[Reactor] Bug when sending MQTT boolean payloads

[LibraSun]

You've got me curious now: What make/model of garden lights do you have? And what is their ultimate color palette? Have you tried setting them to intermediate colors using the [Set_Color_RGB] action in MSR, for instance?

[Elcid]

@cw-kid said in Expression to randomly run Global Reactions ?:

Ideally I'd like for a different colour each time to be selected, but I guess the expression for the random numbers could select the same number again and therefore the colour would not change for that cycle.

I use this to generate a random number that has not been used last time. In the reaction use express variable randomVal, once the reaction is over set randomVal to
${{int(split(join(split("1234567", randomVal || 0),""),"")[floor(random()*6)])}}
Then every time you get a different number.

[cw-kid]

@librasun

It's a Fibaro RGBW module v1

[cw-kid]

@elcid said in Expression to randomly run Global Reactions ?:

I use this to generate a random number that has not been used last time

That's what I needed!

[Elcid]

@cw-kid This is probably more efficient

${{int(substr(replace("1234567", randomVal || 0,""),floor(random()*6),1))}}

Then I looked at moving this to MSR as I have it in Reactor, . I found the remove function and this is now easily expanded to larger number and you can easily set a range

${{remove( 1..7, randomVal - 1)[floor(random()*6)]}}

@toggledbits , possible bug
list(1..7]) gives [[1,2,3,4,5,6,7]] a nested array.
Is that expected.

[toggledbits]

@elcid said in Expression to randomly run Global Reactions ?:

@toggledbits , possible bug
list(1..7]) gives [[1,2,3,4,5,6,7]] a nested array.
Is that expected.

Yes, because 1..7 on its own produces an array. So wrapping it in list() gives you an array containing an array.

FWIW, list() is basically deprecated, because lexpjs lets you use common array notation (e.g. [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]) to define an array.

[LibraSun]

@elcid said in Expression to randomly run Global Reactions ?:

@cw-kid This is probably more efficient

${{int(substr(replace("1234567", randomVal || 0,""),floor(random()*6),1))}}

Then I looked at moving this to MSR as I have it in Reactor, . I found the remove function and this is now easily expanded to larger number and you can easily set a range

${{remove( list(1..7)[0], randomVal - 1)[floor(random()*6)]}}

GENIUS! Gonna borrow this.

@toggledbits , possible bug
list(1..7]) gives [[1,2,3,4,5,6,7]] a nested array.
Is that expected.

Yes, that's expected, since 1..7 itself creates an array – namely, [1,2,3,4,5,6,7] – while list() (now deprecated = avoid in MSR) also turns its argument into an array. I suggest omit list and see if things improve.

[Elcid]

@toggledbits just discovered that as you posted, is it mentioned in the docs, as I had not come acreoss it?

[toggledbits]

Yup. That's in the docs.

[Elcid]

@toggledbits
Its a bit confusing, i read this
"[5,7,9], so this function is now obsolete and may be removed later)"
and tried [1..7], when that failed, I assumed the only way to spread was list(1..7)
May be add a note about 1..7 being the same as list(1..7). As I found it some what unclear.

[toggledbits]

@elcid , it says:

I think this is pretty clear. The range operator is documented separately.

May be add a note about 1..7 being the same as list(1..7).

But it's not. That's how we got started.

[Elcid]

@toggledbits said in Expression to randomly run Global Reactions ?:

May be add a note about 1..7 being the same as list(1..7).

But it's not. That's how we got started.

I mean 1..7 being what I assume list(1..7) would produce a single array. That's why I found it confusing, I think that I expected a array to have [ ] around them.
Maybe add "also see range operator".

[LibraSun]

@elcid said in Expression to randomly run Global Reactions ?:

I mean 1..7 being what I assume list(1..7) would produce

Funny you should mention this, since all yesterday, I grappled with the question, "How can I find the minimum of an array in MSR?" (Answer: Not easily at all!) Turns out the min() function only works on a list with 2 elements, not arrays of arbitrary length. In other words, min(1,2,3) yields 1 without a hitch, whereas min([1,2,3]) returns null (for good reason: There's no guarantee the argument will always be a 1-dimensional numeric array!). Same for max().

Which led me to the realization that there's no direct way in MSR to "convert" an array into a list. Seems your brain encountered the same type of mental collision while trying to work out your imported expression.

[toggledbits]

@librasun My notes in the code:

Guess it's time to get to work.

[LibraSun]

@cw-kid Just so you know, I have a "Color Cycler" rule that uses the [Entity Action] [Set Color RGB] action with this expression inside each field ("R", "G" and "B"):

${{ floor(random()*255) }}

which makes the associated light (a Hue bulb) adopt a perfectly random color. Just something you might consider trying.

[cw-kid]

Thanks I will try the "Color Cycler" in a brand new rule to test it out.

I haven't as yet looked at updating my current rule with the new expression to always guarantee a new random number that hasn't been repeated etc.

I will have a look over the weekend. Sure I will have questions.

Cheers

[cw-kid]

@elcid said in Expression to randomly run Global Reactions ?:

remove( 1..7, randomVal - 1)[floor(random()*6)]

I've just tried using this in my rule set, I added it as the expression for the rule. When I press the play button next to it, it seems to work and changes to different numbers between 1 to 7 etc.

However when I restart Reactor it says it cannot find the Global Expression named "randomVal".

So I then created it as a Global Expression, the error has now gone away, but I don't understand what this Global Expression is for?

Thanks

[Elcid]

That should be used in the reaction as image below

The expression global or normal is left blank. so every time your rule reaction runs it sets a new unique random number, ready for next time

[cw-kid]

@elcid

This look better now?

I have added the Set Variable in the Set Reaction and made the expression empty:

[cw-kid]

It looks to be working OK. Its changing the colours on the LED strip every 5 minutes currently. I'll leave it running for a while tonight.

Thanks.