Global Function - well kind of, this works, but it is not perfect...

[Bamsefar 13]

So from time to another people like my self needs "global functions" - we are a bit tired/lazy of rewriting function codes all the time in all scripts and/or virtual devices.

 

Then some time ago I got the idea of using a VD (virtual device) as a "global function"-kind of solution. And today I got a bit bored so I tested it - and well it works. Not the perfect way or solution, however it is okay I guess... And if someone already figured this solution out, well sorry I just re-invented the wheel I guess

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For this test I decided to have a "Global Function" that controls my switches/dimmes. So I started with a VD, and added one key and three labels. The key is for executing the "global function", the labels are for "ReturnCode", "Arg1" and "Arg2". Arg1 is in this case the DeviceID I would like to control, and Arg2 is what I would like to do with this DeviceID. Now since I like to have only one function that covers both switch and dimming devices, I need some extra code. So let's start. Let's add the VD first:

 

 

And then we need the key's LUA code, and the label fields:

 

 

Since the above is screen copies, here is the LUA code in the key above:

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After this, all we need is for example a script that executes this "Global Function"-VD, and it look likes this:

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The above example turns off a lamp, and turns up to max another lamp, sleeps for 5 seconds, and then reverses the process. I added a 5 second sleep so that I had the time to verify that the lamps did what I ordered them to do

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Now let's look on a few things:

 

One needs to preset the Labels in the "Global Function"-VD, to have the right values, and also set the ReturnCode - now I can not set it in the VD, since the VD is fired in the background (multitasking) so I have to control this from the place I call this. Now that is okay for me. After the Labels has been set I simply push the button to "execute" the "Global Function"-VD.

 

This does work as intended.

 

With one limitation I guess, this is multitasking, and if a sceen fires this "Global Function" and then another does it at the same "time" - well I guess some sort of collision will happen, and well it will be "not nice" result I guess. One could of course add the extra code before the call to verify that the function is not executing or something, however I guess in the end well this is not a true global function - so it will never work perfectly - we will have to live with it until Fibaro let's us have true Global Functions.

 

Anyway it is a good experiment, and for some sort of applications/installations it may be enough and work just as intended - but be aware that there might be bumps on the road

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