useTags=true not applied in .items although bindings provide default semantic tags

mas · January 18, 2026, 6:42pm

This is a follow-up to a discussion in the openHAB 5.1 release thread:

According to the Release Notes and documentation, bindings can provide recommended default semantic tags that can be applied using [useTags=true] in .items files.

I verified that such default semantic tags are present by creating items via the UI (Astro and deCONZ bindings), where the semantic model are applied as expected.

However, defining the same items in .items files using [useTags=true] does not apply semantic tags, or only partially.

Examples can be found in the linked original message.

From a user perspective, this looks like inconsistent behavior between UI-based and file-based item creation.

Could this indicate an issue in the .items handling of useTags=true?

laursen · January 18, 2026, 10:28pm

I don’t know if this is related, but for the deCONZ example, the channel that works, brightness is a system channel type:

github.com/openhab/openhab-core

bundles/org.openhab.core.thing/src/main/java/org/openhab/core/thing/DefaultSystemChannelTypeProvider.java

79277fafb


      
          /**
           * Brightness: default system wide {@link ChannelType} which allows changing the brightness from 0-100%
           */
          public static final ChannelType SYSTEM_BRIGHTNESS = ChannelTypeBuilder
                  .state(SYSTEM_CHANNEL_TYPE_UID_BRIGHTNESS, "Brightness", CoreItemFactory.DIMMER)
                  .withDescription("Controls the brightness and switches the light on and off").withCategory("Light")
                  .withStateDescriptionFragment(StateDescriptionFragmentBuilder.create().withMinimum(BigDecimal.ZERO)
                          .withMaximum(new BigDecimal(100)).withPattern("%d %%").build())
                  .withTags(Point.CONTROL, Property.BRIGHTNESS).build();

whereas the channel that doesn’t work, consumption is a channel type defined by the binding:

github.com/openhab/openhab-addons

bundles/org.openhab.binding.deconz/src/main/resources/OH-INF/thing/sensor-channel-types.xml

b0e810666


      
          	<channel-type id="consumption">
          		<item-type>Number:Energy</item-type>
          		<label>Consumption</label>
          		<description>Current consumption</description>
          		<category>Energy</category>
          		<tags>
          			<tag>Measurement</tag>
          			<tag>Energy</tag>
          		</tags>
          		<state readOnly="true" pattern="%.1f %unit%"/>
          	</channel-type>

It does indeed have semantic tags.

I don’t know if this has anything to do with the issue you have, but it might be worth mentioning if you create a bug in the openhab-core repository.

mas · January 21, 2026, 12:00am

Thanks for the hint.

I’ve opened a corresponding bug in the openHAB core repository:

github.com/openhab/openhab-core

'useTags=true' not consistently applying semantic tags in .items files

opened 11:59PM - 20 Jan 26 UTC

Markkuuss

bug

## Expected Behavior When defining items in `.items` files with `[useTags=true]…`, recommended default semantic tags provided by the channel type should be applied to the item, consistent with items created via the UI. ## Current Behavior Semantic tags are not applied, or only partially applied, when items are defined in `.items` files using `[useTags=true]`, although the bindings provide recommended semantic tags on the channel types. Items created via the UI for the same channels correctly receive semantic tags. ### deCONZ binding Works: ```items Dimmer Bee_Light_Esstisch "Dining Table" { channel="deconz:dimmablelight:LightlinkPi:001fee000000074401:brightness" [useTags=true] } ```` Does not work: ```items Number:Energy Bee_Sensor_EsstischConsumption_Consump { channel="deconz:consumptionsensor:LightlinkPi:001fee0000000744040702:consumption" [useTags=true] } ``` ### Astro binding ```items DateTime Sun_MorningNight_End "End [%1$tH:%1$tM]" <moon> (gAstroSun) { channel="astro:sun:Ort:morningNight#end" [useTags=true] } ``` For tested Astro channels, semantic tags are not applied when using `[useTags=true]` in `.items` files, while UI-created items work as expected. No relevant log output is produced. ## Possible Solution Unknown. There appears to be a discrepancy between UI-based item creation and `.items` file parsing when `[useTags=true]` is used. ## Steps to Reproduce 1. Install openHAB 5.1.1 2. Install Astro and deCONZ bindings 3. Create items via the UI and verify semantic tags are applied 4. Define equivalent items in `.items` files using `[useTags=true]` 5. Observe missing or incomplete semantic tags ## Context This issue is discussed in more detail in the openHAB community forum: * [https://community.openhab.org/t/usetags-true-not-applied-in-items-although-bindings-provide-default-semantic-tags/168035](https://community.openhab.org/t/usetags-true-not-applied-in-items-although-bindings-provide-default-semantic-tags/168035) * [https://community.openhab.org/t/openhab-5-1-release-discussion/167620/435](https://community.openhab.org/t/openhab-5-1-release-discussion/167620/435) The forum discussion includes additional examples and confirmation that bindings provide recommended semantic tags, which are correctly applied when items are created via the UI. ## Your Environment * Version used: openHAB 5.1.1 * Java runtime: OpenJDK 21.0.9 (Temurin, LTS) * Operating System: Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)