Custom component to declare/set variables

[lolouk44]

@Gratizzz

EDIT2: the random on in delay is nice…but when I use 2 variables to replace the 0 and 1200 in range(0,1200) with 2 variables it is not working. Do you have an idea on that one?

Can you post your code?
Trying a quick test for me worked no issues

{% set mylow = 5 %}
{% set myhigh = 1200 %}
{{range(mylow ,myhigh +1)|random|timestamp_custom('%X',false)}}

[jfierb_3420]

Very useful component!

Thanks for creating and sharing.

[MikeA (Mike Allen)]

Thanks for a great tool.

Question: Is it possible for a variable’s attributes to be save and restored after a restart of Home Assistant?

What I’ve tried:

• If I define attributes with values when I define the variable, these attributes are saved and restored.
• if I later change these attributes the changes are not saved and are not restored.
• If I add dynamic attributes to a variable these changes are not saved and are not restored.

The variable’s “state” is always saved and restored. I could stuff everything into a variable’s state, or I could create more variables, but it would nice to have a variable’s attributes saved too.

[SteveDinn]

I’ve just discovered this thread, and since many of you are using it to positive effect, I don’t think I’m understanding it properly. How are ‘variables’ different from, say, input_text types?

[lolouk44]

Variables are usually used on a temporary basis to help with a formula/calculation/template. Once the action /automation etc has been ran, this variable disappears.
input_text on the other side will remain, it all depends on what you want to do.

[SteveDinn]

Actually, this is exactly what I’m looking for. I want to be able to set the volume on a media_player temporarily in order to broadcast a TTS then set it back to what it was. I just posted a huge thing in another thread wondering if this was possible.

There was just talk of people wanting the system to restore them on startup and that confused me as to the difference between variables and input_*. I want my variables to be temporary and go away when the current script/automation is finished.

[SteveDinn]

Do you have to declare and define these variables before you can use them? I was hoping for more of an ad-hoc type of variable. Don’t know if that’s even possible.

[lolouk44]

it would look something like that, though I’ve not tested it this way

{% set initial_volume =state_attr('media_player.google_home_mini','volume_level') %}

Then you can you it like that

    - service: media_player.volume_set
      data_template: 
        entity_id: media_player.google_home_mini
        volume_level: '{{initial_volume}}' 

[SteveDinn]

@lolouk44

{% set initial_volume =state_attr(‘media_player.google_home_mini’,‘volume_level’) %}

How do you end up with that template getting executed, but not under a “service:” heading? I don’t think the YAML syntax lends itself to what I want to do. I just can’t see how it’ll all fit together.

[lolouk44]

what is it that you’re trying to do?
Can you describe?

[SteveDinn]

Record a media_player’s volumelevel setting
Set volume on media player to something loud.
Play an announcement on TTS on media_player.
Set volume on media player back to what it was before.

Seems like overkill to have an input_number for this, because I don’t care about the value in it at any other time. I can do all those actions, just need to tuck away the “previous value” temporarily.

Edit: I see examples like this, and I can’t see the difference between variable and input_whatever:

Set variables, custom component variables

I am using the custom compenent varaiables https://github.com/rogro82/hass-variables I would like to use a variable and set it to the value of an input_number, but got stuck. configuration.yaml variable: hour_calc: value: 0 restore: true min_calc: value: 0 restore: true automations.yaml - alias: slider_start_time hide_entity: false trigger: platform: state entity_id: input_number.start_hour action: - service: variable.set_va…

[KSC]

I think this is what i want to do. I’m trying to set two variables using this component. Then, I’m trying to cycle through a series of if statements to find the condition where the two variables are equal (I just put in the text “light” in the test code below). The portion of the code is:

set_ename:
alias: Set fname based on if statement
sequence:
service_template: >
{% if (variable.fname) == “light” %}
- service: variable.set_variable
data:
variable: ename
value: light.mbr_right
{% endif %}

This in the script.yaml where the name of the script is set_name. The two variables (fname and ename) are set up in the config.yaml, and are working.

I get an error that the service_template isn’t permitted in a script.

Can anyone help me understand how I can do this?

Specifically, “this” is to pass a name to the script, the script cycles through a list of if/then/else statements (which i tested in the template developer tool), and then when there’s a match, the variable ename is set to some text. I can’t for the life of me figure out how to do this. Doesn’t seem like it should be that difficult now that I have a variable I can use…

Update:
I modified the code to eliminate the if / endif lines (as well as a couple of other errant colons), the service_template line, and then ran the script. The variable ename does change to the value light.mbr_right, so at least I know that part of this works… Thanks again for any guidance! The updated code is:

set_ename:
alias: Set entity name based on if statement
sequence:
- service: variable.set_variable
data:
variable: ename
value: light.mbr_kirby

[ashscott (Ash)]

After declaring a variable, can I globally use it like this?

- alias: 'Garage Lights off'
  trigger:
    - platform: state
      entity_id: binary_sensor.garage_motion
      to: 'off'
      for:
        minutes: variable.off_time
  action:

[kiwijunglist (Mike Stewart)]

hi,

is this broken in hass.io version 0.84.1 ?

it was working fine prior to me upgrading.

Configuration invalid
CHECK CONFIG
Component not found: variable

thanks

[VDRainer]

@kiwijunglist

is this broken in hass.io version 0.84.1

YES!
Same problem like other custom_components have.

Broadlink IR Media Player (For old, dump TVs)

Doesn’t work anymore in 0.84.0b0 2018-12-06 14:32:58 ERROR (MainThread) [homeassistant.loader] Error loading custom_components.media_player.broadlink. Make sure all dependencies are installed Traceback (most recent call last): File "/srv/ha/lib/python3.6/site-packages/homeassistant/loader.py", line 92, in get_component module = importlib.import_module(path) File "/usr/lib/python3.6/importlib/__init__.py", line 126, in import_module return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package…

[Mariusthvdb (Marius)]

check here also:

full error in log:

2018-12-13 11:36:59 ERROR (MainThread) [homeassistant.loader] Error loading custom_components.variable. Make sure all dependencies are installed
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/site-packages/homeassistant/loader.py", line 92, in get_component
    module = importlib.import_module(path)
  File "/usr/local/lib/python3.6/importlib/__init__.py", line 126, in import_module
    return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 994, in _gcd_import
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 971, in _find_and_load
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 955, in _find_and_load_unlocked
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 665, in _load_unlocked
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap_external>", line 678, in exec_module
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 219, in _call_with_frames_removed
  File "/config/custom_components/variable.py", line 20, in <module>
    from homeassistant.helpers.restore_state import async_get_last_state
ImportError: cannot import name 'async_get_last_state'
2018-12-13 11:36:59 ERROR (MainThread) [homeassistant.loader] Unable to find component variable
2018-12-13 11:36:59 ERROR (MainThread) [homeassistant.config] Package package_motion setup failed. Component variable does not exist (See /config/packages/package_motion.yaml:6).

@VDRainer would you be able to check if the solution in your other component could also be used in the component Variable? Maybe @rogro82 could you have a look what’s wrong?

[VDRainer]

Looks like this has been fixed.
https://github.com/rogro82/hass-variables/pull/9

[Mariusthvdb (Marius)]

ah yes, nice! really need this component…
thanks , and to @rogro82 for fixing!

[rogro82]

Yes it should work again, I just merged the fix for 0.84 ( thanks to Tobias )

[Mariusthvdb (Marius)]

it does work, I can confirm, downloaded from your repo and replaced the old version.
Thank you very much.

btw this is on 0.84.1