Time_Pattern Automations Not Formed Correctly from UI Automations Editor

Configuration
1

Not sure how one submits a bug report for HA. If this is not the right place please point me in the right direction.

HA 86.4
python 3.6.3

Attempting to use an Automation to turn on a light every 2 minutes. The example is an simplified one to show the error.
Using the Configuration -> Automations takes me to the Automations Editor
Click on the + to create a new Automation and give it a name
Select Time Pattern from the Trigger drop down
Enter /2 in Minutes
Under Action select Service and light.turn_on
In my case I enter { “entity_id”: “light.cabin_night_light” } in Service Data
Click on Save (no errors, it is saved)
That produces the following in automations.yaml

- id: '1551065815347'
  alias: A time test
  trigger:
  - hours: ''
    minutes: /2
    platform: time_pattern
    seconds: ''
  condition: []
  action:
  - data:
      entity_id: light.cabin_night_light
    service: light.turn_on

Which produces the following errors:
Feb 24 18:10:50 XXXXXXXX homeassistant-start.sh[32077]: File “/home/homeassistant/.pyenv/versions/3.6.3/lib/python3.6/asyncio/events.py”, li
ne 127, in _run
Feb 24 18:10:50 XXXXXXXX homeassistant-start.sh[32077]: self._callback(*self._args)
Feb 24 18:10:50 XXXXXXXX homeassistant-start.sh[32077]: File “/home/homeassistant/.pyenv/versions/3.6.3/envs/homeassistant-3.6.3/lib/python3
.6/site-packages/homeassistant/helpers/event.py”, line 368, in pattern_time_change_listener
Feb 24 18:10:50 XXXXXXXX homeassistant-start.sh[32077]: calculate_next(now)
Feb 24 18:10:50 XXXXXXXX homeassistant-start.sh[32077]: File “/home/homeassistant/.pyenv/versions/3.6.3/envs/homeassistant-3.6.3/lib/python3
.6/site-packages/homeassistant/helpers/event.py”, line 353, in calculate_next
Feb 24 18:10:50 XXXXXXXX homeassistant-start.sh[32077]: matching_hours)
Feb 24 18:10:50 XXXXXXXX homeassistant-start.sh[32077]: File “/home/homeassistant/.pyenv/versions/3.6.3/envs/homeassistant-3.6.3/lib/python3
.6/site-packages/homeassistant/util/dt.py”, line 256, in find_next_time_expression_time
Feb 24 18:10:50 XXXXXXXX homeassistant-start.sh[32077]: raise ValueError("Cannot find a next time: Time expression never "
Feb 24 18:10:50 XXXXXXXX homeassistant-start.sh[32077]: ValueError: Cannot find a next time: Time expression never matches!

Changing the automation to the following resolves the issue:
- id: ‘1551065815347’
alias: A time test
trigger:
- platform: time_pattern
minutes: ‘/2’
condition: []
action:
- data:
entity_id: light.cabin_night_light
service: light.turn_on

The Automations editor should format the automation correctly but does not and due to the formatting issues the automation fails to run and throws errors in the log.

2

You need to use quotes around the input

  - minutes: '/2'
    platform: time_pattern

EDIT: To have it format properly, use /'/2/' inside automation editor. It’s a drawback of using the automation editor.

If you want to have it fixed, write up an issue on github. This issue is present just about everywhere you need a string.

1 Like
3

For anyone else who arrived here via a search, /2 now works directly in the automation UI editor.

4

this worked for me