#Why is Device still first option in the automations?

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

real wolf
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Question is self explanatory I believe, but why in the world does HA even offer Device as an option for the automation trigger, condition and actions?

We always, and I mean always, suggest everyone to move to entities.

At least it could be last option in the dropdown menu...

true geode
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100% agree.
However this could also fit into Feature Requests I believe...
Not that I think it will go anywhere, the project is headed toward the UI end of the spectrum.
Trying to extend and improve device triggers is the current path.

bitter tulip
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yeah, although I'm a UI lover, I don´t like devices either. Especially with the new picker I think entities are perfectly fine and way cleaner.

real wolf
true geode
real wolf
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And to go even worse, a Device is advertised as a a great way to start and then you get this:

image.png
kindred ermine
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If someone wanted to implement a feature in HA designed specifically to frustrate those who provide HA support to other users, what attributes would that feature have?

  1. breaks in unexpected ways, so more support is required
  2. Prominent, so more users use it
  3. YAML is difficult to read, so providing support is more difficult
  4. is a crippled version of an existing feature, so becomes a hindrance when the removed functionality is needed

And compare to devices:

  1. When you replace a physical device, any code that used “devices” option breaks
  2. It’s the first choice in an automation
  3. YAML is difficult to read
  4. Doesn’t allow templates, so we have to move them back to the entities option when they need them

The dev team always has good intentions, I think the implementation of devices just wasn’t as well thought-out as it otherwise could have been.

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And to be fair, this forum is a sounding board populated by all the people most negatively impacted by the “devices” option

real wolf
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Let's try to find at least one positive sign of a device 😄

true geode
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The UI editor loves it. ||Not shocking since that's why it exists.||

gilded cradle
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As a new HA user (last week) this confused me. Everything I read said to use the controls for entities, but the gui said Devices was a great place to start. Does it even need to exist? Coming from HomeKit, I appreciate the flexibility but a lot could be done to make HA more user friendly for sure.

There always seems to be multiple ways to do the same thing.

Another unrelated confusing thing was that I needed to type a name for everything in 3 different places. It was like, “oh nice, let me type Bedroom Lights” for the 3rd time.”