[fan] Return StringRef from get_preset_mode() for safety and modern API (#13092)

esphome/components/api/api_connection.cpp

@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ uint16_t APIConnection::try_send_fan_state(EntityBase *entity, APIConnection *co
   if (traits.supports_direction())
     msg.direction = static_cast<enums::FanDirection>(fan->direction);
   if (traits.supports_preset_modes() && fan->has_preset_mode())
-    msg.preset_mode = StringRef(fan->get_preset_mode());
+    msg.preset_mode = fan->get_preset_mode();
   return fill_and_encode_entity_state(fan, msg, FanStateResponse::MESSAGE_TYPE, conn, remaining_size, is_single);
 }
 uint16_t APIConnection::try_send_fan_info(EntityBase *entity, APIConnection *conn, uint32_t remaining_size,

esphome/components/copy/fan/copy_fan.cpp

@@ -8,20 +8,24 @@ static const char *const TAG = "copy.fan";
 
 void CopyFan::setup() {
   source_->add_on_state_callback([this]() {
-    this->state = source_->state;
+    this->copy_state_from_source_();
-    this->oscillating = source_->oscillating;
-    this->speed = source_->speed;
-    this->direction = source_->direction;
-    this->set_preset_mode_(source_->get_preset_mode());
     this->publish_state();
   });
 
+  this->copy_state_from_source_();
+  this->publish_state();
+}
+
+void CopyFan::copy_state_from_source_() {
   this->state = source_->state;
   this->oscillating = source_->oscillating;
   this->speed = source_->speed;
   this->direction = source_->direction;
-  this->set_preset_mode_(source_->get_preset_mode());
+  if (source_->has_preset_mode()) {
-  this->publish_state();
+    this->set_preset_mode_(source_->get_preset_mode());
+  } else {
+    this->clear_preset_mode_();
+  }
 }
 
 void CopyFan::dump_config() { LOG_FAN("", "Copy Fan", this); }

esphome/components/copy/fan/copy_fan.h

@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ class CopyFan : public fan::Fan, public Component {
 
  protected:
   void control(const fan::FanCall &call) override;
-  ;
+  void copy_state_from_source_();
 
   fan::Fan *source_;
 };

esphome/components/fan/automation.h

@@ -212,19 +212,18 @@ class FanPresetSetTrigger : public Trigger<std::string> {
  public:
   FanPresetSetTrigger(Fan *state) {
     state->add_on_state_callback([this, state]() {
-      const auto *preset_mode = state->get_preset_mode();
+      auto preset_mode = state->get_preset_mode();
       auto should_trigger = preset_mode != this->last_preset_mode_;
       this->last_preset_mode_ = preset_mode;
       if (should_trigger) {
-        // Trigger with empty string when nullptr to maintain backward compatibility
+        this->trigger(std::string(preset_mode));
-        this->trigger(preset_mode != nullptr ? preset_mode : "");
       }
     });
     this->last_preset_mode_ = state->get_preset_mode();
   }
 
  protected:
-  const char *last_preset_mode_{nullptr};
+  StringRef last_preset_mode_{};
 };
 
 }  // namespace fan

esphome/components/fan/fan.cpp

@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ void FanCall::perform() {
   if (this->direction_.has_value()) {
     ESP_LOGD(TAG, "  Direction: %s", LOG_STR_ARG(fan_direction_to_string(*this->direction_)));
   }
-  if (this->has_preset_mode()) {
+  if (this->preset_mode_ != nullptr) {
     ESP_LOGD(TAG, "  Preset Mode: %s", this->preset_mode_);
   }
   this->parent_.control(*this);
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ void FanCall::validate_() {
       *this->binary_state_
       // ..,and no preset mode will be active...
       && !this->has_preset_mode() &&
-      this->parent_.get_preset_mode() == nullptr
+      !this->parent_.has_preset_mode()
       // ...and neither current nor new speed is available...
       && traits.supports_speed() && this->parent_.speed == 0 && !this->speed_.has_value()) {
     // ...set speed to 100%
@@ -154,16 +154,16 @@ const char *Fan::find_preset_mode_(const char *preset_mode, size_t len) {
   return this->get_traits().find_preset_mode(preset_mode, len);
 }
 
