[Question] Locally modify value of HA entity before display

[Ambrotos]

Is there a way to modify the value of an entity before displaying? I have a few sensors I like to display on a cardEntities page which HA stores as watts and watt hours, but I prefer to display as kW and kWh. Previously in my AppDaemon yaml, I was using the 'value: {{ jinja_code }}' functionality to do some basic math and string manipulation. Is there an equivalent yet in this project? When I try to add value: or lambda: sections to my entities list I get an error, so I assume not.

Failing that, is there a way to include a local sensor in an entities list? I was thinking as a workaround that I could create a template sensor based on the HA entity, modify its value in a lambda, and then display the local entity instead of the remote. Unfortunately specifying a local sensor as an entity_id in the -entities list also results in an error.

Appreciate any help you can provide.

-A

[olicooper]

Hiya, I am currently looking in to both of those features but I'm not sure on the timeline. What data does your jinja_code need access to? Is it just the entity that you are monitoring, so something where you just need access to sensor.energy_sensor_kwh would work?

Something like this?

entities:
  - entity_id: sensor.energy_sensor_kwh
    value: !lambda 'return std::to_string(entity.state).append(entity.state  < 1000 ? "Wh" : "kWh");'

Or maybe this is cleaner?

entities:
  - entity_id: energy_sensor_kwh_template

...

sensor:
  - platform: homeassistant
    id: energy_sensor_kwh_template
    internal: true
    entity_id: sensor.energy_sensor_kwh
    filters:
      - ...

[Ambrotos]

For my use case I only need access to the entity I'm monitoring, so the first option would probably be the most directly compatible for other users with existing AppDaemon-based setups.

That said, given a choice between the two options if I were being selfish I'd prefer the second. Personally, I'm much more comfortable using filters and lambdas than I am with jinja. The second option looks much clearer and more understandable to me. Also, it seems sort of silly that the NTC sensor state has to go to HA and back in order for me to display the nspanel's ambient temperature ;)