Tasker Tips

[Thom]

Tasker is a great facility ... it is not perfect ... this thread will attempt to capture those imperfections that are on their way to being fixed.

Please add Tips to this thread that you think other Tasker users would find useful.

... Thom

 

[Thom]

Modify Task​

When an action in an existing task is modified it may not be updated. The screen shows the update but the update may not have been processed.

You should go to a main display fort the project

Settings
Exit
Save First
Reload Tasker​

This should be done with any change unless you made the change and hit the Play (+) button. This will make the update but only in the current task.

... Thom

 

[Thom]

Import Task​

When you import a task the name is located on the <nme></nme> for the task.

• If the task does not exits it is added and it is listed in the display of the current project. Tasker reports Done.
• If the task exists in the current project, the version in the project is overwritten with the imported version. Tasker reports Done.
• If the task exits in another project, the task is overwritten with the imported version. The other project becomes the current project as a signal that the task was just updated. Tasker reports Done.

This leads to the recommendation ...

• Before you import a task ... check the <nme></nme> to make sure it is not a name you already use.

... Thom

 

[Thom]

Import Profile​

When you import a profile the name is located on the <nme></nme> for the profile. The name(s) of the task are located in each <nme></nme> for each task in the profile.

• If the profile does not exits it is added and it is listed in the display of the current project. If the tasks do not exist they are listed in the current profile and task list Tasker reports Done.
• If the Profile exists it is retained and the imported copy is installed. There are then two profiles with the same name. If the profile or any of its tasks exist in the current project, the version(s) in the project are overwritten with the imported version(s). Tasker reports Done.

This leads to the recommendation ...

• Before you import a profile ... check each <nme></nme> to make sure it is not a name you already use.
• The problem can be minimized by using unnamed tasks in the profile.

... Thom

 

[Thom]

Filter​

On the Select Action Category screen there is a line at the bottom with the word Filter. If you start typing the name of an action on that line it will present you with possible matches to the string that you type. This can help you find more obscure actions. Of course you have to know the name of what it is you are looking for (like Popup vs. Flash).

... Thom

 

[Thom]

Is Device Root-ed​

I'm not root-ed. Apparently Tasker checks for the existence of Superuser.apk to make the determination. There is currently no "if exists" in Tasker so something like the following is apparently needed ...

tlaRootTest
A1: Read File [ File:/system/app/Superuser.apk To Var:%work ]
A2: Flash [ Text:• Root-ed • Long:On ] If [ %work Set ]
A3: Flash [ Text:• Not Root-ed • Long:On ] If [ %work !Set ]

... Thom

 

[Thom]

Does File Exist​

tlaFileExist
A1: Read File [ File:%par1%par2 To Var:%work ]
A2: Return [ Value:yes Stop:On ] If [ %work Set ]
A3: Return [ Value:no Stop:On ] If [ %work !Set ]

tlaFileExistTest
A1: Perform Task [ Name:tlaFileExist Priority:%priority Parameter 1 (%par1):/system/app/ Parameter 2 (%par2):Superuser.apk Return Value Variable:%exist Stop:Off ]
A2: Flash [ Text:• Does Exist • Long:On ] If [ %exist ~ yes ]
A3: Flash [ Text:• Does Not Exist • Long:On ] If [ %exist ~ no ]

... Thom