Cannot add a range value

[Uncle Michael]

I have some virtual devices that I want to use to store quantitative info.
When I click on the 'Add new range value' button, though, nothing happens. I can add a range graphic, but cannot add a range value.

What am I missing?

[mikedr]

So when you click add range, nothing like this pops up?

[randy]

I have some virtual devices that I want to use to store quantitative info.
When I click on the 'Add new range value' button, though, nothing happens. I can add a range graphic, but cannot add a range value.

What am I missing?

Did you delete the single values first? If it is created with the default 0 and 100 for Off and On, you cannot create a range value without deleting the default single values. You can then add single values after the range value is created.

[Uncle Michael]

. . . you cannot create a range value without deleting the default single values. You can then add single values after the range value is created.

That fixed it! Thank you, Randy.

Is that behavior documented somewhere (besides in your post)? I couldn't find it with any search terms I tried.

[randy]

That fixed it! Thank you, Randy.

Is that behavior documented somewhere (besides in your post)? I couldn't find it with any search terms I tried.

Not that I know of. I hope we can get some "Working with Devices" posts along the lines of what we've been doing with the Event Clinic. There are a lot of nuances to devices, just like there are with events, most of it is undocumented - at least I haven't found it.

[donstephens]

Light bulb moment.

Thanks Randy.

[mulu]

Ah, I was struggling with this for some time. I even did delete the single values but then added the single 0 value first thinking that maybe values need to be added in order. Adding the range value first worked. However, I wanted to add a second range value in order to mimic some real devices that have two ranges (I am creating a virtual device to control multiple devices). I am surprised that after more than 2 years this bug is still around, i.e. that a range must be added first.

[randy]

It is because a new range value always defaults to values from 0 to 1. You can add another range value as long as 0 is not a single or range value. For some reason it allows you to add a range value even if 1 is already a single or range value. If you need to add a second range value, ether delete the value 0 or temporarily change a range that has 0 as the lower limit. For obvious reasons, you are limited to 2 range values and no values (range or single)can overlap.

As to why it isn’t “fixed”, I don’t know. I created a Bugzilla when I discovered it several years ago. It is also likely that I emailed Rich at that time. The way I found it was to discover that a new range defaults to 0 - 1 and knowing that HS prevents one from creating duplicate values. I do understand why the check is needed. The fix would be simple to me, create a range could default to no values and the overlap check could be done after values are entered. As it is right now you can create ranges with overlapping values and when you click “Done” t will just fail to save one of the range sets.

[mulu]

rprade, thanks a lot for this information. Maybe I misunderstood your email but I finally got this to work. Initially, I deleted my 0 single status and then added a range (and clicking 'done' at the very bottom left). That worked, However, it did not allow me to add my second range from 100-254. I even deleted both single status and then added the range 1-98 and then 100-254 but it wouldn't take the 100-254.

So here is how I finally got this to work.
1) Remove the 0 single value
2) Remove the 100 single value (now there are no status text values anymore).
3) Add the 100-254 range value
4) Add the 1-98 range value (you can't switch 3 & 4. You first must enter the higher range)
5) Add the 0 single value
6) Add the 99 single value

So now I have exactly the values from the device I try to emulate.

As for the 'bug', I don't know why they insist on the 0-1 range. When you add a single value the default value will be the first available value. So when adding a range you can just use the exact same logic, find the first range that is available. A little more tricky is the overlap issue. When you adjust the lower value you might exceed the higher value temporarily until you adjust the higher value. If you adjust the higher value first you might cross a single value in between.