# Help with \[APP\] Flow Event Bus **URL:** \ **Category:** Questions & Help\ **Tags:** app, help\ **Created:** [March 5, 2022, 6:27pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-app-flow-event-bus/61367 "2022-03-05T18:27:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dzt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/dzt/32/50239_2.png) [@dzt](https://community.homey.app/u/dzt)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2022, 6:27pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-app-flow-event-bus/61367/1 "2022-03-05T18:27:59Z")
I need help with understanding [Flow Event Bus App for Homey | Homey](https://homey.app/en-us/app/name.klep.flow-event-bus/Flow-Event-Bus/) . I may be slow, but bear with me. I’ve seen the description, plus a few forum posts where it has been explained as a good app for “stupid” buttons, but no concrete examples, and here I am, unable to see the advantage of using it vs regular start flow and the logic/variables. If someone would be kind to help me with an example - a simple flow with an explanation would suffice. Or you can use one of the two below to explain how to implement the app. Thank you! * * * (1) I have a RF remote with 8 buttons. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/4/8/48efe6cc130c2d1b4b968b25ae708fd064549251.png) Homey can detect them being pressed ([Telldus App for Homey | Homey](https://homey.app/no-no/app/se.telldus/Telldus/)). I want to split them into 6 functions-, and 2 program buttons, and use them as follows: a) to do a specific thing when one of 6 function buttons is being pressed b) to have 6 function buttons do some other funtions if one of the 2 program buttons is pressed first. I.e. to have 18 different funtions with 6+2 buttons Does that make sense? (2) Another example would be a button which toggles through some light scenes by using iteration of variables (i+1) and the regular “this flow is started” with corresponding AND criteria and many flows. Now, are those two examples something to do with Flow event bus? I am able to do that with timers and variables, but would love to make it more elegant and efficient. How to do that with this app? If this isn’t a good place to use it, what is? Do you have an example (preferably with a brief explanation to it 🙂 ) I see people in forum are excited to use the app and I want in on the ride. ---
**Author:** ![dzt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/dzt/32/50239_2.png) [@dzt](https://community.homey.app/u/dzt)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 12:23pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-app-flow-event-bus/61367/2 "2022-03-11T12:23:29Z")
Bump. 🙂 Anyone willing to share a flow as an example of the use of the app? ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Kawa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/peter_kawa/32/173848_2.png) [@Peter\_Kawa](https://community.homey.app/u/Peter_Kawa)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 1:08pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-app-flow-event-bus/61367/3 "2022-03-11T13:08:28Z")
From made some flows using the example on the app’ app store page. ![Screenshot_20220311-140236_Chrome](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/3/0/304000e9fe21161653080254b979d4cccfddd602.jpeg) (Kanaal = Channel Knop = Button / knob) I hope it makes some more sense ---
**Author:** ![dzt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/dzt/32/50239_2.png) [@dzt](https://community.homey.app/u/dzt)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 1:25pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-app-flow-event-bus/61367/4 "2022-03-11T13:25:54Z")
Lovely Peter, it does make sense, thank you. But what is the benefit of using this VS ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/e/d/ed91579d3f7dab4986637c42252f5525b45bc207.png) Beacuse, people obviously are seeing something that I am missing? 😃 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/c/5/c5bad0266f989101c06436753e6262fb97026f74.png) * * * EDIT: OK, I get it, it’s a way of categorizing your flows to use this app instead of having a bunch of _This Flow is started_ triggers ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Kawa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/peter_kawa/32/173848_2.png) [@Peter\_Kawa](https://community.homey.app/u/Peter_Kawa)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 2:25pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-app-flow-event-bus/61367/5 "2022-03-11T14:25:19Z")
YW! Yes the “this flow is started” card is fun, but not practical if the flow n# grows to 600 ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Kawa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/peter_kawa/32/173848_2.png) [@Peter\_Kawa](https://community.homey.app/u/Peter_Kawa)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 3:38pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-app-flow-event-bus/61367/6 "2022-03-11T15:38:16Z")
> [@dzt](#): > > having a bunch of _This Flow is started_ triggers Here’s a neat tool if you want to simply generate an overview list of flows with those triggers (and muuuuch more!): [Flow Checker](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-flow-checker/50986) ---
