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Help Exit Task for Tasker...Do I really need it?

Mikestony

~30% Carbon Black ±
So I've decided to play around with this Tasker app and boy is there a learning curve!
But I like a challenge like this. :)

Anyway, quite possibly an easy question to answer for some of you familiar with the app, but do I really need an Exit Task?

For example, a simple time based task.....
I set all my volume levels to a determined level ---the task.

I added a profile to run that task starting at 22:01 to 05:30 every day of the week.

Now, I did not specify an exit task. When that task is completed at 05:30, will it revert my sound levels to where they were before the task was run?
I get conflicting answers when searching the Tasker wiki and video's I've looked at.

Unless I'm misunderstanding what exactly an Exit Task is really for?
 
For that exact scenario I have an exit task. It doesn't reset, the volume will stay at whatever your last task set them to. Make another task for the 'regular' volume and set is as the exit task.
 
Only if you need one. I have one that simply says if the phone is ringing set volume to 4. That way if I accidentally hit the volume it doesn't affect the ringer really. No exit task needed. Then i have one for night that cranks the volume, that has an exit task to set it back to 4 so it's not cranked all the time. Then the other kicks in if I accidentally change it. Lol. I have one that cranks the media volume when it connects to BT, no exit on that because I just adjust YouTube or whatever later, per app/need. But when I get in the car it gets turned up again. I also have one that sets notification to vibrate only at night, that has an exit task as well.

Edit: the reason for the exit on the night ringer volume is because the daytime also handles it if i do set it to vibrate, it bypasses the set it to 4 part. I couldn't get it to work all the time without the exit task for some reason.
 
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You do not always need an Exit task. You sometimes REALLY need an exit task.

The key to learning Tasker is to "noble away at it". In this case ... run your profile/task and after it reaches the endpoint check the volume levels. Were they reset? If not, provide an exit task. In your case check the volume lever at 05:31.

... Thom
 
Thanks guys!
I am slowly "nobling away at it" :p and it seems the more tasker can do, the less I would need other apps to perform the same tasks. :)

This morning, it seems that when the profile was done running its course, my volume levels did return to "pre-task" levels.

@Clementine_3 , after any of your profiles/tasks run, do they revert back if you don't have an exit task?
 
Ya know, I'm not great at Tasker so may not have it set up right anyway. Just saying.

When I first started using it I wanted a few things to happen for calls:
Daytime - if I had the ringer off/vibrate on and got a call, vibrate
- if the ringer was on (any level other than 0) ring at level 4
Night - no matter what, ring at a louder level than normal
- set media volume (notifications) to vibrate

That all works, but I do have an exit for night, the notification did not un-vibrate without it but the ringer volume was OK since it just went to the daytime task (which does not control media volume). I think I didn't do it right so had to add the exit task but I've actually messed around with it and could probably get rid of it now. hmmm. Or maybe not. o_O

The only other tasks I have are to turn the display off after 7 seconds if the phone is face down (no exit task needed) and to turn the media volume up in the car. I don't have an exit task for that because it's OK if it stays loud. I actually may try to do one to keep the media volume up all day since that is the notification sound volume as well. hmmmm. See, I'm sure there is a way to make sure the media volume is always maxed even after I turn it down to watch a video but yeah, that is beyond my current Tasker pay grade. LOL

So, to answer your question, the only thing that I would notice not going back to what I had it at prior to the task running is media volume for notifications and it does not re-set unless I have an end task.
 
The behavior can vary from one device model to another. The only way you can tell for sure is to test it on the model you are using.

When a new release of he system comes out on the same device there can be problems introduced into Tasker that take a while before they are corrected (it is a one man project).

Volume control behaviors changed a little in Android 5.5 and a lot in Android 6.0. Again the only way to tell if it is doing what you want is to test it in the environment you will be using.

For a profile ... run the en tasks in the profile to check that they operate correctly and when that is assured run it as a profile and get the triggering done correctly.

I spent a great deal of time developing an app using Tasker and app factory. To quiet it saves all 7 volume levels, sets 4 of them to 0, and when done restores all 7 from what was saved. This assures that it is reset to where it started even if it was manually changed while silenced. I was looking for a solution that was consistent across devices running 4, 5, and 6.

