What ever happended to using local variables in rm 5.1 from a dashboard

kahn-hubitat · February 13, 2025, 4:54am

I have some legacy dashboards and just added a new one..

my use case is setting the charge limit or temp for my tesla from a dashboard.

previously i used rm connectors and when you change the number on the dashboard a rule fires based on this and it gets passed through.

i dont see a way to do this without connectors using local variables in rule machine 5.1 ..

what am i missing..

thanks

Screenshot 2025-02-12 235823

@bravenel

bertabcd1234 · February 13, 2025, 5:34am

Local variables in Rule 5.x are, by definition, particular to the rule in which they were created. If you want it exposed outside the rule, whether to a Dashboard or any other app, you'll need a hub variable instead. (Also note that no connector is needed to use hub variables with Hubitat Dashboard, though that workaround was required before the direct-use feature was added. For an additional historical note, Rule 5.x does not offer the creation of connectors for local variables -- or connectors at all since hub variables is now a platform-level feature -- so a hub variable is what you'll need, all of these things being interrelated changes introduced around the same time.)

kahn-hubitat · February 13, 2025, 2:33pm

thank you just did a test and it worked.. the prior discussion is confusing as it said connectors are going away and you are wrong above.. there is a connector function under hub variables and it is needed if you want to have the variable on a dashboard like above and have a 5.1 rm rule called when the variable changes

ie

bertabcd1234 · February 13, 2025, 2:36pm

No, I am correct, and it seems you misunderstand:

I never said hub variable connectors do not exist, just that you do not need them for this purpose (or most anymore; they were considered for deprecation at one point -- I did say that variable connectors are not able to be created from Rule Machine anymore, which is true given that "global variables" have been moved out to the Hub Variables feature and that. as mentioned, local variables no longer offer this feature); and
You do not need a connector to use them with Hubitat Dashboard, the app I mentioned above (Easy Dashboard is different for now but is not the one in your screenshot). This is done by creating a tile of type "Variable" rather than "Device."

kahn-hubitat · February 13, 2025, 2:47pm

without it being a connector it does not show up as a variable to add to the legacy dashboard

kahn-hubitat · February 13, 2025, 2:49pm

found it i stand corrected thanks.. never saw the pulldown on legacy dahsboards for type = variable or device.. never used it..

thanks again.