Extend OnOffType so it can be used as drop-in-replacement for Number types

[Cybso]

I have added the methods of java class Number to OnOffType. This allows items of this class to be used as drop-on-replacement for numeric types in scripted rules:

    if (ir.getItem("someItem").getState().intValue() > 0) { .... }

Additionally, I have added a method booleanValue(), which allows this state to be used without importing OnOffType first.

[wborn]

It's less code and easier to understand if you just use a static import for OnOffType.ON:

if (ir.getItem("someItem").getState() == ON) {

[Cybso]

It's less code and easier to understand if you just use a static import for OnOffType.ON:

if (ir.getItem("someItem").getState() == ON) {

Yes, but this is not what the patch intended in the first place. The patch allows to replace an Number item with a Boolean item without breaking existing rules.

[wborn]

OnOffType is also used in add-on code and tests. Adding these options will probably result in contributors using the type in the wrong way and maintainers having to add review comments for this.

[rkoshak]

which allows this state to be used without importing OnOffType first.

Where do you need to import OnOffType in rules? It's imported by default in Rules DSL. jRuby I think provides a wrapper. JS Scripting always returns the state of Items as a String unless otherwise indicated. I don't know about Groovy. Is this actually solving a real problem or a perceived problem in rules.

If it's a real problem, maybe the place to correct it is in the helper library for the language instead of in core where, as @wborn points out, it could have more knock on effects than the improvement is worth.

Wouldn't it make more sense to add a getStateAs() method than all of these new methods? That would be consistent with other Types like DimmerType, ColorType, etc.

At a minimum I would expect to see just one toNumber() method. It's left to the caller to pull the primitive from the Number. Everywhere else a number appears in the OH API as seen from rules, when there's a number OH presents it as a Number, not a primitive. Consistency is important.

Also, what about ContactType?