**Author:** ![dzt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/dzt/32/50239_2.png) [@dzt](https://community.homey.app/u/dzt)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 5:35pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-app-flow-event-bus/61367/7 "2022-03-11T17:35:36Z")
Yeah, I use Flow Checker as well 🙂 You can see if there is a flow with _This Flow…_ trigger, but not once it’s referred to from some other flow, right? Anyway, that’s how I found the Flow Event Bus app - by searching for other flow utility apps. I’ve also seen many threads where the latter was mentioned end up with someone suggesting using the HOOP app. I’ve seen what it can do, but haven’t got the time to check what happens with back up, warranty and such when using community apps, so didn’t realy invest myself in it. If it’s as fast as regular flows, I think I’ll end up there myself as well, mostly because of multiple triggers and elseifs in AND. That reminds me of something for a new thread. Thanks again, Peter! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Kawa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/peter_kawa/32/173848_2.png) [@Peter\_Kawa](https://community.homey.app/u/Peter_Kawa)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 6:03pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-app-flow-event-bus/61367/8 "2022-03-11T18:03:02Z")
> [@dzt](#): > > someone suggesting using the HOOP app That could have been me 😅 > [@dzt](#): > > Yeah, I use Flow Checker as well 🙂 > You can see if there is a flow with _This Flow…_ trigger, but not once it’s referred to from some other flow, right? Nice! No, it just lists all flows starting with ‘This flow is started’. I have no idea where or how you can find which flow(s) trigger a certain flow with ‘This flow is started’. Besides use logcards on every flow action and compare the logs. You brought me to ideas here, I didn’t use Event Bus yet, but I’m going to now. **One disadvantage** You have an app in between the trigger flow(s) and triggered flow. Apps can stop or crash. BUT, no big deal while FlowChecker notifies you for that, while a bunch of flows break if an app quits. An alternative way for Event Bus: If you trust the Timeline, you can misuse it while there’s a triggercard “A notification was sent” (Timeline can be disabled without notice when it gets “rate limited”) ![Screenshot_20220311-194527_Homey](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/7/3/732993b056b05b32385122bbd2f231412748b502.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![dzt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/dzt/32/50239_2.png) [@dzt](https://community.homey.app/u/dzt)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2022, 9:08pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-app-flow-event-bus/61367/9 "2022-03-11T21:08:51Z")
Okay, many topics here. Just to touch on some of your remarks, without hijacking the thread completely. 😃 I name flows in a certain way so that I have a group of them together, with sequential numbering (it looks like you have a similar system as well). That way I always know which flow comes after the other. (1-1, 1-2, 1-3 and so on; where all flows starting from 1-2 have WHEN _This Flow is started_, that is triggered by the preceding flows (1-1), and so on. If this makes sense. :D) This brings me to: > [@Peter\_Kawa](#): > > No, it just lists all flows starting with ‘This flow is started’. It looks like to me that the Flow Checker doesn’t show flows with _This Flow is started_ (i.e. 1-2, 1-3…) if they are being called from some other flows, which they usually are in my flows. (I checked this now, just to be sure, and I don’t know if this is a bug or by design, given that it says _UNUSED FLOWS OR FLOWS WITH A THIS FLOW HAS STARTED’ TRIGGER_ in the app. I have many flows that do start with _This Flow…_, but are not on the list. And, no they are not filtered _shrug_) Example: ![Screenshot_20220311-180442_Homey](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/a/d/ad8f9b9f7a6d679c359142b3bc314743f71f2631.jpeg) ![SmartSelect_20220311-215247_Homey](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/2/d/2d2c4705dd30cc496c926a09156643df1844f1ea.jpeg) No _Sunset to warm_ flow in the list, because it gets triggered from another flow. > [@Peter\_Kawa](#): > > Besides use logcards on every flow action and compare the logs. ![SmartSelect_20220311-214256_Homey](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/f/3/f3ac7bb0e5264c7efdf10639d24794ac2002bde7.jpeg) But yeah, for me, this is a way to go. I used to have many push notifications on my previous [Homey](https://community.homey.app/t/i-got-my-new-homey-and-i-am-not-happy-about-it/61108), and on this one I am kind of building the architecture first, and then I’ll see what needs (deserves) to get pushed 🙂 What we need is Athom to put the possibility to track “interconnected” flows, and variables, the same way that they’ve started with devices and their respective flows here: ![Screenshot_20220311-220633_Homey](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/d/d/dd706ed20b06d5a02dfdf92fea327e02e0fd80bc.jpeg) But, maybe now you see why I kind of need to start using the HOOP 😃 Ps. Yeah, I’ve seen that you are a HOOP evangelist in the threads 😃 and scince I cannot code js, I have potential of become one, as well. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Kawa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/peter_kawa/32/173848_2.png) [@Peter\_Kawa](https://community.homey.app/u/Peter_Kawa)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2022, 2:32pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-app-flow-event-bus/61367/10 "2022-03-14T14:32:15Z")
