Rule retriggers ignoring boolean in required expression

[johnwill1]

This rule was working but has started acting strange:

Once the rule triggers, the first action is to set the boolean that is in the required expression to false. the log shows it does this, but then it triggers again even though the required expression is no longer met as shown in the logs:

Any ideas?

[672southmain]

Is washingCompleteBool a local variable or, instead, a Hub (f/k/a global) variable? If not a local variable, is it in use by any other rule that might modify it?

I see that you are doing Run Actions of “Notification - Enable”. Is it possible that you have some rule doing Run Actions of “Notification - Washing Complete” (i.e., this rule you showed)?

A Required Expression doesn’t prohibit a Run Actions from running the rule; it only prevents triggering the rule.

[terminal3]

I think in the logs after the Boolean is set to False there should be a message saying expression now false, or something to that effect. So it doesn't seem to be setting the required expression false. Perhaps as @672southmain mentions try with a different type variable. If it's a global variable it should be working as I do this type of thing in many rules. If it is local that may be the issue. You can also try the private Boolean.

[johnwill1]

@672southmain

Is washingCompleteBool a local variable or, instead, a Hub (f/k/a global) variable? If not a local variable, is it in use by any other rule that might modify it

It's a local variable. Initially I was using a private boolean but changed it.

@672southmain

I see that you are doing Run Actions of “Notification - Enable”. Is it possible that you have some rule doing Run Actions of “Notification - Washing Complete” (i.e., this rule you showed)?

No "Notification - Enable" is the only rule I have that's actions are triggered by another rule. Nothing else is set to run the actions of this one, so the required expression should've stopped the rule triggering again.

[johnwill1]

@terminal3

If it's a global variable it should be working as I do this type of thing in many rules. If it is local that may be the issue. You can also try the private Boolean.

Yeah I was using private Boolean but I had a few issues and needed to flip it manually (rather than create another rule to reset it). I used local rather than global as I found it helpful that its status was visible in the rule itself. If something gets out of whack I can flip it there rather than going into settings, hub variables and looking through the list.

[pseudonym]

@johnwill1

It's a local variable. Initially I was using a private boolean but changed it.

Local variable won't work for required expression

RM 5.1 Local Variable in Required Expression

Local variables won't work for this purpose. Hub variables would, as does Private Boolean (treated as special case). A local variable cannot be 'subscribed' to, so it changing value does not cause the re-evaluation of the Required Expression. While it would be possible to disallow local variables in Required Expressions, they can be used for other purposes successfully, just not for the primary purpose of triggering re-evaluation.

[johnwill1]

Thanks for that @pseudonym - I wasn't aware. I'll either change it back to a private Boolean or a hub variable.

[672southmain]

@pseudonym

Local variable won't work for required expression

I had forgotten about this, too. Good catch.

Perhaps it’s just my advanced age, but I believe that this point ought to be documented without having to recall some obscure post made in passing that you youngsters, with perfect recall, can find.

I couldn’t find it in the hidden Rule 5.1 docs whose link was posted by Robert Morris (@bertabcd1234) about a month ago in the following post, which documents Required Expressions:

Question about rule machine repeat

I'm not sure I see a problem with the docs, assuming you mean these: Rule-5.0 - Hubitat Documentation They say: Portions of, or all of the script of an Action [sic.] can be repeated periodically, but you must specify the time interval for the repetition. (first sentence in the page anchor link I provided above) However, I see where the examples don't exactly show this, but they're more of a pseudo-action in that none of the options you need for a repeat are provided. Perhaps that could be …

and I couldn’t find any mention of this limitation in the documentation on Local Variables, either.

Perhaps it’s just me, but it seems that either there should be a warning if Local Variables are used in a Required Expression, or else it should be prohibited. Yes, I saw Bruce’s (@bravenel’s) remark, in the post that Steve (@pseudonym) linked above, that they worked for some purposes, and thus weren’t prohibited in Required Expressions.

[bertabcd1234]

The Rule 5.1 docs are still a work in progress, both in terms of getting created in the first place and getting updated for 2.3.1 (which is why they are intentionally hard to find now, though feedback is still welcome ). However, I have added a note about the caveat with local variables in required expressions to these docs. Thanks!