2021.7: A new entity, trigger IDs and script debugging

[Prodigyplace]

@jprates

Do you use Microsoft Excel? Do you want do write up or improve their online HELP? Of course not.

Do you get Microsoft Excel for free? Of course not.

[nickrout]

I am not sure exactly what ballob meant by exposing it as a service. It says on the link you gave

Expose the device entry of Spotify as as service. It can pick any device as output so it’s not really a device itself, instead it’s a service that runs on those devices.

All that particular commit does is add a line to spotify/media_player.py

Expose Spotify as a service

Damned if I know what that does.

What I have noticed is that after I updated to 2021.7.3 spotify was discovered on my network. It was easily set up in the ui and I now have a media player media_player.spotify_username. Good stuff, except I don’t use spotify much!

[moto2000 (David)]

When you set up Spotify through the UI, it takes you to the Spotify login page so that you can authorize HA to use your account like a media player.

So once it’s set up, anytime you’re playing a song through Spotify, you’ll be able to see that info in HA.

[LukaszP2]

Me too ;/ sms is down

Logger: homeassistant.components.sms.gateway
Source: components/sms/gateway.py:167
Integration: SMS notifications via GSM-modem (documentation, issues)
First occurred: 8:21:23 (1 occurrences)
Last logged: 8:21:23

Failed to initialize, error ERR_NOTSUPPORTED

Logger: homeassistant.components.sms.notify
Source: components/sms/notify.py:24
Integration: SMS notifications via GSM-modem (documentation, issues)
First occurred: 8:21:23 (4 occurrences)
Last logged: 8:21:23

SMS gateway not found, cannot initialize service

Logger: homeassistant.components.notify
Source: components/notify/__init__.py:311
Integration: Powiadomienia (documentation, issues)
First occurred: 8:21:24 (4 occurrences)
Last logged: 8:21:24

Failed to initialize notification service sms

[petro]

It is covered in the documentation. This blurb pulled from the Spotify integration page covers the functionality:

Spotify can be auto-discovered by Home Assistant. If an instance was found, it will be shown as “Discovered”, which you can select to set it up right away.

@jprates

I know English is not my native language, but my limited proficiency level tells me someone chose the wrong words to describe the feature, and heck if I understand why we the users can be blamed for not getting the underlying reasoning and functionality.

Not at all. This is the correct terminology, the context is different. It even eludes to that in the PR. Companies provide services, this is a service that is provided by spotify. This was opened up recently that allows for automatic discovery.

For future reference, if a PR is referencing a home assistant service, the yaml will be present in the PR along with a description of the service and a link to the documentation changes. This PR had no documentation changes because discovery was already possible, the bar for discovery was just lowered.

[jprates (João Prates)]

@petro

Not at all. This is the correct terminology, the context is different. It even eludes to that in the PR. Companies provide services, this is a service that is provided by spotify.

Ah! Thanks, that finally clears things up.
I still don’t agree with the use of “service” as it generates confusion between spotify service as a company and HA service and HA Service call, and the confusion created proves quite well my point I guess

@petro

For future reference, if a PR is referencing a home assistant service, the yaml will be present in the PR along with a description of the service and a link to the documentation changes.

OK, but again this takes previous experience with this documentation method and practices, which in my view makes it a bad approach for newcomers like me.

@tom_l

Actually it kind of is. This is an open source project that relies heavily on volunteers. I’m not a programmer but have helped with clarification of the documentation.

That’s actually very kind of you, as I’m sure others will do too, and even I can someday do the same.
That said, it does NOT relieve the developers from their duty to properly document things so that users can start using it correctly right away, instead of having to spend countless hours trying to figure out what the code does and how to use it.

@DavidFW1960

It is considered bad practice to tag anyone who is not in the conversation already. A reference to a PR doesn’t count - it’s not just because Balloob is the founder of HA. No one wants notifications about conversations they are not a part of and it’s just rude trying to drag someone in for help when lots of people can and will help you. Don’t take offence to this.

Thank you for the clarification, and I don’t take offence at all, no worries.
If that’s the rule here, then fine, I’ll have to obey it, but this is the first forum where I see that rule, and honestly I don’t get it.

I run a forum myself as both admin and mod, and if someone reading a thread knows that someone else not involved has a solution or can contribute to it in a positive way we see no harm in referencing him so that he knows he can contribute if he wants to. Just a different way of seeing things I guess.

I do appreciate that being the HA original author/creator he does get hundreds of notifications and If I knew that he had that role I would not have mentioned him for sure, he sure has a lot on his plate already, but as I’ve mentioned earlier, I was unware of that.

Now, enough side talk if you don’t mind, getting back to what matters:

@nickrout

Damned if I know what that does.

What I have noticed is that after I updated to 2021.7.3 spotify was discovered on my network. It was easily set up in the ui and I now have a media player media_player.spotify_username. Good stuff, except I don’t use spotify much!

Did you have 2021.7.2 installed before upgrading to 2021.7.3?
I’m asking because I had it installed just one or two days before, and the discovery of Spotify was one of the things I noticed after 2021.7.2 so this is definitely not new to 2021.7.3.

Either someone did a commit/merge into the main branch sooner than intended, or forgot to mention the feature on 2021.7.2, but it was already there, it is NOT new to 2021.7.3.

@moto2000

When you set up Spotify through the UI, it takes you to the Spotify login page so that you can authorize HA to use your account like a media player.

So once it’s set up, anytime you’re playing a song through Spotify, you’ll be able to see that info in HA.

Yup, but that was introduced in 2021.7.2.
So when I saw the 2021.7.3 release note I would never guessed it was describing something already applied in 2021.7.2.

OK, all is clear now, one way or the other, case closed for me.
Thank you all for your answers that clarified things for me.

Have a nice weekend all.

[tom_l]

@jprates

That said, it does NOT relieve the developers from their duty to properly document things

You’ll be happy to know that part of the pull request approval process is documentation. This one required no update to the documents.

[Prodigyplace]

@jprates

If that’s the rule here, then fine, I’ll have to obey it, but this is the first forum where I see that rule, and honestly I don’t get it.

It is mentioned in this thread point #16 in the first post.

How to help us help you - or How to ask a good question

Before we begin… This forum is not a helpdesk The people here don’t work for Home Assistant, that’s an open source project. We are volunteering our free time to help others. Not all topics may get an answer, never mind one that helps you solve your problem. [image] This also isn’t a general home automation forum, this is a forum for Home Assistant and things related to it. Any question about Home Assistant, and about using things with Home Assistant, is welcome here. We can’t help you with e…

[jprates (João Prates)]

Yeah, thanks, I really don’t get all the negativity and assumptions on the bad side in there.

“bad manners, you’re demanding somebody answers you”
“nobody has to help you”

I truly can’t understand how asking for help can be taken as something disrespectful or demanding for an answer, but I digress. Rules are rules, and if we want to be in, we have to obey them, even if we don’t agree or like them.

[tom_l]

As someone who gets DMs and @ pings all the time I can tell you it is very annoying.

There’s no need for it.

[Prodigyplace]

We are dealing here with a wide variety of cultural differences & cultural norms. We all try to get along together in the most respectful way possible.

[aidbish (Adrian)]

@tom_l

As someone who gets DMs and @ pings all the time I can tell you it is very annoying.

There’s no need for it.

And there i was thinking i was just being friendly

[petro]

The tagging rule is in place because a few bad seeds decided to harass volunteer developers to the point that the developers quit or reached out to moderators.

[tom_l]

@aidbish

And there i was thinking i was just being friendly

I keep telling you, the pictures were very tasteful but I’m just not interested.

[dspille (Dennis)]

I recently installed 2021.7.3 and noticed that the ZHA Visualization view no longer shows a device map, it’s blank for me. I downgraded to 2021.7.2 and the Visualization view works properly, displaying the device mapping. I upgraded/downgraded between the two versions a few more times, and it showed the same behavior, no map on 7.3, and working map on 7.2. I see there was an upgrade to the ZHA integration in 7.3, and I’m wondering if anyone else is seeing this issue.

https://github.com/home-assistant/core/pull/52610

[Rendeik]

In the frontend the climate unit displays the double message when off.

[petro]

It’s showing the preset mode. This is normal behavior.

[jimenbar (Barto)]

I have the same error too.

[dapper2490]

Same here. Can’t get my TV to switch sources anymore as it cant see the devices. Have you found a workaround yet?

[dicko (Martyn)]

Hi. Should I be seeing any new features on the Sony Bravia Integration, Ive removed and re-added ?

If I am watching something on Youtube or BBC1 it just says playing. I was expecting it to say BBC1 or Youtube rather than just playing.

Also, does anyone have any example commands to use the remote feature please ?

Thanks in advance