SmartRules 2.0

SmartApps & Automations
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121

I’m watching the logs to see if the scheduling is working and I see this…
923f2987-16d1-48ae-804e-3ceb750350c9 ‎8‎:‎06‎:‎14‎ ‎AM: error java.lang.StringIndexOutOfBoundsException: String index out of range: -8 @ line 1261

923f2987-16d1-48ae-804e-3ceb750350c9 ‎8‎:‎06‎:‎14‎ ‎AM: info Checking ‘stays that way’ for rule ‘Auto Secure’

923f2987-16d1-48ae-804e-3ceb750350c9 ‎8‎:‎06‎:‎14‎ ‎AM: error java.lang.StringIndexOutOfBoundsException: String index out of range: -8 @ line 1261

923f2987-16d1-48ae-804e-3ceb750350c9 ‎8‎:‎06‎:‎14‎ ‎AM: info Checking ‘stays that way’ for rule ‘Auto Secure’

What does it mean?

122

Yup, that means that the update is not live yet. As far as I know, it should be going live today sometime.

Also, we’ve fixed the issue causing some conditions to evaluate incorrectly. This fix is also submitted to SmartThings.

1 Like
123

Ugh … still waiting on this update.

124

Me too :tired_face:

125

Will the update appear in the App Store as an updated App or does it just update automatically?
Are we still waiting?
@obycode

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126

We’re still waiting. It is just an update to the SmartApp running in the backend, so you will not need to do anything. I’ll post here when I confirm that it goes live. I think they got sidetracked with all of those security articles that came out.

127

Does SmartThings only have 10 employees? smh :confounded:

And SmartThings has known about the security issue and the planned publication date since December 2015, so they’ve had plenty of time to prepare a resolution plan (and even hire staff or consultants to deal with this particular extra workload).

2 Likes
128

Ok, so here’s the bad news. The update has been pushed back until next Tuesday. They tell me that they are working on an improved process to allow us to release more often, but for now, this is the best we’re going to get. I apologize for the inconvenience. As I said before, we’ve implemented a much more stringent testing process to help prevent the need urgent fixes in the future. That fix that will be released next Tuesday will also include the fix for conditions incorrectly evaluating as false and preventing a rule from running. This version solves all rule execution problems that we know about at this point.

129

Brice, what’s the status on the not being able to add rules because the app things we haven’t paid? I think there are others with this issue, right? Just checking because I would like to add some more rules but I’m stuck at the moment.

130

Can anyone help me understand the advantage of using the Apple Store for releasing a SmartThings SmartRules app? So instead of using the SmartThings mobile app that access a ST app you use a standalone app that talks to your ST hub? Am I understanding this right? Compared to just loading it like say the way we do SmartTiles today. I guess I don’t understand the hold up for getting for Android and what the advantages, disadvantages are to the enduser.

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131

There are characteristics specific to SmartRules that @obycode can summarize better than myself, but two non-technical reasons (i.e., business advantages to using the mobile Apple/Android App stores) are:

  1. Free / Cheap Exposure: SmartRules and Sharp Tools will almost certainly show up when a user searches for the “SmartThings App”. That occurs when every ST Customer installs their Hub, and often again for more mobiles and updates.

  2. An inherent method for requiring and processing payments (one time fee or subscriptions). :moneybag:

A super important note here: If SmartThings launches an “in-App store” (aka “paid Marketplace”) then Community Developers can get the two advantages above through ST… more or less.

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132

I like this point. The idea of being able to search and find all the apps easily. Right now it’s a chore to FIND an app whether you are in the mobile app or in IDE or in these forums.

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133

Unfortunately, this being my first paid smartapp has left a sour taste.

134

C[quote=“dalec, post:130, topic:46368, full:true”]
Can anyone help me understand the advantage of using the Apple Store for releasing a SmartThings SmartRules app? So instead of using the SmartThings mobile app that access a ST app you use a standalone app that talks to your ST hub? Am I understanding this right? Compared to just loading it like say the way we do SmartTiles today. I guess I don’t understand the hold up for getting for Android and what the advantages, disadvantages are to the enduser.
[/quote]

1.) it’s not written by smartthings
2.) it more user friendly
3.) it’s not written by smartthings
4.) in theory it works better, minus this coding error which we have been assured will not happen again

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135

I’m sure @obycode will have great test and QA procedures, but I’d never make this assertion on behalf of SmartTiles. Bugs happen… It’s the speed of resolution that is equally important.

It is extremely important to realize that the delay here is mostly due to SmartThings’s unstreamlined SmartApp update process. They have either insufficient resources or an inefficient work flow.

I’m posting in this Topic because I know SmartTiles will experience the same type of bug and delay sooner or later.

We Community Developers are doing the best we can to push for improvements (while minimizing emergency fix requests…), but it might take massive SmartThings Customer pressure to get them to move faster on this.

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136

Brice,

Before you mentioned adding a “When Dark/Light Outside” option. I think that would be helpful to speed up the rule creation process.

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137

The SmartRules iOS App doesn’t talk directly to your Hub.

It installs and writes parameters for the rules to its companion SmartApp that executes in the SmartThings Cloud like any other. Eventually such SmartApps may run locally in the Hub like Smart Lighting can, but the general architecture remains the same. SmartRules mobile App is just the graphic configuration and export / import side.

(SmartTiles V6 will split duties between front-end user interface and back-end SmartApp similarly).

2 Likes
138

This is true, and I am no way saying it won’t happen again, it happens in all code. The problem is, like you said, Smartthings speed of pushing the fixed application. I personally love SmartRules for its simplicity in design. I can live with flipping the lights on and off at a certain time manually until the fix gets pushed by SmartThings.

2 Likes
139

Still trying to figure out a way to handle that one. Yes, as far as I know, there is one other person with that problem.

140

@tgauchat and @urbantux gave some nice reasons already. Basically, the reason for setting the rules in an iOS app is so that we could make it look nice and do exactly what we wanted it to do. When working completely within SmartThings, in a SmartApp, the user interface options are extremely limited and made it impossible to create an intuitive interface. We wanted to make something that users of any technical level could understand and use.

Going forward, we’ll also be taking advantage of other unique features that we have access to as a standalone app that a SmartApp couldn’t do, with things like custom push notifications, access to various data from the device, etc.

It’s not available on Android yet because we haven’t had the manpower to complete that work yet. It is in progress, though we lost our developer who was focused on that. I know a lot of folks are eagerly waiting for this.

1 Like