Within the Time pattern trigger it is possible to use a / before the hours/minutes/days value, so that an automation can be triggered at an interval.
However, it is needed to ‘know’ about this ‘/’ sign for the user. If the user hasn’t read the docs, the user doens’t know it is available as there is no UI element for it. It would be easier for users if there would be an option in the UI, for instance a checkbox that says it is an interval and not a certain point in time.
With the time pattern trigger, you can match if the hour, minute or second of the current time matches a specific value. You can prefix the value with a / to match whenever the value is divisible by that number. You can specify * to match any value (when using the web interface this is required, the fields cannot be left empty).
I disagree. In my opinion this feature suggestion , although minor, would be a good addition. Why make it difficult if you can make it easy too? If things work intuitive and fast I consider that a good thing
I honestly wouldn’t know if I had never read about it. Also it wouldn’t come up in my mind if I am presented a input field with a label “minutes:” that I am able to make it a interval by adding a / sign. So yes it is fast to type it, but it’s not fast if you first have to read the docs to know that it is an option.
Tbh I think it’s typical IT people talk to say: “Ah those lazy people never read the docs”. Maybe a group of people is build that way, but a lot of people try to get something going with the options presented on a screen. Home Assistant will appeal to a larger group of less technically skilled people if there is an UI that’s guiding them.
The problem is that as it isn’t part of the UI, people will think it is not an option.
Neither will adding a checkbox, like you suggested, help the user understand how the addition of / works or which values are acceptable. Reading the documentation is recommended to develop a better understanding of Home Assistant’s scripting capabilities.
Be advised that the Automation Editor and the Script Editor do not expose all of Home Assistant’s scripting functionality. In many cases, this is due to a design decision to simplify the UI for novices.