-bool Fan::set_preset_mode_(const char *preset_mode) {
+bool Fan::set_preset_mode_(const char *preset_mode, size_t len) {
-  if (preset_mode == nullptr) {
+  if (preset_mode == nullptr || len == 0) {
-    // Treat nullptr as clearing the preset mode
+    // Treat nullptr or empty string as clearing the preset mode (no valid preset is "")
     if (this->preset_mode_ == nullptr) {
       return false;  // No change
     }
     this->clear_preset_mode_();
     return true;
   }
-  const char *validated = this->find_preset_mode_(preset_mode);
+  const char *validated = this->find_preset_mode_(preset_mode, len);
   if (validated == nullptr || this->preset_mode_ == validated) {
     return false;  // Preset mode not supported or no change
   }
@@ -171,10 +171,31 @@ bool Fan::set_preset_mode_(const char *preset_mode) {
   return true;
 }
 
-bool Fan::set_preset_mode_(const std::string &preset_mode) { return this->set_preset_mode_(preset_mode.c_str()); }
+bool Fan::set_preset_mode_(const char *preset_mode) {
+  return this->set_preset_mode_(preset_mode, preset_mode ? strlen(preset_mode) : 0);
+}
+
+bool Fan::set_preset_mode_(const std::string &preset_mode) {
+  return this->set_preset_mode_(preset_mode.data(), preset_mode.size());
+}
+
+bool Fan::set_preset_mode_(StringRef preset_mode) {
+  // Safe: find_preset_mode_ only uses the input for comparison and returns
+  // a pointer from traits, so the input StringRef's lifetime doesn't matter.
+  return this->set_preset_mode_(preset_mode.c_str(), preset_mode.size());
+}
 
 void Fan::clear_preset_mode_() { this->preset_mode_ = nullptr; }
 
+void Fan::apply_preset_mode_(const FanCall &call) {
+  if (call.has_preset_mode()) {
+    this->set_preset_mode_(call.get_preset_mode());
+  } else if (call.get_speed().has_value()) {
+    // Manually setting speed clears preset (per Home Assistant convention)
+    this->clear_preset_mode_();
+  }
+}
+
 void Fan::add_on_state_callback(std::function<void()> &&callback) { this->state_callback_.add(std::move(callback)); }
 void Fan::publish_state() {
   auto traits = this->get_traits();
@@ -192,9 +213,8 @@ void Fan::publish_state() {
   if (traits.supports_direction()) {
     ESP_LOGD(TAG, "  Direction: %s", LOG_STR_ARG(fan_direction_to_string(this->direction)));
   }
-  const char *preset = this->get_preset_mode();
+  if (this->preset_mode_ != nullptr) {
-  if (preset != nullptr) {
+    ESP_LOGD(TAG, "  Preset Mode: %s", this->preset_mode_);
-    ESP_LOGD(TAG, "  Preset Mode: %s", preset);
   }
   this->state_callback_.call();
 #if defined(USE_FAN) && defined(USE_CONTROLLER_REGISTRY)
@@ -249,12 +269,11 @@ void Fan::save_state_() {
   state.speed = this->speed;
   state.direction = this->direction;
 
-  const char *preset = this->get_preset_mode();
+  if (this->has_preset_mode()) {
-  if (preset != nullptr) {
     const auto &preset_modes = traits.supported_preset_modes();
     // Find index of current preset mode (pointer comparison is safe since preset is from traits)
     for (size_t i = 0; i < preset_modes.size(); i++) {
-      if (preset_modes[i] == preset) {
+      if (preset_modes[i] == this->preset_mode_) {
         state.preset_mode = i;
         break;
       }

esphome/components/fan/fan.h

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "esphome/core/log.h"
 #include "esphome/core/optional.h"
 #include "esphome/core/preferences.h"
+#include "esphome/core/string_ref.h"
 #include "fan_traits.h"
 
 namespace esphome {
@@ -128,8 +129,11 @@ class Fan : public EntityBase {
   /// Set the restore mode of this fan.
   void set_restore_mode(FanRestoreMode restore_mode) { this->restore_mode_ = restore_mode; }
 
-  /// Get the current preset mode (returns pointer to string stored in traits, or nullptr if not set)
+  /// Get the current preset mode.
-  const char *get_preset_mode() const { return this->preset_mode_; }
+  /// Returns a StringRef of the string stored in traits, or empty ref if not set.
+  /// The returned ref points to string literals from codegen (static storage).
+  /// Traits are set once at startup and valid for the lifetime of the program.
+  StringRef get_preset_mode() const { return StringRef::from_maybe_nullptr(this->preset_mode_); }
 
