Delay vs Wait

[cjrs27]

In HS2, a "delay" behaved differently than a "wait".

In HS3, I entered a "wait" time under an action, but it then shows up as a "delay" when the event is minimized as well as in the log when the event occurs.

In HS3, are a "delay" and a "wait" now the same thing or is this a bug?

[randy]

How about a screenshot? I am not seeing that behavior. You can delay a device action, but it is completely different than a "Wait". A delay is added to a device action, a "Wait" pauses execution of the remainder of the event for that period.

[cjrs27]

How about a screenshot? I am not seeing that behavior. You can delay a device action, but it is completely different than a "Wait". A delay is added to a device action, a "Wait" pauses execution of the remainder of the event for that period.

[ATTACH]58752[/ATTACH]

Hi Randy...

Great idea. Here is the screen grab.



These were all entered as "Wait" but when minimized or run they show as "Delay"

[randy]

Hi Randy...

Great idea. Here is the screen grab.

HomeSeer has several actions as well as conditions that read somewhat differently when expanded than they do collapsed. I don't know why they haven't fixed them. There have been a number of bug reports. Regardless, the way they read collapsed is generally correct.

What you are invoking is called a "Delayed Device Action": The function of that action is to automatically create a time triggered event that is stored in a group that HS creates called "Delayed Action". If you create an action to turn a light off after a delay of 15 minutes, HS will create an event that has a time trigger set for 15 minutes from the moment the event is triggered. The event will be stored in the Delayed Actions group. When the event runs in 15 minutes, it will turn the light off and the event will be deleted. If it is the last event in the Delayed Actions group the group will be deleted.

A Delayed event is handled in the same way.

There is another action I illustrated above called a "Wait". That action will pause the event at that point for the Wait time to elapse. No actions after that Wait will be processed until the Wait has elapsed. If there is a subsequent Wait in the same event, the processing will pause again.

Here is a dummy event expanded



and here it is collapsed



This event will do the following:

• Trigger at 9:00PM
• Turn the kitchen light off at 9:05PM - with a separate automatically created event set to trigger at 9:05PM. The event will delete itself when it runs.
• Then this event will pause for 5 minutes and nothing else will happen. Meanwhile the delayed action will still run at 9:05 and turn the light off.
• After the 5 minute wait, the event will create a delayed action to turn the light on at 9:15PM. Remember it is now 9:05 and there is a 10 minute delay on the action
• It is still 9:05PM and there is another wait of 14 minutes, so this event will pause for 14 minutes or until 9:19PM
• The delayed event created above will still run at 9:15, because it was initiated at 9:05 with a 10 minute delay. The light will turn on at 9:15, but the rest of the event is still paused for another 4 minutes. A Wait Action only affects subsequent actions in the event where it is invoked, it will not affect any other events.
• After the 14 minute wait the last action will run and turn the light off immediately at 9:19PM.

Clear as mud?

[Uncle Michael]

HomeSeer has several actions as well as conditions that read somewhat differently when expanded than they do collapsed. . . .Clear as mud?

I think you can make an even more general statement that word choice is confusing in many place in HS. On the other hand, expecting lexicographical rigor is probably unreasonable. I've resigned myself to just assigning some new meanings to words when they're used in the context of HS events.

[cjrs27]

Hi Randy...

Your detailed explanation was most helpful.

Even though the UI swapping of terms is indeed odd, knowing what is truly happening is the important part. Thank you.

[cjrs27]

Hi Mike...

Certainly agree with you.

[randy]

I think you can make an even more general statement that word choice is confusing in many place in HS. On the other hand, expecting lexicographical rigor is probably unreasonable. I've resigned myself to just assigning some new meanings to words when they're used in the context of HS events.

Now imagine how messed up I must be. I understood most of it very quickly.

[Uncle Michael]

Now imagine how messed up I must be. I understood most of it very quickly.

You've clearly drunk too much of the KoolAid.

[SpiderSense]

Randy, let me get this straight.
In your example, if you remove the 2 WAIT commands...

at 9pm, the LAST command gets executed and the light turns off.
then at 905pm, the first command runs and the light turns off.
then at 910pm, the middle command runs and the light turns on. (not 915pm since the delayed events were created at 9pm when all commands were kicked off)

also, i assume this is still valid with HS4?