Sending a state value as list

Configuration
1

Hi there,

Im trying to get an automation working to send the state of an input_number as a list.
In my case im using a Xiaomi vacuum and trying to set the volume, which needs to be send as „params: [40]“ for example, the values need to be a list!

When I’m trying to send a fix value it works, but as soon as I insert a variable here it seems to be send as a string instead a list, which isn’t recognized by the vacuum.

Working fix values:

 - service: vacuum.send_command
    data_template: 
      entity_id: vacuum.roborock
      command: change_sound_volume
      params: [40]

Not working state values (Being send as string):

 - service: vacuum.send_command
    data_template: 
      entity_id: vacuum.roborock
      command: change_sound_volume
      params: "[{{ states('input_number.vacuum_volume') | int }}]"

If I don’t insert the quotes I get the attached error:

 - service: vacuum.send_command
    data_template: 
      entity_id: vacuum.roborock
      command: change_sound_volume
      params: "[{{ states('input_number.vacuum_volume') | int }}]"

Error:
Error loading /config/configuration.yaml: invalid key: “OrderedDict([(“states(‘input_number.vacuum_volume’) | int”, None)])”
in “/config/automation/automations.yaml”, line 308, column 0

For testing pruposes I inserted a push to my device to see what values are given, which looks fine (it’s still a string, so I can’t see the issue here):

- service: notify.ios_device
    data:
      message: "[{{ states('input_number.vacuum_volume') | int }}]"

Is there a hint why this isn’t working or does anybody has a solution?
Greets

2

Try:

 - service: vacuum.send_command
    data_template: 
      entity_id: vacuum.roborock
      command: change_sound_volume
      params: "{{ [ states('input_number.vacuum_volume') | int ] }}"
3

Thanks, tried that yesterday, already. But the robot doesn’t change the volume.

I guess there’s no way to check what data (and datatypes) are given to the send_command, right?

4

Alright, then this one should work:

 - service: vacuum.send_command
    data_template: 
      entity_id: vacuum.roborock
      command: change_sound_volume
      params: 
        - "{{ states('input_number.vacuum_volume') | int }}"

This keeps params as a list and you are templating the first item.

EDIT: This should also work:

 - service: vacuum.send_command
    data_template: 
      entity_id: vacuum.roborock
      command: change_sound_volume
      params: [ "{{ states('input_number.vacuum_volume') | int }}" ]
5

Jinja only outputs strings. So the data type is always a string, which I suspect is the underlying problem. So we need to provide a way to enforce that it is a list of items. Jinja will naturally convert the strings to numbers if they can but it will not convert a string to a complex type like a list.

1 Like
6

Thanks for these ideas, but unfortunately none of them works :confused:
Even this one isn’t Working:

- service: vacuum.send_command
    data_template: 
      entity_id: vacuum.roborock
      command: change_sound_volume
      params: ["{{ 1 + 1 }}"]

But it seems to calculate right, because if I insert this in my test notifications I get [2] as notification:

  - service: notify.ios_device
    data:
      message: "[{{1 + 1}}]"

The Params for the vacuum seems not to be a string, because if I insert

  - service: notify.ios_device
    data:
      message: [ "{{ states('input_number.vacuum_volume') | int }}" ]

I get this expected issue in my log:

voluptuous.error.MultipleInvalid: template value should be a string for dictionary value @ data['message']

7

Thats because message does not accept a list.

do not mix this up between templates. params may accept a list where message does not. Message will only accept a single string.

Did you try:

 - service: vacuum.send_command
    data_template: 
      entity_id: vacuum.roborock
      command: change_sound_volume
      params: 
        - "{{ states('input_number.vacuum_volume') | int }}"
8

Yes I only did this to check if the output is a list instead a string.

Yes that one didn’t work, too.

9

did you get an error with that last one?

10

No, it’s the same as with all other tries the robot just doesn’t change its volume.

11

Well i just noticed there’s an extra space on each line after the service line. Try it again with this.

 - service: vacuum.send_command
   data_template: 
     entity_id: vacuum.roborock
     command: change_sound_volume
     params: 
       - "{{ states('input_number.vacuum_volume') | int }}"
12

Thanks, I removed that space when pasting in Home assistant already, because I guessed I copied to much. So this error still exists.

To test if these could work I tried the following:

 - service: vacuum.send_command
    data_template: 
      entity_id: vacuum.roborock
      command: change_sound_volume
      params:
        - 10

Which isn’t working, too. (Doesn’t change the volume)

13

not sure if it’s a copy error, but it looks like service and data_template are not in the same line.