Is it possible to enable/disable rules created textually via Paper UI?

[jestechco (Julio)]

I have created a rule via a .rules file but wonder if it is possible to manage it (meaning turning it on or off) from within the Paper UI or any GUI toggle functionality.

[rlkoshak (Rich Koshak)]

Not directly. You can create a switch and add an if statement to the rule so that the rule only does something if the switch is on.

Only the Experimental Rules Engine had the ability to enable and disable rules directly.

[jestechco (Julio)]

Thank you!

[jestechco (Julio)]

Sorry to come back to this, but I’m so new at this that I can’t figure out how to create such a switch to control the rule. Any tutorials or snippets you can suggest?

[rlkoshak (Rich Koshak)]

Design Pattern: Unbound Item (aka Virtual Item)

Problem Statement Sometimes one needs to create a flag, control, switch, or some other control that is not bound to a device or channel. For example, a Switch to override presence detection. Concept Create an Item that does not have a binding configuration. Simple Example Switch VirtualItem "label" <icon> (groups) // No binding config See the Sensor Aggregation Design Pattern for a more complicated example. The Virtual Item is Override_Presence in that example. Advantages and Limitations V…

Put the Unbound Item on your sitemap to control it.

In your Rule you have:

    if(MyRuleItemSwitch.state == OFF) return;

    // code to perform when the Rule is enabled through MyRuleItemSwitch