Elif templating, null option help

Configuration
1

I have this action (untested):

  action:
  - service_template: >
      {% if states.sensor.roomt < states.input_number.lounge_ac_heat_temp_set %}
        shell_command.lounge_ac_silent_heat
      {% elif states.sensor.roomt > states.input_number.lounge_ac_cool_temp_set %} 
        shell_command.lounge_ac_silent_cool
      {% endif %}

It is impossible for both statements to evaluate as true but it is quite likely that neither statement will evaluate as true. What can I do in that case?

2

Answering my own question. Do something that does nothing (ac should already be off). Also the if test arguments were not quite right. I’m loving the template editor for this sort of thing.

  - service_template: >
      {% if states.sensor.roomt.state < states.input_number.lounge_ac_heat_temp_set.state  %}
        shell_command.lounge_ac_silent_heat
      {% elif states.sensor.roomt.state > states.input_number.lounge_ac_cool_temp_set.state  %}
        shell_command.lounge_ac_silent_cool
      {% else %}
        shell_command.lounge_ac_off
      {% endif %}
3

Could you mark this as solved? Just click on the option in your second post. That would help people like me who are searching for people that still need help with a problem. :slight_smile: Thanks!

BTW, this may not always be possible (depends on the situation, but in this case I think it is), but you could precede that service step with a condition that evaluates to false if both if’s are false (or, to put that another way, evaluates to true only if one or the other if statement is true.) In this case you would then only need one if statement, and no “dummy” statement. So something like this:

  - condition: template
    value_template: >
      {{ states.sensor.roomt.state < states.input_number.lounge_ac_heat_temp_set.state or
         states.sensor.roomt.state > states.input_number.lounge_ac_cool_temp_set.state }}
  - service_template: >
      {% if states.sensor.roomt.state < states.input_number.lounge_ac_heat_temp_set.state  %}
        shell_command.lounge_ac_silent_heat
      {% else %}
        shell_command.lounge_ac_silent_cool
      {% endif %}

Or, if this is part of an automation, you could move that condition from the action section to the condition section of the automation.

4

Thanks Phil. I’ve decided to change the service call to the shell script to setting an input select associated with the remotte control for this device instead. That way the status is also reflected there. So in this case I’ll stick with the if statements but will keep your suggestion in mind for future tasks.

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