Matter Support Released

[jwetzel1492]

@bertabcd1234

Or if you're asking whether it would be possible to "dynamically" generate one based on knowledge of a device's clusters, command classes, etc., then maybe, though as mentioned above, device-specific quirks may still require attention. But the hub does not support such a model as-is (though as a driver author, you may be able to more easily assemble such a driver on your own using libraries, for example).

I assume this is what HomeKit or Alexa are doing internally when they pair to a Matter device. They don't have ability to switch out a driver. (In some cases, you can choose the representation of the device in the UI. ex: switch vs plug vs light)

@bertabcd1234

Even if it did: would Matter be better at this than other protocols? I don't think it's been around long enough to say.

LOL, I assume all the competing parties will turn this protocol into spaghetti, just like previous ones.

@bertabcd1234

it also communicates to apps that look for devices what capabilities the device supports without the app needing to know anything about the particular device (protocol, manufacturer, etc.) -- sort of a layer of abstraction, as all the app sees are the standard commands and attributes that it's the driver's responsibility to handle.

This is where I think a dynamic driver could be useful. We can't do it as a user driver, because we can't dynamically define capabilities, commands, and attributes. (Though folks have asked before: Dynamic Capabilities, Commands, and Attributes for Drivers) So it would have to be internal to the hub.