Sensor Reaction Robustness by Means of While Loop

Configuration
#1

Hi yalls,

I am trying to streamline a script for a quite simple use case.

Since sensors/actuators sometimes do not respond to commands, I want to ensure that a script is fully and reliably executed on all sensors/actuators by means of a while-loop.

The following is an example for a single thermostat:

  - repeat:
      while:
        - condition: not
          conditions:
            - condition: state
              entity_id: climate.room_climate_badezimmer
              attribute: temperature
              state: 18

The sequence to be executed with this is the following:

- repeat:
    count: "{{ wohnung | count }}"
    sequence:
      - service: climate.set_temperature
        data:
          temperature: 18
          hvac_mode: heat
        target:
          area_id: "{{ wohnung[repeat.index -1] }}"

Now in the while loop, I need to replace a static variable value (entitiy_id: climate.room_climate_badezimmer) with a variable one like so:
climate.room_climate_[wohnung[repeat.index - 1]]

while:
  - condition: not
    conditions:
      - condition: state
        entity_id: climate.room_climate_&"{{ wohnung[repeat.index - 1] }}" # Syntax knowingly wrong
        attribute: temperature
        state: 18

So my first question is: How do I concatenate variable value strings correctly for this use case?
And my second question is: How do I deal with repeat count in case of nested repeats? Auxiliary variable?
And the 3rd question: Is the complete code below correct and can my low programming experience be streamlined out of it?

The whole code should look something like this:

alias: Lüften 5 Minuten
variables:
  wohnung:
    - bad
    - arbeitszimmer
    - wohnzimmer
    - schlafzimmer
sequence:
  - repeat: # loop 1
      count: "{{ wohnung | count }}"
      sequence:
        - repeat: # nested loop 2
            while:
              - condition: NOT
                conditions:
                  - condition: state
                    entity_id: climate.room_climate_[wohnung[repeat.index - 1]] # but the repeat.index must be from the superordinate repeat loop 1 !!!
                    attribute: temperature
                    state: 18
                  - condition: state
                    entity_id: climate.room_climate_[wohnung[repeat.index - 1]] # but the repeat.index must be from the superordinate repeat loop !!!
                    attribute: hvac_mode
                    state: heat
              - sequence:
                  - service: climate.set_temperature
                    data:
                      temperature: 18
                      hvac_mode: heat
                    target:
                      area_id: climate.room_climate_[wohnung[repeat.index - 1]] # but the repeat.index must be from the superordinate repeat loop !!!

I know that at least the last part of my complete code is wrong - as mentioned above, I need suggestions as to how to concatenate correctly the variable names and how to deal with nested loops and their respective repeat.counts.

#2

Here is what I do to escape a while loop after roughly 60 seconds of not getting what I want out of the automation:

      - repeat:
          until:
            - condition: template
              value_template: |-
                {{
                (
                  is_state("switch.roxanne", "off")
                  and
                  is_state("media_player.marantz_av7702mkii", "off")
                )
                or
                repeat.index > 60
                }}
              alias: Roxanne is off and Marantz is off, or 1 minute has passed
          sequence:
            - delay:
                hours: 0
                minutes: 0
                seconds: 1
                milliseconds: 0
            - service: homeassistant.update_entity
              data: {}
              target:
                entity_id:
                  - switch.roxanne
              alias: Update Roxanne
1 Like
#3

I suggest using a repeat for_each and a repeat until.

The following example is untested so let me know if you encounter any problems.

alias: Lüften 5 Minuten
sequence:
  - repeat:
      for_each:
        - bad
        - arbeitszimmer
        - wohnzimmer
        - schlafzimmer
      sequence:
        - variables:
            entity: 'climate.room_climate_{{ repeat.item }}'
        - repeat: 
            until:
              - "{{ state_attr(entity, 'temperature') == 18 }}"
              - "{{ state_attr(entity, 'hvac_mode') == 'heat' }}"
            sequence:
              - service: climate.set_temperature
                data:
                  temperature: 18
                  hvac_mode: heat
                target:
                  entity_id: '{{ entity }}'

For safety, the inner loop should probably include logic to limit the number of iterations.

#4

OK this is great - this is even more towards what I want - thank you so much, Taras!

However, I want to stay with the variable array as per my original snippet (wohnung[] = ..., ...) because I intend to use it further down in the overall script - how can I do that? Again, with a repeat loop going through wohnung[], right?

Or could I use something like repeat: for_each: wohnung[]?

#5

Please do not duplicate posts. Your other post was removed.

