Variable creation and use only using only the ui

I’m new to ha but have experience with other platforms where numeric or text variables can be created, set using the ui and not requiring command line type interaction.

I see where it’s possible to create helper variables for text or number values using the ui. But I’m not finding anywhere in the automation area where these variables can be set or for number variables can have +, -, or multiplied or divided by sensor values or by other helper variables .

What am I missing here?

Look at the documentation for each helper. That shows the actions available and in some cases examples of how to use them. e.g. for input_number.set_vaue see: https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/input_number/#actions

Like I said, I’m new to ha so I’m likely missing something but the suggestion you gave seems to involve programming inside the y’all file. I’m trying to understand if there is a way to do these sort of things using just the ui, no “lines of coding” approach.

Prior to posting here I did try to look though the documentation, did google searches and searched YouTube. There are various alternative solutions that are presented but I really didn’t find anything that directly addressed my question.

Yes. All those actions are available from the UI.

Mathematic operations however will require you to learn how to use jinja templates.

I’m still having a hard time wrapping my arms around HA. For the last 10 years or more my Home Automate has been using a product from Universal Devices, it currently called Iox. Heres a small snapshot of the programs I have built and running using their built in “if, then” system.

Heres an example of their If/Then programing.

image

You can see with their built in system they have predefined “if then” sections to allow for the expression of those things without getting into a free form stand alone scripting.

Being new here I was expecting HA’s “if then” built in logic to allow for the same level of expression. You can see in this example a variable that created elsewhere in the system is being set to the new high temp of the day whenever the temp gets higher.

There are separate programs like this that… Zero’s out the high temp variable at 7:30am every morning.

image

Another one that checks at 8:45pm and if the high temp of the day reaches a certain level tuns one bedroom fan on.

image

And another one that turns a second fan on at another time if the temp reached a different level for the day.

I’m guessing there are elegant ways to make this all happen in HA but being new I want to start learning what can be done directly in HA without having to add the learning curve right away of mastering Visual studio.

Am I missing something or to work with a variable, the only way is mastering things at this visual studio type level? I’m using these examples related to variables because I have all sort of things that have to set a variable in one place, compare it in another automation and change its value in yet another automation.

Thanks