Astro Binding - OH3 still a Binding?

[Ion3]

Hi,

I used OH2 years ago. Now I’m starting playing with OH3. I’m wondering why there are settings for:

1. Rules
2. Scripts
3. Schedule

Rules and Schedule have totally identical sub-menues. Why is this meeningful? It just leads to confusion and gives the posibility to mix them up.

Instead I would have expected, the Astro Binding to have become a core component:

Schedule => Time => Sunset => - 30 Min.

In my opinion it fundamental, to have these simple functions on hand right away. I expected a great step forward in terms of usability to significantly increase the community. My first attempt starts frustrating today.

How to set up this simple function to turn on the garden lights, when it gets dark?

Sorry for this slightly negative post. I appreciate very much what you are doing. I’m fan of openHAB since 1.x, but I’m not the IT-guy and hoped to get a more easy approach with 3.0.

Greetings,
Timo

[Bruce_Osborne]

@Ion3

How to set up this simple function to turn on the garden lights, when it gets dark?

Same syntax as OH2. the text files from OH2 even work in OH3.

[Ion3]

Why writing syntax? I am just wondering, why this didn’t come as a standard trigger.

I thought one intention in OH3 was to make it easier to use, to be able to compete with alternatives out there.

[Oggerschummer (Thomas)]

You can create your rules now graphically - if you prefer to work that way.

[rlkoshak (Rich Koshak)]

@Ion3

Rules and Schedule have totally identical sub-menues. Why is this meeningful? It just leads to confusion and gives the posibility to mix them up.

Rules are fully fledged rules that have triggers and actions.

Scripts are “naked” rules. No triggers, no conditions, just a Script Action. Since rules can call other rules these can be a powerful way to structure you code, particularly if you have some common code that needs to be used by multiple different rules.

Once you have at least one Rule that is tagged with “Schedule”, the “Schedule” entry will show a calendar showing you when those Rules are scheduled to run.

@Ion3

How to set up this simple function to turn on the garden lights, when it gets dark?

Add the Rule and fill in the ID and label stuff.

Add a trigger, choose Channel Trigger, and then choose your Astro Thing and the sunset#event channel.

Click “Done”.

Now add an Action, choose Item Action, select your Item or search for it and clikc “Pick”.

Configure the command to send and click “Done”.

Click Save and you are done.

Or you can continue to do it like you always has since OH 2.x.

@Ion3

I am just wondering, why this didn’t come as a standard trigger.

Because Astro is a separate binding. It’s not part of the core. Not everyone uses Astro so why force everyone to have it installed and configured?

@Ion3

I thought one intention in OH3 was to make it easier to use, to be able to compete with alternatives out there.

You found one use case where OH doesn’t work as you expect it and therefore there is no improvement to the usability of OH 3. Hmmmm.

[Ion3]

Dear Rich,

thank you very much for the detailed explanation. Great! Thank you so much! It worked. Just had sunset:

Quite easy but still not as intuitive as it could be. In my view it is still a schedule. …and I still have no idea how to make an offset: 30 minutes before sunset (- 30 Min).

…and I am wondering, why I get multiple events in the developer sidebar.

Greetings, Timo

[rlkoshak (Rich Koshak)]

@Ion3

and I still have no idea how to make an offset: 30 minutes before sunset (- 30 Min).

That’s well documented in the Astro binding docs. It’s a configuration parameter on the Thing’s Channel.

If you’ve had this before moving to OH 3, it’s all the same as it was. Astro has not changed.

@Ion3

and I am wondering, why I get multiple events in the developer sidebar.

Because what ever Thing/Binding that is linked to that Item is updating it more than once.

[Ion3]

@rlkoshak

That’s well documented in the Astro binding docs. It’s a configuration parameter on the Thing’s Channel.

I believe you refer to this: Astro Binding - Channel config

But now it looks like this:

Do I need to go to the Code-Tab of this Thing?

[rlkoshak (Rich Koshak)]

Click on the channel you want to add the offset to and then select “Configure Channel”.

Don’t be afraid to click on things. It often becomes apparent how to do things when you just click on something or even hover your mouse over certain elements.

[Ion3]

Excellent: