How to switch a light on an off at a given time (atomic actions, or state enforcement)?

Configuration
1

I would like to switch on a light at sunset and off at midnight. In other words - so that it is on during this period, except if someone switches it off manually.

I know how to switch it on:

- id: 'lumieres_salon_nuit'
  trigger:
  - event: sunset
    platform: sun
  condition: []
  action:
  - service: homeassistant.turn_on
    data:
      entity_id: light.salon

I have doubts with the off part. The documentation states that

The time condition can test if it is after a specified time, before a specified time or if it is a certain day of the week

I would like to make the action when the time arrives (so at 00:00), not after. Specifically, I do not want the light to be switched off all the time after midnight:

  • if it is on at midnight, I want it to go off
  • if I switch it back after midnight, I do not want the automation to switch it off again, just because it is after midnight.

My question is how to correctly describe these two different states:

  • ensure that the light is on, no matter what, between sunset and midnight (= if someone switches it off, switch it back on immediately)
  • ensure that the light will be switched on at sunset, then switched off at midnight (and nothing else, just these two atomic actions)
2

It just triggers at the time. Here is a mockup from one of my automations.

- id: 'nnnn'
  alias: name here
  trigger:
  - at: '00:00:00' 
    platform: time
  condition: []
  action:
  - data:
      entity_id: light.salon
    service: light.turn_off

I hope this helps.

3 
- id: 'lumieres_salon_on_sunset'
  trigger:
  - event: sunset
    platform: sun
  condition: []
  action:
  - service: light.turn_on
    entity_id: light.salon

- id: 'lumieres_salon_off'
  trigger:
  - platform: time
    at: '00:00:00'
  condition: []
  action:
  - service: light.turn_off
    entity_id: light.salon

- id: 'lumieres_salon_back_on'
  trigger:
  -platform: state
    entity_id: light.salon
    to: 'off'
  condition: 
  - condition: sun
    after: sunset
  - condition: time
    before: '23:59:59'
  action:
  - service: light.turn_on
    entity_id: light.salon

I used 23:59:59 in the last one because I’m not sure if it would work correctly using 00:00:00. And one second early is probably close enough :slightly_smiling_face: