Consider the following device server: ```python import tango from tango import server as tgsrv class MyDevice(tgsrv.Device): int_prop = tgsrv.device_property(dtype=(int,)) bool_prop = tgsrv.device_property(dtype=(bool,)) @tgsrv.attribute(max_dim_x=2) def intAttr(self) -> list[int]: return self.int_prop @tgsrv.attribute(max_dim_x=2) def boolAttr(self) -> list[bool]: return self.bool_prop if __name__ == '__main__': tgsrv.run((MyDevice,)) ``` And let's say I've made a mistake and missed some quotes when I added the properties to the database: ``` In [3]: db.get_device_property("foo/bar/1", ["int_prop", "bool_prop"]) Out[3]: {'int_prop': ['1, 2'], 'bool_prop': ['true, true']} ``` If I start the device server with this in my database then I get the following exception and the device server fails to start: ``` mydevice-1 | Exiting: Server exited with tango.DevFailed: mydevice-1 | DevFailed[ mydevice-1 | DevError[ mydevice-1 | desc = ValueError: invalid literal for int() with base 10: '1, 2' mydevice-1 | origin = Traceback (most recent call last): mydevice-1 | File "/app/lib/python3.10/site-packages/tango/device_class.p y", line 659, in __DeviceClass__device_factory mydevice-1 | device = self._new_device(deviceImplClass, klass, dev_name ) mydevice-1 | File "/app/lib/python3.10/site-packages/tango/device_class.p y", line 638, in __DeviceClass__new_device mydevice-1 | return klass(dev_class, dev_name) mydevice-1 | File "/app/lib/python3.10/site-packages/tango/server.py", li ne 835, in __init__ mydevice-1 | self.init_device() mydevice-1 | File "/app/lib/python3.10/site-packages/tango/server.py", li ne 433, in init_device mydevice-1 | return worker.execute(init_device_orig, self) mydevice-1 | File "/app/lib/python3.10/site-packages/tango/green.py", lin e 110, in execute mydevice-1 | return fn(*args, **kwargs) mydevice-1 | File "/app/lib/python3.10/site-packages/tango/server.py", li ne 854, in init_device mydevice-1 | self.get_device_properties() mydevice-1 | File "/app/lib/python3.10/site-packages/tango/server.py", li ne 893, in get_device_properties mydevice-1 | pu.get_device_properties(self, class_prop, self.device_pro perty_list) mydevice-1 | File "/app/lib/python3.10/site-packages/tango/device_class.p y", line 151, in get_device_properties mydevice-1 | values = self.stringArray2values(prop_value, data_type) mydevice-1 | File "/app/lib/python3.10/site-packages/tango/device_class.p y", line 277, in stringArray2values mydevice-1 | return seqStr_2_obj(argin, argout_type) mydevice-1 | File "/app/lib/python3.10/site-packages/tango/utils.py", lin e 1185, in seqStr_2_obj mydevice-1 | return _seqStr_2_obj_from_type(seq, tg_type) mydevice-1 | File "/app/lib/python3.10/site-packages/tango/utils.py", lin e 1216, in _seqStr_2_obj_from_type mydevice-1 | argout.append(int(x)) mydevice-1 | ValueError: invalid literal for int() with base 10: '1, 2' mydevice-1 | reason = PyDs_PythonError mydevice-1 | severity = ERR mydevice-1 | ] mydevice-1 | ] mydevice-1 | mydevice-1 | Exited ``` Although it would be nice for this error message to tell me which property (and device) has this problem, at least it tells me there is a problem with my device server configuration. However, if fix this error for `int_prop` then the device server starts without complaining, despite the same error existing for `bool_prop`. What has happened in this case? Our "true, true" string gets interpreted as `False`: ``` In [14]: dp.intAttr Out[14]: array([1, 2]) In [15]: dp.boolAttr Out[15]: array([False]) ``` The issue is that we are [just testing against "true"](https://gitlab.com/tango-controls/pytango/-/blob/246a17244225cbd3ffaaae3868f3b62344989742/tango/utils.py#L1206-1207) when we convert to a boolean rather than validating that the string we got really does represent a boolean. Please can we only accept "true"/"false" here and raise an exception in other cases?