# \[feature request\] "Always" section in a flow's "then" part

**URL:** <https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423>\
**Category:** Ideas & Suggestions\
**Tags:** flow\
**Created:** [July 25, 2024, 8:33pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423 "2024-07-25T20:33:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CoonHouse](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/coonhouse/32/2764_2.png) [@CoonHouse](https://community.homey.app/u/CoonHouse)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 8:33pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423/1 "2024-07-25T20:33:11Z")

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I would like to see a “always” section in the “Then” part of a flow (beside “otherwise”) for actions that needs to be executed always despite the “And” outcome.  
Now I am adding duplicate actions for both outcomes.

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**Author:** ![Rmb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/rmb/32/79135_2.png) [@Rmb](https://community.homey.app/u/Rmb)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 9:05pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423/2 "2024-07-25T21:05:20Z")

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> [@CoonHouse](#):
>
> that needs to be executed always despite the “And” outcome.

The way you formulate your question results in the answer “Just delete the AND card”.  
So maybe you can share your flow to clarify your question.

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**Author:** ![CoonHouse](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/coonhouse/32/2764_2.png) [@CoonHouse](https://community.homey.app/u/CoonHouse)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 9:22pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423/3 "2024-07-25T21:22:41Z")

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Of course there are also different actions based on the “And” outcome.

For example, in a lot of flow’s I have an action that logs to DynamoDB.

Let’s say:  
If (motion detected)  
And (lux \< 200)  
Then {  
Turn on light  
Log to DynamoDB  
} Else {  
Log to DynamoDB  
}

I would like:  
If (motion detected)  
And (lux \< 200)  
Then {  
Turn on light  
} Always {  
Log to DynamoDB  
}

This is a very simple example, but if I have to update the \*Log to DynamoDB" action, I have to make sure I update both actions.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Jan\_Willem\_Visser](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/jan_willem_visser/32/10747_2.png) [@Jan\_Willem\_Visser](https://community.homey.app/u/Jan_Willem_Visser)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 7:04am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423/4 "2024-07-26T07:04:12Z")

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Use advanced flows

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CoonHouse](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/coonhouse/32/2764_2.png) [@CoonHouse](https://community.homey.app/u/CoonHouse)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 8:51am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423/5 "2024-07-26T08:51:01Z")

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Sure, but I can’t from my phone.

I know there are others way’s to accomplish this but my topic was a feature request, not a how-to.

I thought, in this section, I could ask for for features I would like to see added to Homey.

Apparently not.

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**Author:** ![robertklep](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/robertklep/32/160628_2.png) [@robertklep](https://community.homey.app/u/robertklep)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 8:54am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423/6 "2024-07-26T08:54:30Z")

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> [@CoonHouse](#):
>
> I thought, in this section, I could ask for for features I would like to see added to Homey.

This section is about discussing new features/ideas/suggestions with other community members. Athom don’t actively follow this forum.

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**Author:** ![CoonHouse](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/coonhouse/32/2764_2.png) [@CoonHouse](https://community.homey.app/u/CoonHouse)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 8:57am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423/7 "2024-07-26T08:57:43Z")

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Okay, sorry.

Then the moderator can delete my topic.

Where can I place feature request for Athom?

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**Author:** ![robertklep](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/robertklep/32/160628_2.png) [@robertklep](https://community.homey.app/u/robertklep)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 9:00am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423/8 "2024-07-26T09:00:45Z")

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See the first post of the category: [Ideas & Suggestions](https://community.homey.app/t/ideas-suggestions/12959)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CoonHouse](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/coonhouse/32/2764_2.png) [@CoonHouse](https://community.homey.app/u/CoonHouse)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 9:03am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423/9 "2024-07-26T09:03:58Z")

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Thanks.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CoonHouse](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/coonhouse/32/2764_2.png) [@CoonHouse](https://community.homey.app/u/CoonHouse)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 9:05am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423/10 "2024-07-26T09:05:56Z")

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@Jamie  
Can you delete this topic? I posted in the wrong place.

