178 lines
8.0 KiB
Markdown
178 lines
8.0 KiB
Markdown
---
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layout: documentation
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title: Rules Blockly - Before Using
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---
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<!-- markdownlint-disable MD036 -->
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# Before using blockly in openHAB
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[return to Blockly Reference](index.html#before-using-blockly)
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## Preface
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Blocklies are an easy entry to the world of writing rules.
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However, after some times, you end up writing more and more complex rules, so more sooner than later you will encounter some challenges.
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This section intends to provide some hints to get started and how to deals with those challenges.
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Please read them carefully before asking questions in the forum.
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[[toc]]
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## **openHAB Configuration Files**
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Some openHAB blocks rely on particular configuration files found in the openHAB configuration folder.
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This folder is referred to as $OPENHAB\_CONF in this page, and the location of this folder for your setup can be found via the UI: _Help & About_ -> _Technical Information_ -> _Configuration folder_.
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- via mounting the files shares from the server to your client-PC.
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In the main UI as an admin you can go to _Help & About_ and will have the different folder locations under _Technical information_.
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- the exact configuration of the shares can be found on your server at [/etc/samba/smb.conf](https://github.com/openhab/openhabian/blob/main/includes/smb.conf).
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- Use the share _openHAB_-conf when mounting it from Windows or macOS
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**Link the openHAB share in Windows**
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- Find you openHAB-Server via the network share functionality
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- User the share _openHAB_-conf to assign it to a network drive
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**Link the openHAB share in macOS**
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- Finder -> Go -> Connect to Server
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- Enter the username and server name to connect to the openHAB Server
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- then choose the folder you want to mount
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**Finding it on Linux**
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- Access the folder directly on the openHAB server at _/etc/openhab_
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All methods reveal the following folders
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- html
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- icons
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- items
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- services
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- html
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- persistence
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- rules
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- scripts
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- sitemaps
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- sounds
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- things
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- transform
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## Creating a blockly rule via the UI
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Also view  [Creating a Blockly Rule](https://youtu.be/EdllUlJ7p6k?t=429)
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- go to Settings -> Rules
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- press  on bottom right
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- enter a unique id and rule name for your new blockly rule
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- Under "When" click on "Add Trigger" to define a trigger for the rule (you may add multiple triggers which are perceived as any of those triggers may occurs which stands for an OR combination of the triggers)
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- choose a title for the rule
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- choose "item" (or something else) that should trigger the rule
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- select the item from your model and the click PICK on the upper right corner
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- choose "received a command", "was updated" or "changed"
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- Under "Then" click on "Add Action"
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- choose 
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- click on  und you should now see this screen
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- you can now click the  to access all openHAB Blocks.
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- Drag and Drop the blocks to the white area
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- Press `Ctrl-s` (Windows) or `Command-s` (macOS) to save your rule
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- Press `Ctrl-r` (Windows) or `Command-r` (macOS) to directly run your rule with the trigger
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- Press `Ctrl-d` (Windows) or `Command-d` (macOS) to disable / enable your rule.
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See the following video on  [How to disable Rules](https://youtu.be/hSRfooBKn9A?t=1668)
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- **Click on**  **on the lower right of the bottom toolbar to see the generated code** and will transition to (click again to come back to the blocks).
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More about the topic of code generation can be viewed at  [Blockly as an ECMA-Script code generator](https://youtu.be/EdllUlJ7p6k?t=1739)
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### Panning and Zooming
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You can move around Blockly's workspace by clicking and dragging on the empty space, or by using two fingers on a touch screen or a trackpad.
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Zooming can be done using either of these methods:
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- By pinching or stretching on a touch screen or a trackpad.
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- By holding <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> while dragging or moving with two fingers on the touch screen or trackpad.
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- With the on-screen controls:
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### Context Menu
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A context menu is available when right-clicking on a block.
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Right-clicking on an empty area in the workspace will pop up a slightly different context menu.
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In particular, `Clean up Blocks` will automatically move and arrange your blocks neatly.
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### Selecting Blocks
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Click on a block to select it.
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You can select multiple blocks by holding the <kbd>Shift</kbd> key while clicking on other blocks.
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Alternatively, hold down the <kbd>Shift</kbd> key, click on an empty area and start dragging to select the blocks within the selection rectangle.
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Child blocks are automatically selected when their parent is selected.
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Once selected, the blocks can be copied, duplicated, deleted, or moved around.
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### Copying & Pasting
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Copy-pasting can be used as a quick way to duplicate a set of blocks within the same script.
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You can also copy a set of blocks into your clipboard, and paste them into another script.
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### Other Operations
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- **Duplicate**: Clones the block
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- **Add comment**: Adds a comment to the block
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- **Inline Inputs** / External inputs: Switches between horizontal or vertical alignment of inputs
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Inline:
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External:
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- **Collapse (expand) block**: Shrinks the block to get a better overview
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Normal block view:
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Collapsed view:
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- **Disable (enable) block**: Disables the block, so no code is generated and its functionality switched off
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- **Delete**: delete the blocks (this can be reverted via Command/Ctrl-Z)
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### Searching the workspace
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Sometimes blockly rules become pretty big, and it is hard to find particular blocks in the rule.
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Therefore, a search functionality has been provided by pressing Cmd/Ctrl-F which opens a small search window in the top right (just below the "save"-label).
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After pressing _Enter_ all found blocks that contain the search term are marked in black.
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## Use Frontail for viewing log files
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During development the log-block is lot very often which writes information into the log files.
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- To be able to conveniently view your log files it is recommended to setup _frontail_ which can be achieved easily via [openhabian-config](https://www.openhab.org/docs/installation/openhabian.html#optional-components)
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- Start `openhabian-config` on your server and choose option 20 and then option 21
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- After installation you can view your logs under [openhabian-config](http://myopenhab-server:9001) (adapt the server name)
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- **see [how to log](https://www.openhab.org/docs/administration/logging.html)**
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More on that topic can be viewed at  [Logging](https://youtu.be/EdllUlJ7p6k?t=670)
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## Show an item status watch list besides the blockly rules
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In the developer section there is the possibility to add a sidebar to the blockly rules development workspace that allows to watch live status of an item.
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View the chapter  [Debugging Rules with openHAB Developer Tools to watch Item-Status](https://youtu.be/EdllUlJ7p6k?t=325) for more information
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## Return to Blockly Reference
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[return to Blockly Reference](index.html#before-using-blockly)
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