Main Screen

Main Screen icon_tasker.png

This is the first screen shown when you startup Tasker. It allows you to organize and configure Tasker's four main 'building blocks': Profiles, Tasks, Scenes and Variables.

Main Tabs

  • Click on a tab to view a list of the relevant things
  • Long-click on a tab to get options

Profiles

Each item in the list represents a profile. The profile links contexts (conditions) on the left to tasks which should be run on the right. The profile name is green if the profile is active. There are three main parts to each profile.

1. Title Bar

This shows the profile name (or description if it has no name) and the check-mark icon on the right shows whether the profile is enabled or not.

  • Click on the name to expand / collapse the profile. When expanded, the contexts and tasks (described below), are visible.
  • Long-click on the profile name to get profile options
  • Click on the check-mark icon to toggle whether the profile is enabled or not.
  • Click-and-drag the area at the right side of the title bar drag it around. Note that the enable icon can also be used for dragging.

Important: the check-mark does not mean the profile is active (will run its tasks), it means that the profile can become active if its conditions are met.

2. Contexts

On the left hand side of the profile are an icon and text for each context in the profile. The contexts dictate when the profile should become active. When all contexts are active then the profile will be active.

  • Click on the context to edit it
  • Long-click to show management options, such as editing or adding a new context

You can configure what clicks and long-clicks on contexts do in Menu / Prefs / UI.

3. Tasks

On the right hand side of the profile are one or two tasks to carry out based on its activation status.

  • Click on the task to edit it
  • Long-click to show management options.

A task indicated with a green, right-pointing arrow is an entry task, executed when the profile first becomes active.

A task indicated with a red, left-pointing arrow is an exit task, executed when the profile becomes inactive again.

Exception: a profile containing an event context or a repeating or non-ranged time context has two green arrows, to denote that both tasks are executed immediately because the profile activation and deactivation is instantaneous.

Tasks

The task list shows the named tasks which have been created.

  • Click on a task to edit it
  • Long-click for options
  • Click-and-drag at the right hand side to drag the task (e.g. to the trash bin)

Note that a profile can be assigned an anonymous task (one without a name) which is not accessible in the task list, only via the relevant profile in the profile list.

Scenes

The scene list shows the scenes which have been created.

  • Click on a scene to edit it
  • Long-click for options
  • Click-and-drag at the right hand side to drag the scene (e.g. to the trash bin)

Scenes marked with a star icon have been created but may be visible or invisible.

Variables

By default, all global user-variables that Tasker knows about are listed, which includes any that have a value set or are mentioned somewhere in a profile or task.

  • Click on a variable to edit it
  • Long-click for options

Note that variables whose names are all lower-case are local variables and not shown because they are only valid within the task that refers to them.

At the bottom of the variable list is an upwards-pointing faded arrow. It can be dragged up to show variable filter controls.

  • Indexed (button)

includes variables whose names end in a number e.g. %LOC3, otherwise they are excluded.

  • Empty (button)

includes variables which have currently have no value assigned, deselect to show only variables that have a value.

  • Referenced (button)

includes variables which are referenced in profiles or tasks.
Deselect to show 'orphan' variables.

  • Filter (textbox)

excludes variables which don't contain the specified text somewhere in their name (case-sensitive)

Unlike most screens in Tasker, changes made in the variable list cannot be cancelled.

Bottom Controls

Cancel Button

Discard all changes to user data that have been made since starting the Tasker UI.

Accept Button

Apply the changes that have been made since last starting the Tasker UI. Pressing the Back hardware button has the same effect. Home has the same effect unless a dialog is showing.

Plus Button

Create a new Profile, Task, Scene or Variable, depending on the current tab.

On/Off Toggle

Tasker does not do anything when you leave the user interface, unless this button is set to On (green light showing). When you set it to off, Tasker's event monitor is immediately stopped if it was previously running.

Projects

Tasker allows organisation of profiles, tasks, scenes and variables into groups called Projects, each with a separate Project Tab.

The projects tabs are accessed by dragging entity tabs down via the faded arrow just underneath them. Drag the other way to hide them.

  • Click-and-drag a profile, task or scene to a project tab to move it to that project
  • Click on a project tab to switch to viewing only things in that project
  • Long-click on a project tab for options, including adding a new tab

The first tab has a slightly special status, it cannot be removed and anything which is not a member of another project is placed there.

Menus

Menu Item: Browse Solutions

Links to websites with projects, profiles etc offering solutions for common problems. Important: once downloaded you need to import the file into your active user data. For example, profiles are imported by long-clicking the profile tab and selecting Import.

Menu Items: Data

Clear

Removes all data that has been created to that point. Does not remove preferences (use Menu / Preferences and click Defaults for that) or variables (long-click on the Variables tab for that).

Backup

Saves the existing user data to a backup file on the SD card (if present). The file is /sdcard/Tasker/userbackup.xml.

Restore

Replaces the existing profile configuration with that from the SD card.

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