diff --git a/source/_posts/2024-01-03-release-20241.markdown b/source/_posts/2024-01-03-release-20241.markdown index e6655478783..77526352333 100644 --- a/source/_posts/2024-01-03-release-20241.markdown +++ b/source/_posts/2024-01-03-release-20241.markdown @@ -37,6 +37,12 @@ Enjoy the release! - [Automation editor improvements](#automation-editor-improvements) + - [Improved empty automations dashboard](#improved-empty-automations-dashboard) + - [Guidance when creating a new automation](#guidance-when-creating-a-new-automation) + - [Building blocks](#building-blocks) + - [Improved trigger, condition \& action buttons](#improved-trigger-condition--action-buttons) + - [Unified actions](#unified-actions) +- [Description \& due support for to-do list items](#description--due-support-for-to-do-list-items) - [New entity type: Valve](#new-entity-type-valve) - [Swappable](#swappable) - [New card features](#new-card-features) @@ -54,44 +60,109 @@ Don't forget to [join our release party live stream on YouTube](https://www.yout ## Automation editor improvements -The automation editor got some love this release, with a lot of small -improvements to make it easier to use. +The automation editor got some love for this release, with many small +improvements to make it easier for both new and long-time users. -If you start out with Home Assistant, visiting your automations page would -result in an empty page. This is not very helpful if you see this for the first -time. +As there are many small improvements, let’s go over them individually. -Instead, you are now greeted by the little automation robot that shows -an explanation of what automations are, and references to the documentation -that can help you get started. +PS: One quick note: all changes are UI changes, meaning that these changes +do not affect the underlying automation configuration. All your existing +automations will continue to work as they did before. -_TODO: Add screenshot_ +### Improved empty automations dashboard -Once you start create a new integration, you will be greeted by some new -terminology and description to help you understand what each section is about. +If you start with Home Assistant, visiting the automations dashboard would +result in an empty page. That is not very helpful if you see this for the +first time. So, we’ve improved that! -Temporary images that needs to be replaced. +You are now greeted by the little automation robot that explains what an +automation is and references to the documentation that can help you get started. -Don't worry, we'll hide the help text once you added elements to the section. -The bigger change can be found in the buttons to add a trigger, condition or -action to your automation. +Screenshot showing an empty automations dashboard, explaining what automations are. -The first thing to notice, is that the conditions and actions have a new -button next to them: "Add building block". Click this allows you to -add logical elements to your automation, like "and", "or", "If", "choose", etc. +A small but effective improvement to help new users get started. We have also +applied this same improvement to the scripts and scenes dashboards. -These used to be mixed in with the conditions and actions, but now have their -own dedicated button. This makes it easier to find them, and declutters the +### Guidance when creating a new automation + +When starting a new automation from scratch, you used to be greeted by some, +possibly, new terminology and almost a blank page with some buttons to +add triggers, conditions or actions. As a new user, this immediately imposes +a challenge: what do I need to do? + +You guessed it: We have slightly improved that. We have changed the big headers +to be more descriptive and less technical. We have also added some help text to +explain each section, including examples of what they can be used for. + +Screenshot showing descriptions on what each section in an automation is and can be used for. + +Don’t worry; we’ll hide the explanation once you add elements to the sections +to keep the overview of existing automations as clean as possible. + +### Building blocks + +You might have noticed in the screenshots above the conditions and actions have +a new button next to them: **+ Add building block**. + +Selecting these new buttons allows you to add logical elements to your +automation or scripts, like **And**, **Or**, **If-then**, **Choose**, etc. + +These used to be mixed in with the conditions and actions but now have their +own dedicated button. It makes it easier to find them and declutters the list of conditions and actions. -_TODO: Add screenshot_ +Screenshot showing the new dialog that allows you to add logical building blocks to automations. -All these buttons, used to give a dropdown that allowed you to select the -type of trigger, condition or action you wanted to add. This dropdown has -been replaced by a new dialog, including descriptions for each item and search. +Notice how this now opens up a dialog? A dialog gives us more space to describe +what each building block does and room for a search box to find the one you need. -These descriptions are important, as they help you understand what the -trigger, condition or action does, and what it is used for. +### Improved trigger, condition & action buttons + +The bigger change can be found in the buttons to add a trigger, conditions, +or actions to your automation. This change was not just aimed at new users +but also long-time users. + +All these buttons are used to give a dropdown that allows you to select the +type of trigger, condition, or action you want to add. This dropdown has been +replaced by a new dialog similar to the one we just saw for the building blocks. + +Like the building block, it describes what each trigger, condition, +or action does. These descriptions are important, as they help you understand +what they do. + +Screenshot showing the new add trigger dialog, which displayed the most common triggers first. + +If you add an element, we will first show you the most used +triggers/conditions/actions by our community. We now have all others neatly +grouped. For actions, we took it a step further and unified them with +service calls. + +### Unified actions + +If you have been using Home Assistant for a while, you are probably familiar +with the “service call”-an action that you can add to your automation. But, +honestly, what is a “service call”? It is a bit of a technical term that is +especially confusing for newer users. But honestly, you just want to turn on +a light, right? + +This release unifies those “service calls” with all other actions, meaning +there is no “service call” anymore; that layer has been refactored from the UI. +Instead, you add an action and select the action you want to take, for example, +turn on a light. + +Screenshot showing the new add action dialog, which now shows all possible actions, including services. + +This means that if you add an action, you see all actions (including all +service calls), categorized, with description, and searchable! Being able +to search through all available actions is a huge improvement. + +Screenshot showing the new add action dialog utilizing the search function to find whatever you need. + +By default, just like with the triggers and conditions, we show you the most +used actions first and the actions for the entities you have on your system. +All others are neatly grouped by integration in the **Other actions** section. + +Screenshot showing the new add action dialog that neatly groups all other actions that integrations provide. _TODO: Add screenshot_