SmartObject now create its linked entity with create_entity

smartobject.py

@@ -113,12 +113,11 @@ class SmartObject(hass.Hass,LoggerInterface):
         if device_class is not None: attributes['device_class'] = device_class
         if state_class is not None: attributes['state_class'] = state_class
 
-        if state is not None:
+        if state is None:
+            state = entity.get_state() if entity.exists() else None
+            if state is None:
+                state = 'unknown'
         entity.set_state(state=state, attributes=attributes, check_existence=False)
-        else:
-            if not entity.exists():
-                entity.set_state(state='unknown', check_existence=False)
-            entity.set_state(attributes=attributes)
 
         return entity
     
@@ -219,14 +218,16 @@ class SmartObject(hass.Hass,LoggerInterface):
             # entity: <entity_id>  →  link app to a HA entity
             if "entity" in self.args: 
                 self.entity_id = self.args["entity"]
-                self.entity = self.get_entity(self.entity_id)
+                self.entity = self.get_entity(self.entity_id, check_existence=False)
+                initial_state = None
                 if self.entity.exists():
                     self.log_info(f"Linked to {self.entity_id}")
                 elif 'default_entity_state' in self.args:
-                    self.entity.set_state(state = self.args["default_entity_state"])
+                    initial_state = self.args["default_entity_state"]
-                    self.log_info(f"Creating {self.entity_id}, default_state = {self.args['default_entity_state']}")
+                    self.log_info(f"Creating {self.entity_id}, default_state = {initial_state}")
                 else:
-                    self.entity.set_state(state = self.get_default_entity_state())
+                    initial_state = self.get_default_entity_state()
+                self.entity = self.create_entity(self.entity_id, state=initial_state)
 
                 self.constants['self'] = self.entity_id
             else: