Announcing version 2.0.8 of Ask Alexa
Lambda code updated to 1.1.7
Utterance file has been updated with 3 minor updates.
This is a minor version number change, with the smartapp, Lambda code and utterance file needing to be updated. It is always recommended that you update your slots to ensure you are capturing all of the available variables used within Ask Alexa.
YOU MUST install both the smartapp and the Lambda code for this upgrade to be successful!
Please note that this is a single SmartApp; it no longer has a parent/child code base.
The only issue encountered so far with this unified code is on Android mobile apps. If you are editing a macro, clicking āDoneā will take you back to the mobile app and NOT the main Ask Alexa menu. This is NOT Ask Alexa related, but the mobile app itself; iOS does NOT appear to be affected by this. Either way, a ticket has been opened with SmartThing to address this. If you find this issue annoying, please open a ticket with SmartThings as well to increase visibility.
Other additions to this new version include:
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Bug Fixes-This version focuses on some errors discovered with thermostats, high/low and maximum value conflicts. These should be resolved now. Added the maximum command for speakers as well.
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Tide Report - Compliments once again of @storageanarchy. Ask Alexa is becoming quite the use case for Weather Underground integration!
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Window Shades - Added the windowShade control to devices and macros. To use this function, you will need to update your Amazon Developer slots to recognize the new device types.
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Lambda Code-Completely reorganized the Lambda code. In certain situations, there should be a speed up in responses and in others there may be a momentary delay in responses. This was necessary to structure the software for an upcoming feature, personalities. It is recommended that you set your Lambda timeout to 10 seconds to accommodate the new feature forthcoming. There is one less variable to transfer to the Lambda code from the setupā¦be sure you copy the latest version of the variables.
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Utterance file -Added three new utterances. Optional to install, but recommended. Allows for thermostat commands to be spoken more naturally.
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Additional Command-Minimum Added a minimum command for thermostats that have the value set up in the settings. Works like the maximum command. If you wish to use this new command, be sure to update your List_of_Operations slot in the Amazon Developer site.
Installation
If you are using 2.0.0+, you simply need to update the SmartApp. Again, because of the changes it is advised to run through the entire setup to capture everything.
For those wishing to re-install, the instructions on the wiki have been updated:
The wiki for this app is here: http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=Ask_Alexa
As always, you should also update your custom slots on the Amazon developer site when you have the app running. Nothing SHOULD change but it never hurts to refresh these every once in awhile.
Support
All of you have been great in asking very relevant questions and making suggestions that I end up using. Here are some helpful tips on usage and support:
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The Echo, as it is designed currently, cannot react to switches opening or other actions within SmartThings. She will do things for you, but only at your direction and at the time of the request. The delay timer mentioned in the control macro happens at the SmartThings hub, not within the Amazon Alexa control.
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When evaluating new features I will typically ask for a valid use case. If it can be used by others to bring them value I will put it on my list of future revisions. Not all suggestions will be used and many times I add aspects of the request.
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There are no dumb questions, but many of the questions you may have were probably answered in the past few months since the initial release. Please take some time to go through the forum and the wiki if you have issues. And donāt be offended if I give you the specific area of the manual that answers your question. I have spent almost as much time on the documentation as I have on the app. Finally, there are some big fans of Ask Alexa that know almost as much as I do. They can also help.
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Feel free to send me forks of utterances or even code revisions. As mentioned above, if it adds value to the overall program I will try to include it. This also goes for the wiki documentationā¦while I have spent about 80+ hours creating that document, I am open to it being improved; I know there are grammatical errors or syntax issuesā¦If you find them, fix themā¦I will include your name (if I can) in any fixes submitted.
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If you find a bug or a consistent crash please help me track it down by giving me repeatable steps to reproduce it. A non-reproducible bug, many times, indicates other areas that may be at fault besides the app. If you watch the live logging and see a red error with a line number, that is very helpful to me! However, I will need a full screenshot and not a copy/paste of the text. But be careful about revealing your OAuth and AppToken in your public posts. People can control you house with that information. May want to blur that out.
Revisions are getting less and less as I mature this product. And with the code base now unified, I expect less and less additionsā¦especially as we integrate CoRE more to do some of the heavy lifting of larger condition-base automationsā¦ Any and all suggestions are still on the table for addition.
As always, I appreciate any public accolades or even donation to my PayPal account: https://www.paypal.me/mstruck . And, if you are so inclined, I also will accept bitcoins (or fractions thereof) if you have any laying around. My wallet ID is: 1CMgaiKgBfojTBCLpHLfa9KvcrW3cNxVpm
Enjoy.