The order that you set the volumes to 0 is important. You should set the System volume first as it sets some of the others.

... Thom
 
I follow ya :)
I did find this (albeit 4 years old) about the settings reverting to pre-enter task:
http://tasker.wikidot.com/userguide-en:settings
Empasis mine
What's A Setting ?
Settings are actions like Display Brightness and Ringer Volume whose effects are reversed by Tasker when the profile(s) which applied them are no longer active.

Settings have a cog icon next to them. Normal actions have a lightning bolt.

Single Profile
When a setting is applied by the profile's Enter Task, its value is restored after the profile becomes inactive again. For example, if the ringer volume is at 7 and is set to 0 in the Enter Task, when the profile becomes inactive it is automatically set back to 7.

In other words, settings are only valid for the lifetime of their profiles.

Multiple Profiles...... snipped by mikestony

so, that being said, I would surmise that not ALL tasks I create are reversed, but some actions are. Hence @Thom 's recommendation to test the tasks that I create.

Also, hence @Clementine_3 's experience, not all tasks will revert, correct?
 
One that I learned the hard way ...when you update a profile, task. or scene ... before you test it ... go to the highs level in the Tasker structure and do an Exit. When prompted do a Save First. Reload Tasker and run the test.

This is the only way to guarantee that all aspects of your profile/task/scene have been updated everywhere.

If you don't do this some element may not get updated and you will spend hours or days chasing your tail and never getting it resolved.

Update ... top level ... Exit ... Save First.

(You owe me a beer.)

... Thom
 
One that I learned the hard way ...when you update a profile, task. or scene ... before you test it ... go to the highs level in the Tasker structure and do an Exit. When prompted do a Save First. Reload Tasker and run the test.

This is the only way to guarantee that all aspects of your profile/task/scene have been updated everywhere.

If you don't do this some element may not get updated and you will spend hours or days chasing your tail and never getting it resolved.

Update ... top level ... Exit ... Save First.

(You owe me a beer.)

... Thom
Not sure what you mean by the highest/top level and do an Exit :confused:
No beer for you .....yet :p
 
Keep tapping the Tasker icon in upper left until a lust of Profiles, Tasks, or Scenes is listed. (Top Level)
Tap the three dots
Tap Exit
Tap Save First

(Sam Adams Lager)

... Thom
 
Keep tapping the Tasker icon in upper left until a lust of Profiles, Tasks, or Scenes is listed. (Top Level)
Tap the three dots
Tap Exit
Tap Save First

(Sam Adams Lager)

... Thom
Tapping the icon does nothing but, I did see the 3-dot menu, and after creating a test profile I chose exit, was prompted to save and then exit. So, I understand now :)

626e6d72a7dfe03020b3307f1f273c28.png
 
I used Tasker for a little over a yea before I discovered this one ...

The only thing that I found annoying about Tasker was remembering which group some action was housed in. I remembered the action name but constantly went searching for the group so I could select it. Yes this went on for a year.

On a number of screens with groups there is a line at the bottom of the screen and the word Filter. I thought it was a decoration.

If you select that line you can then slowly type the name of an action and it will display the actions with that string in its name.

When the one you want is displayed ... tap on it.

(Yes that is Sam Adams Lager [the seasonal brews do not compare].)

... Thom
 
This is an excellent start.

In Tasker-ese Settings have a cog and are reset. Normal Actions have a lightning bolt and are not.

While in a Task go to the three dots and use Icons to toggle the display of these.

This is an excellent starting point.
The sound controls went haywire with 5.5 and 6.0 and may not always be precisely correct.
The Settings interact with each other and something g that is respored might become unrestored due to another setting.

Bottom line ... test it.

... Thom
 
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Real quick question and yes I'm changing the subject but,
When I set a profile Event, yes Event (such as Phone Ringing) and assign a looping task to it (such as using the Torch for an Alert). Will the task (again, a looping task) stop once the phone stops ringing, hence ending the profile (because the device stopped ringing) ??



Edit: yeah, forget it, I just tested it....it doesn't quit :(
 
Tasker is a one-man-development (rather brilliant in my opinion). It evolves over time. It is not perfect. Testing is the only real approach that can address it.

... Thom
 
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