[RELEASE] Useless SmartApp

SmartApps & Automations Community Created SmartApps
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Last night, I couldn’t get to sleep so I decided to write a SmartApp. This SmartApp is based on “The Useless Box”. A device that when a switch is turned on, an arm will pop out and turn off the switch.

800×600 25.3 KB

This SmartApp will turn off a switch when it’s turned on, after a delay (Default 2 seconds).

Github Installation (recommended, easier to update):
For easier updating, add the GitHub repository in your IDE account:

  • Owner: ajpri
  • Name: UselessSmartApp
  • Branch: master

Installation:

  1. Go the the “My SmartApps” section of the IDE.
  2. Click “New SmartApp”
  3. Click “From Code" and paste in the code from the GitHub link. Click Create.
  4. Click Publish > For Me.
  5. The SmartApp is ready for use! It’ll be in the “My Apps” Section of the App.

Please read!:
I’m a senior in High School. Automating my house has been a passion of mine for awhile now. Everything I’ve automated was paid for with my part-time job. Please donate with the link below. Every little bit helps!
PayPal.Me

12 Likes
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I was a bit confused until I just watched a You tube video on this. LMAO

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This is awesome!! I love those boxes!

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Too bad you didn’t release this prior to April 1st; would have been an awesome April Fools day prank at my house!

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I know! Would have been great! Don’t worry, there’s next year.

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Lol. At first I thought you actually connected a useless box. Here is a good one

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Wow, what a useless app! Lol

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[WITHDRAWN] Useless Smartapp…lol

C’mon…you know you want to!

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lol, no. Although, That would be a great project. Trigger the useless box from SmartThings. I have a ThingShield and will take a look into that.

That actually got me thinking. It could actually be useful. Keep X device on for only Y Time. Although, there’s already a published SmartApp for that (Power Allowance). This just allows it to only be on for a short period (seconds).

While that would be funny, I am a big fan of contribution. I’ll only pull code if it’s literally useless with little to no hope. Even then, I’ll still find a way.

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This can be easily done with Smart Lighting rule. There’s really no need to write an app, so yep, it’s indeed useless. :slight_smile:

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Dude, he is a high schooler, applaud his spirit, don’t crush it! @ajpri keep on rocking, you have a bright future ahead and don’t take harsh criticism at heart. Life is full of surprises, some good some not so good. Look forward seeing other projects you may be working on in the future. Great work!

3 Likes
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Even more so, the first most important lesson he must learn is not to do useless work. Problem solving is more valuable than programming skills. :wink:

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Smart Lighting, while awesome, doesn’t allow a user-definable delay.

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Yeah, so you want him to run before he knows how to walk…

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Sorry, @SBDOBRESCU, I don’t think the guy needs your patronage. He wrote his first device type six month ago, so he’s not a :baby:

Btw, @ajpri, congrats on your 6 month anyversary as ST developer. :slight_smile:

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Okay…I’ll bite.

Prove that his app doesn’t have an application…or are you just assuming it doesn’t because you can’t think of one?

Just because Rule Machine can do this doesn’t mean someone wants to use an over complicated app for a simple solution (by comparison).

Besides, he could be tomorrow’s Bruce serving up a plate of Crow with a side of Humble Pie.

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I never said it doesn’t have an application, I said the same effect can be easily achieved using Smart Ligting (not Rule Machine, btw). But @ajpri is right, Smart Lighting does not allow you to set a delay, so I stand corrected. :slight_smile:

Damn, now you gave me one more reason to hate Smart Lighting. :slight_smile:

1 Like
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Made me laugh!!!

It was a huge leap ahead compared to what we had before it and B.R.M. (before Rule Machine - kinda like nerd B.C. lol)

…but it did seem awfully buggy didn’t it?

I had never seen a useless box before…cracks me up!

You know one thing that came to mind was wait until someone figures out how to hack someones HA and installs something like this code on all their lights…how’s the WAF now!

2 Likes
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To address a few things said:
     This SmartApp wasn’t designed to do anything. I believe there’s 2 types of programming: Problem-solving and fun. I’ll go ahead and say that this week hasn’t been the best week - a few SmartApps I’m best inspired by were withdrawn. I wanted to make it better by having a little fun on the community. The idea for this SmartApp came after a late-evening discussion on the Slack community about April Fool’s nonsense. I couldn’t sleep and coded it in less than 5 minutes. Decided to publish it the next morning.
     It is true that I’m probably one of the youngest involved on the Community. I have decided to pursue a career in the Internet of Things. It’s really awesome that Sci-Fi is becoming a reality. I agree that it is great that I’m young and already working hard, however there are a few downsides. I haven’t been too active since I have to balance a busy school day, a part-time job, and just being a teenager.
     My personal Smart Home efforts have been 100% on me. Everything I currently own was selected and paid for by me. I just tell my parents to use what I set up. Admittingly, I don’t have the best paying part-time job. However, in everything I do, I have passion. Home Automation, work, school, you name it - I’m passionate.
     I have learned quite a bit and am still withholding some of my bigger projects until I can get them perfected to where I feel confident releasing them to the community. I won’t release something until I ensure it’s working properly. I read every bit of feedback and I truly care. I have many ideas on how to change the world and can’t wait to see what the future holds.

4 Likes