   /// Check if a preset mode is currently active
   bool has_preset_mode() const { return this->preset_mode_ != nullptr; }
@@ -146,11 +150,15 @@ class Fan : public EntityBase {
   void dump_traits_(const char *tag, const char *prefix);
 
   /// Set the preset mode (finds and stores pointer from traits). Returns true if changed.
+  /// Passing nullptr or empty string clears the preset mode.
+  bool set_preset_mode_(const char *preset_mode, size_t len);
   bool set_preset_mode_(const char *preset_mode);
-  /// Set the preset mode (finds and stores pointer from traits). Returns true if changed.
   bool set_preset_mode_(const std::string &preset_mode);
+  bool set_preset_mode_(StringRef preset_mode);
   /// Clear the preset mode
   void clear_preset_mode_();
+  /// Apply preset mode from a FanCall (handles speed-clears-preset convention)
+  void apply_preset_mode_(const FanCall &call);
   /// Find and return the matching preset mode pointer from traits, or nullptr if not found.
   const char *find_preset_mode_(const char *preset_mode);
   const char *find_preset_mode_(const char *preset_mode, size_t len);

esphome/components/hbridge/fan/hbridge_fan.cpp

@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ void HBridgeFan::control(const fan::FanCall &call) {
     this->oscillating = *call.get_oscillating();
   if (call.get_direction().has_value())
     this->direction = *call.get_direction();
-  this->set_preset_mode_(call.get_preset_mode());
+  this->apply_preset_mode_(call);
 
   this->write_state_();
   this->publish_state();

esphome/components/speed/fan/speed_fan.cpp

@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ void SpeedFan::control(const fan::FanCall &call) {
     this->oscillating = *call.get_oscillating();
   if (call.get_direction().has_value())
     this->direction = *call.get_direction();
-  this->set_preset_mode_(call.get_preset_mode());
+  this->apply_preset_mode_(call);
 
   this->write_state_();
   this->publish_state();

esphome/components/template/fan/template_fan.cpp

@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ void TemplateFan::control(const fan::FanCall &call) {
     this->oscillating = *call.get_oscillating();
   if (call.get_direction().has_value() && this->has_direction_)
     this->direction = *call.get_direction();
-  this->set_preset_mode_(call.get_preset_mode());
+  this->apply_preset_mode_(call);
 
   this->publish_state();
 }

tests/components/copy/common.yaml

@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ fan:
   - platform: speed
     id: fan_speed
     output: fan_output_1
+    preset_modes:
+      - Eco
+      - Turbo
   - platform: copy
     source_id: fan_speed
     name: Fan Speed Copy

tests/components/fan/common.yaml

@@ -9,3 +9,51 @@ fan:
     has_oscillating: true
     has_direction: true
     speed_count: 3
+
+# Test lambdas using get_preset_mode() which returns StringRef
+# These examples match the migration guide in the PR description
+binary_sensor:
+  - platform: template
+    id: fan_has_preset
+    name: "Fan Has Preset"
+    lambda: |-
+      // Migration guide: Checking if preset mode is set
+      // Use empty() or has_preset_mode()
+      if (!id(test_fan).get_preset_mode().empty()) {
+        // preset is set
+      }
+      if (id(test_fan).has_preset_mode()) {
+        // preset is set
+      }
+
+      // Migration guide: Comparing preset mode
+      // Use == operator directly (safe, works even when empty)
+      if (id(test_fan).get_preset_mode() == "Eco") {
+        return true;
+      }
+
+      // Migration guide: Checking for no preset
+      if (id(test_fan).get_preset_mode().empty()) {
+        // no preset
+      }
+      if (!id(test_fan).has_preset_mode()) {
+        // no preset
+      }
+
+      // Migration guide: Getting as std::string
+      std::string preset = std::string(id(test_fan).get_preset_mode());
+
+      // Migration guide: Logging option 1
+      // Use .c_str() - works because StringRef points to null-terminated string in traits
+      ESP_LOGD("test", "Preset: %s", id(test_fan).get_preset_mode().c_str());
+
+      // Migration guide: Logging option 2
+      // Use %.*s format (safer, no null-termination assumption)
+      auto preset_ref = id(test_fan).get_preset_mode();
+      ESP_LOGD("test", "Preset: %.*s", (int)preset_ref.size(), preset_ref.c_str());
+
+      // Test != comparison
+      if (id(test_fan).get_preset_mode() != "Sleep") {
+        return true;
+      }
+      return false;