Variables in Automation

Configuration
1

I am trying to create an automation around a IKEA TRADFRI Shortcut Button.
The basics are already working (i.e. reacting on the events the button sends).
I have found the following blueprint, which reacts also on virtual double clicks, for which the device does not send events itself.
Following this blueprint I want to adapt my automation, however I am having trouble with the variables section.

My automation currently looks as follows: 
- alias: Light - Tradfri Shortcut Button
  id: 'Light_tradfri_shortcut_button'
  variables:
    button_short: "1002"
    button_long: "1001"
    button_release: "1003"
  trigger:
    platform: event
    event_type: deconz_event
    event_data:
      id: tradfri_shortcut_button #ikea_e1812
  mode: restart
  max_exceeded: silent
  
  condition:
  # check that the button event is not empty
  - condition: template
    value_template: '{{ trigger.event.data.event not in ["","None"] }}'

  action:
  - variables:
      # adjusted debounce delay so that the resulting double press delay is exactly as specified by the user when running the action, taking also account of debouncing
      # make sure it never goes below the minimum double press delay
      adjusted_double_press_delay: "{{ [states('input_number.tradfri_double_press_delay') | int - states('input_number.tradfri_debounce_delay') | int, 100] | max }}"

      trigger_action: "{{ trigger.event.data.event }}"
      trigger_delta: "{{ (as_timestamp(now()) - as_timestamp((states('input_text.last_shortcut_button_event') | from_json).last_triggered if 'input_text.last_shortcut_button_event' is not none and (states('input_text.last_shortcut_button_event') | regex_match("^\{(\".*\": \".*\"(, )?)*\}$")) else "1970-01-01 00:00:00")) * 1000 }}""

  # debouncing - when automation is triggered multiple times, the last automation run is the one which completes execution, due to mode restart
  # therefore previous runs must wait for the debounce delay before executing any other action
  # if the delay expires and the automation is still running it means it's the last run and execution can continue
  - delay:
      milliseconds: states('input_number.tradfri_debounce_delay') | int
  - choose:
    - conditions: '{{ trigger_action | string in button_short }}'
      # Toggle Livingroom Rear
      sequence:
        - choose: 
            # if previous event was a short press
            - conditions: "{{ trigger_action | string in states('input_text.last_shortcut_button_event') and trigger_delta | int <= states('input_number.tradfri_double_press_delay') | int }}"
              sequence:
                # store the double press event in the last controller event helper
                - service: input_text.set_value
                  data:
                    entity_id: input_text.last_shortcut_button_event
                    value: '{{ {"trigger_action":"double_press","last_triggered":now() | string} | to_json }}'
                # run the double press action
                - service: light.toggle
                  entity_id: light.livingroom_front
          # previous event was not a short press
          default:
            # wait for the double press event to occur, within the provided delay
            # if the second press is received, automation is restarted
            - delay:
                milliseconds: '{{ adjusted_double_press_delay }}'
            # if delay expires, no second press was received, therefore run the short press action
            # run the short press action
            - service: light.toggle
              entity_id: light.livingroom_rear
    - conditions: '{{ trigger_action | string in button_long }}'
      # Toggle Livingroom Floor Lamp
      sequence:
        - service: light.toggle
          entity_id: light.livingroom_floor_lamp
    - conditions: '{{ trigger_action | string in button_release }}'
      sequence: []

But I am getting the following error checking my configuration:

Error loading /config/configuration.yaml: while parsing a block mapping
in "/config/automation/light.yaml", line 44, column 7
expected <block end>, but found '<scalar>'

Am I missinterpreting how the variable section is working? Is there a typo somewhere, that I am not seeing? I do have other automations using partialy similar variable trigger_action: '{{ trigger.event.data.click_type }}' which does work correctly.
In the documentation I can only find descriptions about variables within scripts, but not within automations.

Any help is welcome. Thank you.

2

Looks like it may be due to incorrect use of quotations in the line defining the trigger.delta variable.

It you use double-quotes inside a template, you must use single-quotes outside the template. Alternately, if you use single-quotes inside the template, use double-quotes outside the template.

In this case, there’s an invalid mix of single and double-quotes inside the template plus there are two consecutive double-quotes at the end. You need to fix all of that by following the rule I described.

3

Thank you very much for spotting this detail, so there was nothing wrong with the gernal understanding.
I did have a couple of follow on errors within the automation. In case anyone is intereseted in the working result, you can find the working automation below:

- alias: Light - Tradfri Shortcut Button
  id: 'Light_tradfri_shortcut_button'
  variables:
    button_short: "1002"
    button_long: "1001"
    button_release: "1003"
  trigger:
    platform: event
    event_type: deconz_event
    event_data:
      id: tradfri_shortcut_button #ikea_e1812
  mode: restart
  max_exceeded: silent
  
  condition:
  # check that the button event is not empty
  - condition: template
    value_template: '{{ trigger.event.data.event not in ["","None"] }}'

  action:
  - variables:
      # adjusted debounce delay so that the resulting double press delay is exactly as specified by the user when running the action, taking also account of debouncing
      # make sure it never goes below the minimum double press delay
      adjusted_double_press_delay: "{{ [states('input_number.tradfri_double_press_delay') | int - states('input_number.tradfri_debounce_delay') | int, 100] | max }}"

      trigger_action: "{{ trigger.event.data.event }}"
      trigger_delta: '{{ (as_timestamp(now()) - as_timestamp((states("input_text.last_shortcut_button_event") | from_json).last_triggered if "input_text.last_shortcut_button_event" is not none and (states("input_text.last_shortcut_button_event") | regex_match("^\{(\".*\": \".*\"(, )?)*\}$")) else "1970-01-01 00:00:00")) * 1000 }}'

  # debouncing - when automation is triggered multiple times, the last automation run is the one which completes execution, due to mode restart
  # therefore previous runs must wait for the debounce delay before executing any other action
  # if the delay expires and the automation is still running it means it's the last run and execution can continue
  - delay:
      milliseconds: "{{ states('input_number.tradfri_debounce_delay') }}"
    # update helper
  - service: input_text.set_value
    data:
      entity_id: input_text.last_shortcut_button_event
      value: '{{ {"trigger_action":trigger_action,"last_triggered":now()|string} | to_json }}'
  - choose:
    - conditions: '{{ trigger_action | string in button_short }}'
      # Toggle Livingroom Rear
      sequence:
        - choose: 
            # if previous event was a short press
            - conditions: "{{ trigger_action | string in states('input_text.last_shortcut_button_event') and trigger_delta | int <= states('input_number.tradfri_double_press_delay') | int }}"
              sequence:
                # store the double press event in the last controller event helper
                - service: input_text.set_value
                  data:
                    entity_id: input_text.last_shortcut_button_event
                    value: '{{ {"trigger_action":"double_press","last_triggered":now() | string} | to_json }}'
                # run the double press action
                - service: light.toggle
                  entity_id: light.livingroom_front
          # previous event was not a short press
          default:
            # wait for the double press event to occur, within the provided delay
            # if the second press is received, automation is restarted
            - delay:
                milliseconds: '{{ adjusted_double_press_delay }}'
            # if delay expires, no second press was received, therefore run the short press action
            # run the short press action
            - service: light.toggle
              entity_id: light.livingroom_rear
    - conditions: '{{ trigger_action | string in button_long }}'
      # Toggle Livingroom Floor Lamp
      sequence:
        - service: light.toggle
          entity_id: light.livingroom_floor_lamp
    - conditions: '{{ trigger_action | string in button_release }}'
      sequence: []

Also thanks to @epmatt who generated the blueprint in a first place.

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