LoT (Language of Things) Training

Learn LoT - The SQL of Real-Time MQTT Data

This repository contains a complete, interactive learning path for mastering LoT (Language of Things), a domain-specific language for real-time MQTT data processing with Coreflux.

What is LoT?

LoT is a human-readable language for IoT automation that runs directly inside the Coreflux MQTT broker. Think of it as SQL for real-time MQTT streams:

SQL	LoT
SELECT * FROM users WHERE age > 18	ON TOPIC "sensors/+" IF PAYLOAD > 80 THEN...
Queries static database tables	Processes live MQTT streams
Batch processing	Real-time processing

Quick Start

1. Install Prerequisites

• Docker: Get Docker
• VS Code: Download VS Code
• LoT Notebooks Extension: Search "LoT Notebooks" in VS Code Extensions

2. Start the Coreflux Broker

# Using Docker Compose (recommended)
cd setup
docker-compose up -d

# Or using the platform script
# Linux/macOS:
./setup/install-docker.sh

# Windows (PowerShell):
.\setup\install-docker.ps1

3. Configure VS Code

1. Open Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P)
2. Run "LoT Notebook: Change Credentials"
3. Enter:
   • URL: mqtt://localhost:1883
   • Username: root
   • Password: coreflux

4. Start Learning

Open index.lotnb in VS Code and follow the learning path!

Learning Path

Beginner Level

Tutorial	Description	File
Timed Actions	ON EVERY triggers, timestamps, counters	01-basics/timed-actions.lotnb
Topic Actions	ON TOPIC events, payload handling	01-basics/topic-actions.lotnb
Conditional Logic	IF/ELSE statements, comparisons	02-logic/conditional-logic.lotnb

Intermediate Level

Tutorial	Description	File
Basic Models	Model definitions, field types, triggers	03-models/basic-models.lotnb
Action Models	Publishing models from actions	03-models/action-models.lotnb
Model Inheritance	Extending models with FROM	03-models/model-inheritance.lotnb
MQTT Bridge	Connecting different brokers	04-routes/mqtt-bridge.lotnb
Database Routes	SQL database integration	04-routes/database-routes.lotnb
REST API Routes	HTTP API integration	04-routes/rest-api-routes.lotnb
Python Integration	CALL PYTHON for complex logic	05-python/simple-python.lotnb

Advanced Level

Tutorial	Description	File
Advanced Python	ML, statistics, external libraries	05-python/advanced-python.lotnb
Mapping vs Events	Route architecture patterns	06-advanced/mapping-vs-events.lotnb

Project Structure

Training/
├── index.lotnb                    # Start here!
├── LoT-Complete-Documentation.md  # Full reference guide
├── .broker                        # Broker connection config
├── 01-basics/                     # Beginner tutorials
├── 02-logic/                      # Conditional logic
├── 03-models/                     # Data modeling
├── 04-routes/                     # System integration
├── 05-python/                     # Python integration
├── 06-advanced/                   # Advanced patterns
└── setup/                         # Installation scripts
    ├── docker-compose.yml
    ├── install-docker.sh          # Linux/macOS
    └── install-docker.ps1         # Windows

What You'll Learn

By completing this training, you will:

• Create real-time data processing pipelines
• Build industrial IoT monitoring systems
• Integrate with databases, APIs, and other brokers
• Use Python for complex calculations and ML
• Design scalable automation architectures

Key LoT Concepts

Actions

Event-driven logic triggered by time or MQTT topics:

DEFINE ACTION TemperatureMonitor
ON TOPIC "sensors/+/temperature" DO
    IF PAYLOAD > 80 THEN
        PUBLISH TOPIC "alarms/high-temp" WITH PAYLOAD

Models

Data schemas that structure MQTT messages:

DEFINE MODEL SensorReading WITH TOPIC "sensors/formatted/+"
    ADD STRING "sensor_id" WITH TOPIC POSITION 2
    ADD DOUBLE "value" WITH TOPIC "sensors/raw/+" AS TRIGGER
    ADD STRING "timestamp" WITH TIMESTAMP "UTC"

Routes

Connections to external systems:

DEFINE ROUTE DatabaseStorage WITH TYPE POSTGRESQL
    ADD SQL_CONFIG
        WITH SERVER "localhost"
        WITH DATABASE "iot_data"
    ADD EVENT StoreSensorData
        WITH QUERY "INSERT INTO readings..."
        WITH SOURCE_TOPIC "sensors/+/data"

Using LoT Notebooks

The .lotnb files are interactive notebooks that combine:

• Markdown cells: Explanations and documentation
• LoT code cells: Executable LoT definitions

When you run a LoT cell:

1. The code is sent to your connected Coreflux broker
2. The broker compiles and registers the definition
3. You see success/error feedback immediately

Connection Details

Setting	Default Value
Host	localhost
Port	1883
Username	root
Password	coreflux

Important: Change the default password in production!

Resources

• Coreflux Documentation
• LoT Notebooks Extension
• Community Discord

License

This training material is provided for educational purposes. See the Coreflux website for licensing information about the Coreflux MQTT Broker.

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Ready to start? Open index.lotnb and begin your LoT journey!