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**Author:** ![Rmb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/rmb/32/79135_2.png) [@Rmb](https://community.homey.app/u/Rmb)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 11:48am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423/11 "2024-07-26T11:48:22Z")

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Flow, and especially normal flows, are a simplified programming environment. And it is not even an IF statement as the first part WHEN dictates when the flow starts.  
So your request makes normal flows a little bit complexer, as normal flows shall be simple. So it might not be likely Athom will honour your suggestion.  
By the way: introducing a concept like “ALWAYS” makes the syntax of the normal flows even more weird, compared to normal programming languages.

START WHEN motion detected  
IF lux \< 200  
THEN Turn on light  
ELSE  
END  
Log to DynamoDB

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CoonHouse](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/coonhouse/32/2764_2.png) [@CoonHouse](https://community.homey.app/u/CoonHouse)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 12:17pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423/12 "2024-07-26T12:17:21Z")

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Yeah, but you shouldn’t look at flow’s as code. If I want that kind of control I can use HomeyScript or my own apps. But sometimes (more often then expected) I want a quick solution which I can create/edit from my phone or tablet instead of going to sit behind my laptop and start programming.

I contacted Athom and the forwarded my idea to the development team. (No guarantee of course (probably none)) but hey, I might be lucky.

For a lot of my cases it would make a flow a lot more clean and maintainable.

It could also be a “Finally” section at the end if you want flow’s look like code.  
But again, I think flow’s don’t have to look like programming, as a lot of user ain’t programmers.

START WHEN motion detected  
IF lux \< 200  
THEN Turn on light  
ELSE  
END  
FINALLY Log to DynamoDB

But I already got the hint I am at the wrong place.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rmb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/rmb/32/79135_2.png) [@Rmb](https://community.homey.app/u/Rmb)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 1:29pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423/13 "2024-07-26T13:29:50Z")

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> [@CoonHouse](#):
>
> but you shouldn’t look at flow’s as code

As long as the syntax and symantics are clear 😁

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CoonHouse](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/coonhouse/32/2764_2.png) [@CoonHouse](https://community.homey.app/u/CoonHouse)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 1:42pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423/14 "2024-07-26T13:42:37Z")

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Definitely.  
But developers tend to look at everything as code (myself included), but as I know from my customers, not everybody does. 😉

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Rmb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/rmb/32/79135_2.png) [@Rmb](https://community.homey.app/u/Rmb)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 2:59pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423/15 "2024-07-26T14:59:26Z")

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“Uses cases” may be better to communicate with customers.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CoonHouse](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/coonhouse/32/2764_2.png) [@CoonHouse](https://community.homey.app/u/CoonHouse)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 3:02pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423/16 "2024-07-26T15:02:39Z")

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Exactly, and then is

START WHEN motion detected  
IF lux \< 200  
THEN Turn on light  
ELSE  
END  
FINALLY Log to DynamoDB

a solid use case.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![robertklep](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/robertklep/32/160628_2.png) [@robertklep](https://community.homey.app/u/robertklep)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 3:03pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423/17 "2024-07-26T15:03:39Z")

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Log _what_ to DynamoDB, though?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CoonHouse](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/coonhouse/32/2764_2.png) [@CoonHouse](https://community.homey.app/u/CoonHouse)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 3:16pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423/18 "2024-07-26T15:16:05Z")

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Almost everything (state, level, lux, power usage, etc.) for dashboard and statistics.

“Log to DynamoDB” is just one use case. It can also be a MQTT, Pushover or PiP message.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![robertklep](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/robertklep/32/160628_2.png) [@robertklep](https://community.homey.app/u/robertklep)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 3:25pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423/19 "2024-07-26T15:25:05Z")

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I doubt that this all is information that is kept during the course of executing the different flow cards. You’ll also run into the issue that, for instance, trigger cards can provide tags whose values almost certainly are not stored anywhere (just saying that this feature may require rather big changes to how the flow system is implemented).

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CoonHouse](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/coonhouse/32/2764_2.png) [@CoonHouse](https://community.homey.app/u/CoonHouse)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2024, 3:34pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/feature-request-always-section-in-a-flows-then-part/113423/20 "2024-07-26T15:34:18Z")

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I think we’re getting off track, but at the moment a given script runs, I gather those information from variables which where set by other events/scripts.

That’s why I would like this feature, so I have to assign all variables once.  
Duplicating an action is also not possible in the phone/tablet app (as I am aware of).