UI recommendations in view of upcoming openhab3

Anybody have any UI recommendations for a new user on a new openHAB2 install (Windows 10 Pro), considering the upcoming openHAB3? From what I read, some of the current ones will be going away.

I was also curious if any of you have had any dealings with either the Windows UI app (official one I assume) or the other offering that is for sale? Didn’t see much as far as reviews on those.

Hoping to avoid getting on a “dead horse” so to speak.

Welcome.

The Basic UI and, I believe, HABPanel are staying. AVOID Simple Mode.

I use the Paper UI to manage addons, discover / add Things, & for system configuration. I personally use text files for Items & Rules but that is a personal choice…

If you are comfortable with programming, you may want to look at the NGRE (Next Generation Rules Engine) for rules. There is also a REST API available. Installing the UI RestDocs will help show what is available there.

I am currently working on an new App wich enables you to create a ui for openHab and will make it available wherever you want. It will be available as App on Android and iOS and available as WebApp. If will be released before fall this year but wont be free. There is a monthly fee planned but it will be under 2€.

But to answer your question you will first need to decide which way you want to go. How much to you want to code by yourself and how much time do you want to spend on an ui.

You are referring to a new mobile app which will not help with the UI question for the web interface.

Thanks for all the information.

I am not using simple mode.

Planning to use files for the items and rules.

Am checking out the Modbus binding now, have it set up for reading a holding register and have a thing (Modbus Data) and an item set up for each bit (discrete input) using files. This seems to be working ok. Should I try to do away with the things file and use the UI for that part instead?

My next step is to try to get writing discrete outputs working, which is a little more involved because my device has 16 outputs (bits) packed into a 16-bit register. I am using some information that rossko57 posted as a guide, this has been very helpful.

Starting to look at the HABPanel and the Basic UI. It looks like the Basic UI needs a sitemap which I do not have yet.

Thanks again to all.

There’s no right or wrong way really - it’ll be personal preference.

For simplicity I like to use a single method to configure everything, so I just use files exclusively. The only time I use the PaperUI is to install a binding or transform.

EDIT: …in view of upcoming openHAB 3: PaperUI is being replaced by a new UI in openHAB 3. I’m sure everything configured via PaperUI will be easily transferred into the new UI, but there would then be a new UI to learn soon(ish)…

Everything configured through the Paper UI is in the jsondb so will be available to the new UI.