Openhab comparing data on MQTT topic to a string

Question

I am trying to compare the value on an MQTT Topic. I have successfully be able to capture the value and output the value to the console via the logInfo() call.

What I am trying to do is compare what is on the MQTT Topic to a value and then execute additional openhab commands based on the value on the topic.

I have been able to get the value on the MQTT topic and convert it to a string using the .toString operation.

The result of my code is that I am getting conversion errors on my console when the comparison is executed.

You can see that the value is captured and output to the console "1023"

My code is

import org.eclipse.xtext.xbase.lib.*
import org.openhab.core.library.types.*
import org.openhab.core.persistence.*
import org.openhab.model.script.actions.*
import java.math.BigDecimal.*
import java.lang.Integer
import java.lang.Double
import java.lang.String
import java.lang.Number

var String feedingsensor_reading

rule "start processing feeding sensor"
when 
    Item feedingsensor changed 
then
     logInfo("Step", "***********") 
     logInfo("Step", "** Start **") 
     logInfo("Stap", "***********") 
     logInfo("Step", "** Step 1 **") 

    feedingsensor_reading = feedingsensor.state.toString

    logInfo("Step", feedingsensor_reading) 

    if (feedingsensor_reading == "0"){

       logInfo("DATA", "******* Do Nothing *****") 

    }else
    {
        ... other code to be executed

Answer 1

I had the item definition defined as a String and not Number

the correct definition is

Number feedingsensor {mqtt="<[home:{topic}:state:default]"}