Text entry for dashboard

[sam_p]

Hello, I would like to make a dashboard where I can input text and pass that text as a variable to a device as a parameter. However, I do not see any way to add a textbox or otherwise enable user input.

Suggestions?

Thanks

[josh]

If you create a Text Variable and add that to your dashboard, it will show an input prompt whenever you tap on it.

https://imgur.com/Uh1mvtm

You can then setup a rule with the variable’s value changing as a trigger and use that to pass it to a device as a parameter.

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For example, some people have used this to create a tile that allows them to search for music to play on Echo Speaks or Sonos devices. Here’s some high level notes on the steps to create the associated rule:

Search Tile on Dashboards

Here’s a copy of the notes @James put together: Create a “Text” variable using Manage Variables [image] Create a rule to be triggered by this text variable when it changes and the value is not empty, and add the Echo search music command - I used searchSpotify here for example, and you can use searchAmazonMusic if you prefer. For the String(text) argument, you can tap the variable button at right, and select the variable you just created, and you can toggle the “Advanced” control at to…

@Justin_Newbury from Simply Smart put together a good video showing the process end-to-end which you can find here:

How to Add Music Search 🔎 Box to SharpTools Dashboard 😉 (2020)

[sam_p]

Thanks for this. Meant to reply earlier. My effort on this was to pass text to be spoken by specific (rooms) sonos speakers. I was diagnosed with throat cancer and knew the treatment would knock my voice out for a while. With the info you provided i was able to create a dashboard that allowed me to communicate with my wife if we were in the same room or other ends of the house.

Treatment was successful, have my voice back, and am on the mend.

Thanks again.

[josh]

Thanks for the update - glad to hear this helped and especially happy to hear you’re on the mend!