Proposal: Add expressions as a type of variable.
My use-case 1: If expressions (which already exist in the rule engine), are added as a type of variable the values can be extracted from a json structure, without having to unpack the json into individual variables in the rule engine. This will enable me to send a json structure to the dashboard, and the values extracted from the json can be used directly on a Super Tile, or manipulate an icon, or a gauge, etc.
My use-case 2: If I have two or more values, either in existing variables, or in different jsons, I can display or use a result of some calculation as a total or an average, or other result, without having to first create a variable to keep the result. For example: If I have three variables with the power drawn by the stove (two phases) and the power drawn by the oven. Instead of creating a separate variable for the total of these three values, I can use an “expression variable” to display the total on a Super Tile, etc. etc.
I suggest that this will add even more depth to an already powerful dashboard system. (thanks Josh).