WTH why we still need helpers for UI or automations

Month of "What the heck?!"
1

Why we can not add slider, timer, text_box or similar UI control, and use result of those controls in other parts of UI or automations, without creating helper?

This would make more easy to learn HA, without digging into backend, relationships and similar. Newbies might understand visible (UI) entities easier.

Also, when this UI control is deleted from UI, it should not leave any trace (junk) in backend, like autogenerated helpers or similar.

Timer with UI also falls into similar use case.

2

How would this work? How do you access the values in other automations?

Are you suggesting a “helper” that only exists in the UI? So, when you add it to a dashboard, it is created behind the scenes. And you access it like every other helper.

3

Yes, that is good description, and that is probably good way to implement it to current architecture of HA.