#6 
alias: Lüften 5 Minuten
variables:
  wohnung:
    - bad
    - arbeitszimmer
    - wohnzimmer
    - schlafzimmer
sequence:
  - repeat:
      for_each: '{{ wohnung }}'
      sequence:
        - variables:
            entity: 'climate.room_climate_{{ repeat.item }}'
        - repeat: 
            until:
              - "{{ state_attr(entity, 'temperature') == 18 }}"
              - "{{ state_attr(entity, 'hvac_mode') == 'heat' }}"
            sequence:
              - service: climate.set_temperature
                data:
                  temperature: 18
                  hvac_mode: heat
                target:
                  entity_id: '{{ entity }}'
              - wait_template: >
                  {{ state_attr(entity, 'temperature') == 18 and
                     state_attr(entity, 'hvac_mode') == 'heat' }}
                timeout: '00:00:03'

EDIT

Enhancement. Added wait_template to the repeat until loop in order for the service call to take effect before evaluating the until condition. It waits a maximum of 3 seconds; more efficient than a fixed delay.

#7

!!! Perfect - I had a hard time finding info on how this whole {{}} business works (is it like js?). Also, hard time to find good examples about template_value, generally variables and arrays.

So thank you so much again!

1 Like
#8

References:

Templating
Variables
Repeat for_each

1 Like
#9

Hm - still doesn’t work, I’ve narrowed the problem down to 2 lines.
This works:

sequence:
  - repeat:
      count: 2
      sequence:
        - repeat:
            for_each: "{{ wohnung }}"
            sequence:
              - variables:
                  entity: climate.room_climate_{{ repeat.item }}
                  area: "{{ repeat.item }}"
              - repeat:
                  until:
                    - "{{ 1 == 1 }}"
                    # - "{{ state_attr(entity, 'temperature') == 18 }}"
                    # - "{{ state_attr(entity, 'hvac_mode') == 'heat' }}"
                  sequence:
                    - service: climate.set_temperature
                      data:
                        temperature: 18
                        hvac_mode: heat
                      target:
                        area_id: "{{ area }}"
        - delay:
            seconds: 2

The commented part results in only the first item in wohnung[] to be actuated. It seems there’s something wrong in the condition check of the while loop.

#10

Do you want while or until?

If you use until, its sequence is executed at least once before it checks the condition (this is explained in its documentation)

1 Like
#11

[quote=“123, post:6, topic:535472”]

Sorry, UNTIL like you proposed.

#12

OK, so what exactly “doesn’t work”? Post the script’s trace.

1 Like
#13

I’m starting to feel more and more stupid - how do I get the trace? Is that it?

image
image783×671 48.5 KB

#14

The trace is also available for download as a file containing all execution steps (and more) in JSON format.

Even without the trace, what exactly did you mean when you said it “doesn’t work”? I can see from the screenshot that the script stopped execution at some point. Where did the script stop?

1 Like
#15

FYI: I added an enhancement to my example posted above. The inner loop waits up to 3 seconds for the service call’s changes to take effect before attempting another iteration.

Reference: wait_template

1 Like
Concatenation of Strings insde {{}} (e.g. for Variable Evaluation in Loops)
#16

So this is my current script. It doesn’t seem to work if I - for test reasons - shorten the top level delay (roughly in the middle of the script) too much. It appears that maybe the Bosch Controller responds with a sensor state that in fact the sensor itself doesn’t take over. Could that be?

alias: Vent for 5 minutes already, geez!
variables:
  where_happens:
    - bathroom
    - bureau
    - putting_range
    - bonfire_lounge
    - bondage_room
sequence:
  - repeat:
      for_each: "{{ where_happens }}"
      sequence:
        - variables:
            entity_settings: climate.room_climate_{{ repeat.item }}
            entity: "{{ repeat.item }}"
        - repeat:
            sequence:
              - service: climate.set_temperature
                data:
                  hvac_mode: heat
                  temperature: 18
                target:
                  entity_id: "{{ entity_settings }}"
            until:
              - "{{ state_attr(entity_settings, 'temperature') == 18 }}"
              - "{{ state_attr(entity_settings, 'preset_mode') != 'eco' }}"
        - delay:
            seconds: 0.1
  - delay:
      hours: 0
      minutes: 5
      seconds: 0
      milliseconds: 0
  - repeat:
      count: 2
      sequence:
        - repeat:
            for_each: "{{ where_happens }}"
            sequence:
              - variables:
                  entity_settings: climate.room_climate_{{ repeat.item }}
                  entity: "{{ repeat.item }}"
              - repeat:
                  sequence:
                    - service: climate.set_hvac_mode
                      data:
                        hvac_mode: auto
                      target:
                        entity_id: "{{ entity_settings }}"
                  until:
                    - "{{ states(entity_settings) == 'auto' }}"
              - delay:
                  seconds: 0.1
  - service: notify.notify
    data:
      message: Close windows, duh!
      title: Vent
mode: single
icon: mdi:air-filter
#17

For future reference, you don’t mark your own post with the Solution tag if it duplicates a solution given to you by someone else.

Your posted is based entirely on the proposal presented here which suggested to replace your outer repeat count with a repeat for_each and have it iterate a variable (wohnung) containing a list of names.

For more information about how to use the Solution tag, refer to guideline 21 in the FAQ.