Noob, but enthusiastic HA user, struggling with template

Configuration
1

With version v0.114 the automation below was working fine but after updating to v1.115 it isn’t working anymore. It has something to do with the template and I think I have to fix it with input_datetime but I don’t know how to get the data from the sensor.kerstboom_uit_tijd in the input_datetime entity.

Is there someone who can point me in the right direction ?

automation:

  - alias: kerstboom_aan_bij_zons_ondergang
    initial_state: true
    trigger:
      - platform: sun
        event: sunset

    action:
      - service: homeassistant.turn_on
        entity_id: switch.sonoff_1
  
  - alias: kerstboom uit
    initial_state: true
    trigger:
      platform: template
      value_template: '{{ states.sensor.time.state == states.sensor.kerstboom_uit_tijd.state }}'
    
    action:
      service: homeassistant.turn_off
      entity_id: switch.sonoff_1
2

If you put ‘states.sensor.time.state’ into the Template Developers Tool you get the following i.e. hh:mm:

image
image852×351 20.1 KB

I don’t know what kind of sensor ‘kerstboom_uit_tijd’ is but you can start by checking that it is comparable by also copying this to the Template Developers Tool. If it is not also hh:mm then the comparison will never work.

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3

Some things recently changed with templates that I don’t fully understand. In general it strikes me as better to trigger on a time pattern, such as every five minutes, and have a condition that checks if the time is right. I am assuming that you are not setting your Christmas lights to be on at some time like 18:32:15. :slightly_smiling_face:

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4

Why do you think that’s better than this:

trigger:
  - platform: time
    at: '06:45'

or this:

trigger:
  - platform: time
    at: input_datetime.bedroom_alarm_clock_time

or even this?

    trigger:
      platform: template
      value_template: "{{ states('sensor.whatever') == states('sensor.time') }}"

Confirm the state of sensor.kerstboom_uit_tijd displays time in this format HH:MM like 06:45 or 21:30 which is the same format as sensor.time. If it displays time as HH:MM:SS then it will never match the time reported by sensor.time.

If it does include seconds in the time, you can fix it like this:

      value_template: '{{ states.sensor.time.state == states.sensor.kerstboom_uit_tijd.state[:5] }}'
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5

I don’t think that it is better than triggering on an input helper datetime, I just forgot about that new feature. I bet that will suite OP nicely! I need to update automations to use that myself.

And yes, hard-coded time, if it works, is best! One less “part.” I assumed that it doesn’t fit the use case though.

6

@Jonah1970, @Dolores, @123 Thank you for the information, this makes it really clear to me. Thanks.

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