“Variable Set” event can pass the new value (%evtprm2) but not the previous value?

[Zoltán Bíró]

As events appear in multitask environment it's more than welcomed that the new value of the variable (which actually triggered the event) can be accessed as a local variable %evtprm2 instead of reading the original global variable (which could have been changed again since triggering the event).

But it would be also welcomed to have a local variable for the previous value of the variable in question: there might be situations where its's important the value the variable has been triggered from. E.g., not the same thing whether a track stopped event triggers when a track is still playing or when it's already paused. 

May I suggest this change for upcoming Tasker versions? 

Of course, the current workaround is not that difficult, as previous values always can be saved safely as a global variable, but this global variable should be initialized etc., so it's still a bit uncomfortable.  

Say, %evtprm4: previous value of the variable which triggered the event.    

[João Dias]

Sorry, I won't be adding that but you can create a task variable (in the task > Settings > Create new task variable) and call it %previous. Then you can set that variable as you wish and it's local to just that task :) Hope this helps!

Thank you for your contact.

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João Dias

[Zoltán Bíró]

Sorry for the delay, I've found your mail in spam folder.

So, your solution is neither perfect nor equivalent to what I proposed in my first mail. Namely, there is a problem with the FIRST iteration. When Tasker said the variable was changed, he obviously knew the previous value, as the new value is different from it. But my local%previous is not even initialized at this pont. Unless I guess the initial value (not always possible, e.g. a media track can be changed even before Tasker initialises itself after a restart) the first iteration will always be unsure. 

That is, I still consider a serious and welcomed addition.

best regards,

Zoltán 

[João Dias]

But Tasker won't also know what the previous one is in the first iteration, so it would be the exact same situation :)

[Zoltán Bíró]

But Tasker won't also know what the previous one is in the first iteration, so it would be the exact same situation :)

If so, how Tasker knows that the new value is different, if the old value is not known? 

[João Dias]

It doesn't know that it's different, it just knows that it was set.

[Zoltán Bíró]

Normally, if you set the same value twice to a certain variable, the Variable set event will fire just once. So where is the difference? Why you souldn't know which value had the variable before?

[João Dias]

But I don't know in the first iteration, just like you :)