About Device/SmartApp Tile

I think it would be helpful to all if there were a default tile on every device and a tab for every smartapp that displayed information pertaining to thing the user is looking at. If this option could be baked into everything default it would be even better. In my ideal scenario it would look something like this:

About SmartWidget

  • Version: .000001 Alpha
  • Author: Smarty Pants
  • Source: Native
  • Contact: smarty@pants.com

This simple block of text could go a long way when trying to troubleshoot an errant device type. Making the tile a default feature would help users find the developer who actually supports the device or app. Any thoughts?

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I definitely agree.

Various “prolific” developers here put in some or all of the info you suggest, but there is no recommended template. Heck, even source code comments would be helpful.

SmartThings would retain maximum control on the display, formatting, indexing, etc., of this information if it were possible to put these in metadata{} section(s) instead of the coder having to manually follow guidelines to explicitly include a tab or link in the tile / widget.

Author is already a field when creating device types and smart apps. These could be additional and required fields that would then be carried over into the definition section of the code. The starter code should have the about tile auto generated. The save feature already does some syntax checking, it could also check that the definition section at least has something entered for all of the required values.

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+1 This is a fantastic idea!

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