Logical data nesting with your Octoblu state device

Part 1: Use configuration events in Octoblu
Part 2: Creating custom devices in Octoblu
Part 3: Setting the state of an Octoblu device from a flow
Part 4: Listening to and acting on device state change in Octoblu
Part 5: Breaking values into new keys with a function node
Part 6: Reformatting nested JSON with JavaScript

In my last post I left you with some JavaScript to reformat a JSON message and come out with a nice new format.

I left you hanging with my key format though.
Why did I format my key names the way I did?

It is actually pretty simple in concept (but it took me a long time to get all the code right).

Previously I mentioned that after I $set the data on my Octoblu state device, I want to catch that data change in another workflow.
And I also mentioned that logically grouping that data would make it easier to visualize and work with farther down the chain.

So, back to the key name pattern in my output:

{
  "msg": {
   "rooms.Redmond.lunch.motion": {
     "name": "Redmond_lunch_motion",
     "mapTitle": "Redmond",
     "room": "lunch",
     "device": "motion",
   },
   "rooms.Redmond.lunch.refrigerator": {
     "name": "Redmond_lunch_refrigerator",
     "mapTitle": "Redmond",
     "room": "lunch",
     "device": "refrigerator",
   },
   "rooms.Redmond.lunch.door": {
     "name": "Redmond_lunch_door",
     "mapTitle": "Redmond",
     "room": "lunch",
     "device": "door",
    }
  },
  "node": "e271a6c0-9f9b-8d7882b7836a"
}

This is all about the $set.
I want each set of devices grouped under their room which is under the map they correspond to.
Thus: rooms.map.roomName.deviceName

Which is passed to a JSON Template Node in Octoblu which very simply looks like this:

{
 "$set": {{msg}}
}

Here is where there are different patterns for referencing the message values in Octoblu.
If you are referencing a blob don't put quotes around the mustache notation like I did above.
If you are referencing a value, then put double quotes around the value like this:  "rooms.{{msg.name}}"

The hard thing to get right is the quotes.  Since you will get a false message that your JSON is improperly formatted from the editor, when the message that comes out is actually totally right.

Now, back to why I had the dot notation key name.

When I listen to my state device for a change I will get this nice hierarchy as the output.  And I persist my data nice and logically.

{
  "msg": {
    "rooms": {
      "Redmond": {
        "lunch": {
          "motion": {
            "name": "Redmond_lunch_motion",
            "mapTitle": "Redmond",
            "room": "lunch",
            "device": "motion",
          },
          "refrigerator": {
            "name": "Redmond_lunch_refrigerator",
            "mapTitle": "Redmond",
            "room": "lunch",
            "device": "refrigerator",
          },
          "door": {
            "name": "Redmond_lunch_door",
            "mapTitle": "Redmond",
            "room": "lunch",
            "device": "door",
          }
        }
      }
    },
    "fromUuid": "d5b77d9b-aaf3-f089a7096ee0"
  },
  "node": "b5149300-9cbd-1f1b56e5d7bb"
}

Next post:  I am going to parse all that nesting back apart and make yet another message