage that gives me beyond battery type in the name field.
- Device Label should also be in a set format so dashboard users experience is consistent. Label should also not contain anything that HomeKit or other integrations will reject, such as certain characters (such as @). Since dashboard icons provide information regarding the device type, and text labels are cut off in dashboards, the first few characters should be used for data that ID the device beyond the device type icon, and beyond the specific room (if you use room labels on Dashboards, which I do on some/don't on others), as needed to differentiate the device from all others. This works for dashboards, but essentially makes the Label sort feature on the device page useless. The only real way to manage devices on the device page would then become the filter as per @jtp10181 's post. So frustrating.
- Feature Requests:
- Let us select whether to sort on Device Name or Device Label (or let us sort on BOTH)
- Let us change the text description that appears on EZ Dashboard tile. Being able to select different text depending on which dashboard I'm working on would be great.
- Give us added user defined fields in Device Details.
