What is a Device Handler / Device Type Handler / DTH

[manning549]

This may have been asked before, but I’m new to this and have added my own app to my Echo , and want to do more. “What is a device handler.”

Thanks in advance

[tgauchat]

“What is a device handler.”

How about starting with the Developer Documentation?

• http://docs.smartthings.com/en/latest/getting-started/overview.html
• http://docs.smartthings.com/en/latest/device-type-developers-guide/index.html

[JDRoberts]

The custom code FAQ will give you the quick overview ( this is a clickable link)

FAQ: An Overview of Using Custom Code in SmartThings

So you're new to SmartThings, you asked a question, and someone suggested "custom code" as an answer. Or you were browsing the forums, and you found something that sounded like it would be perfect for what you wanted, but again, "uses custom code." What does that mean, how hard is it to do, and what's the difference between a "SmartApp" and a "Device Type Handler"? (Note: the official terminology has changed a couple of times. "device type handler," "device handler," "DTH," and "device type" all mean the same thing, and you will find all these terms used in the forums.) SECTION I: SMARTAPPS AND DEVICE HANDLERS: WHAT THEY ARE SmartAPPS: Tiny Programs to decide what a specific device should do when, or to collect the information from a specific device SmartApps, including the var…

After that you’ll find all the details in the developer documentation. Click on “community” at the top of this page and it will take you to the first page of the forum. Then click on “developer documentation” in the upper right.