Can't seem to use text variable correctly in automation | Home Assistant | Page 1

weak stump Oct 23, 2024, 5:14 PM

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I am attempting to use a "helper" text as a variable in a light control automation. I have attached some screenshots. I appear to not be inserting or declaring the variable correctly to text?

The text helper is named "input_text.nanoleaf_canvas_daily_scene". I want to turn on a light and pass the current text of that helper as the 'profile' part of the light-on automation.

In the trace attached, the literal text "input_text.nanoleaf_canvas_daily_scene" is being passed as the variable instead of the current text of that helper.

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  scene: input_text.nanoleaf_canvas_daily_scene```

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metadata: {}
target:
  device_id: 9d61f794cafb86e584b045f1a13dc751
data:
  profile: "{{ scene }}"

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These are my current two actions in the automation:

Define variable, added via "Add Helper Block"

Light on, added via "Add Action"

junior lark Oct 23, 2024, 5:21 PM

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That's not how you refer to the state of an entity in a template

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https://www.home-assistant.io/docs/configuration/templating/#states

dim robin Oct 23, 2024, 5:22 PM

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And most device_id stuff has no idea what templares are.

junior lark Oct 23, 2024, 5:22 PM

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I don't think that's a problem here

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It's not a device action

dim robin Oct 23, 2024, 5:23 PM

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I still blam it (for most things).

weak stump Oct 23, 2024, 5:28 PM

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junior lark That's not how you refer to the state of an entity in a template

I guess I did not realize I was calling a state of an entity, I just wanted to replace with text

In this case, I think:

states('input_text.nanoleaf_canvas_daily_scene')

is what I want?

junior lark Oct 23, 2024, 5:28 PM

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Or use the variable name that you defined

weak stump Oct 23, 2024, 5:29 PM

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So I could use

states('scenes')

can I skip the variable defintion and just use the first option I gave?

junior lark Oct 23, 2024, 5:29 PM

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Remove the quotes

weak stump Oct 23, 2024, 5:29 PM

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Understood

weak stump Oct 23, 2024, 5:33 PM

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weak stump Understood

Maybe I do not haha

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  scene: states('input_text.nanoleaf_canvas_daily_scene')```

This seems to be correct, it sort of "popped up" for me when I began typing the helper name in and showed me the text it resolved to

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metadata: {}
target:
  device_id: 9d61f794cafb86e584b045f1a13dc751
data:
  profile: {{ scene }}

This appears to be wrong however, when I view a trace after a failed run:

#

#

Do I need to do states(scene) as well in the action?

junior lark Oct 23, 2024, 5:37 PM

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that's where you do it]

weak stump Oct 23, 2024, 5:38 PM

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metadata: {}
target:
  device_id: 9d61f794cafb86e584b045f1a13dc751
data:
  profile: states(scene)

This seems to send the literal text "states(scene)" and not the variable as expected

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junior lark Oct 23, 2024, 5:42 PM

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you're bouncing around 🙂

weak stump Oct 23, 2024, 5:42 PM

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yes thank you I understand I do not get it

weak stump Oct 23, 2024, 5:43 PM

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junior lark that's where you do it]

That is where I do what?

junior lark Oct 23, 2024, 5:44 PM

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ok

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and please don't move to a device action as you just posted

weak stump Oct 23, 2024, 5:44 PM

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Huh? Move to device action?

junior lark Oct 23, 2024, 5:45 PM

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from your initial example:

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variables:
  scene: input_text.nanoleaf_canvas_daily_scene

action: light.turn_on
metadata: {}
target:
  device_id: 9d61f794cafb86e584b045f1a13dc751
data:
  profile: "{{ states(scene) }}"

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simple as that

weak stump Oct 23, 2024, 5:45 PM

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junior lark and please don't move to a device action as you just posted

I do not understand what you are talking about here?

junior lark Oct 23, 2024, 5:45 PM

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clearly

weak stump Oct 23, 2024, 5:45 PM

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junior lark simple as that

Clearly not

junior lark Oct 23, 2024, 5:45 PM

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do not do this: #1298696083668733993 message

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I gave you the code, use that

weak stump Oct 23, 2024, 5:46 PM

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huh?

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that is a trace result...

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I posted a trace result for troublehsooting and you're saying do not do that?

junior lark Oct 23, 2024, 5:46 PM

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just the code I gav eyou

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#1298696083668733993 message

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define the variable, then use the variable in the template to retrieve the state

weak stump Oct 23, 2024, 5:47 PM

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It did not work, but you told me not to post trace results

junior lark Oct 23, 2024, 5:47 PM

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I misintrepreted the screenshot of the trace to be an action that you wrote, so please ignore that

weak stump Oct 23, 2024, 5:48 PM

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This has been super frustrating and I am going to keep Googling

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Thank you for trying

junior lark Oct 23, 2024, 5:48 PM

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ok

weak stump Oct 23, 2024, 5:49 PM

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junior lark clearly

This was not at all helpful

From a moderator too?

All because you misunderstood?

I even said I am new to HA

Truly infuriating trying to get help from a human being

Someone else DMed me and helped with my issue

Please re-think your approach. Speed matters MUCH less than clarity for new users.

dim robin Oct 23, 2024, 5:55 PM

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I still go back to Device_id stuff doesn't do templates. Use an entity ID.

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Use an entity_id.

#Can't seem to use text variable correctly in automation