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With homeassistant you don't need yaml for 99% of automations. I'm sure OP posted the source code of the automation but used the graphical UI to make it.

You also have the possibility to use Node-Red for that.

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I have used HA quite a bit and been burned. I think in the choice between graphical "no code" or "low code" and yaml, I choose yaml. But to do imperative logic there is just one useful way: a proper programming language.

This is just like when writing CI scripts for GitHub actions or Azure pipelines: the right amount of yaml (if it must be used at all) is to just invoke a program in some more expressive language than yaml.

Depending on when that was, it might make sense to try it again. I've got 25+ actively used automations and none of them need custom yaml anymore. Things really are continuously improving with every passing year.

I do use the (jinja) value templates in some places though.

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