Automatic binding installation

[jimtng]

I only ask that upgradeTool be updated to install the missing add-ons during the upgrade to ensure this doesn't become a big breaking change. Though I can see good arguments for not doing that and making them install just those bindings they need, not surprising users with stuff that breaks is probably better. I think you could even look at the Things to figure out the minimum set of these new broken out bindings to install so extra bindings may not even need to be installed.

Originally posted by @rkoshak in #4878

Reading this made me think. Has it ever been considered that openhab would attempt to automatically install missing bindings when bringing Things online?

This would simplify the process of end user setup. Instead of having to first select and install bindings, Users would directly go into adding Things. They can get a (searchable) full list of supported devices from addons.xml when adding a Thing on the UI.

[rkoshak]

My only caution is to not forget the case where a user has things defined but expressly does not want the binding installed right now (perhaps debugging issues, or only partially implemented, or the like).

They can get a (searchable) full list of supported devices from addons.xml when adding a Thing on the UI.

I'm not sure how feasible that is for technologies like Zigbee, Zwave, KNX, Modbus, etc. where the list of supported devices doesn't really exist ahead of time.

Or do you really mean bindings. Instead of seeing just the list of installed add-ons when going to add a new Thing, you basically see the list of all bindings to choose from? Selecting one that's not installed initiates the installation, and then you are presented with the types of Things you can create with that binding. I think that could work, maybe with some automatic cleanup by removing the binding if a new Thing wasn't created after all.

Maybe the list can put the installed bindings at the top, then those bindings which the discovery has detected are available (i.e. suggested bindings), and then all the rest in alphabetical order.

[jimtng]

My only caution is to not forget the case where a user has things defined but expressly does not want the binding installed right now (perhaps debugging issues, or only partially implemented, or the like).

they can disable such things

Or do you really mean bindings. Instead of seeing just the list of installed add-ons when going to add a new Thing, you basically see the list of all bindings to choose from? Selecting one that's not installed initiates the installation, and then you are presented with the types of Things you can create with that binding.

precisely