> [@dzt](#): > > It looks like to me that the Flow Checker doesn’t show flows with _This Flow is started_ (i.e. 1-2, 1-3…) if they are being called from some other flows I didn’t realize, but it looks like it! After some digging: I found out, I have f.i. a set of 8 flows with the “ThisFlowIsStarted” trigger, and only one of them was listed. After selecting that flow again, from the ‘master’ flow “Start a flow” card, it disappeared from the list. There was a glitch obviously. So, somewhere there IS a link or “interconnection” between those flows. How convenient it would be if the flows which call the “TFIS” flows could be listed somewhere somehow. > [@dzt](#): > > What we need is Athom to put the possibility to track “interconnected” flows, and variables, the same way that they’ve started with devices and their respective flows here: Agreed Well, to locate the variables, u can use this script I posted here in the meantime: > [@\[APP\]\[Pro\] Flow Checker](https://community.homey.app/t/app-pro-flow-checker/50986/330): > > Hi Martijn, No clue if it’s realistic, but is it possible to show an overview of Logics Vars (and BetterLogic maybe) and the flows they reside in? (I have a script for that (below this message) ). Or better, a search field “Find the flow(s) used with this variable”. Enter a (partial) variable name, and it returns the flowname(s). I don’t know what the impact will be on the memory usage of the app. (How did I ever do without Flow Checker… grimacing ) … Output example: ![Screenshot_20220314-161144_Homey](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/d/a/da647a93be4b64e4079ba738ceb1a9efb90418c3.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![dzt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/dzt/32/50239_2.png) [@dzt](https://community.homey.app/u/dzt)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 7:22am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-app-flow-event-bus/61367/11 "2022-03-15T07:22:41Z")
W O W! This one is cool. I’ve seen it in the thread, but thought somehow you rewrote the FlowChecker for your personal use (what do I know?), didn’t realize it was a HomeyScript. I’ll run it when I get on my desk top PC. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![dzt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/dzt/32/50239_2.png) [@dzt](https://community.homey.app/u/dzt)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 8:23am UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-app-flow-event-bus/61367/12 "2022-03-15T08:23:32Z")
![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/e/8/e82e9f16393871d14af09a2a3258c5a718d86082.png) 😍 It works! And it’s so great tool! Thank you very much for sharing it! I especially like having both direct and indirect refs. Great job ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Kawa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/peter_kawa/32/173848_2.png) [@Peter\_Kawa](https://community.homey.app/u/Peter_Kawa)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2022, 8:10pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-app-flow-event-bus/61367/13 "2022-03-15T20:10:05Z")
You’re welcome. I’m not a script guy, I can read and edit them to some degree. For this script and the other flow check scripts credits go to @RonnyW ! And Martijn Poppen based his Flow Checker app on those. ---
**Author:** ![dzt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/dzt/32/50239_2.png) [@dzt](https://community.homey.app/u/dzt)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2022, 2:37pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-app-flow-event-bus/61367/14 "2022-03-16T14:37:49Z")
Then, the thanks goes out to them as well! 🙂 I’ve noticed one, strange thing, though. And I can’t really help with solving it in any way. But the _daylight\_check_ variable from the [picture above](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-app-flow-event-bus/61367/12) is probably one of the most used variables in my flows, and it doesn’t show there for some reason… ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/8/e/8e8a257284f8d16da38a4e726846a2296bee1ff6.jpeg) For instance, there is no: _Kitchen: Light ON 1_ flow in the [list](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-app-flow-event-bus/61367/12). So, I guess, be cautious when depending on the script when changing variables, because there might be some more flows using them. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Kawa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/community.homey.app/peter_kawa/32/173848_2.png) [@Peter\_Kawa](https://community.homey.app/u/Peter_Kawa)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2022, 2:20pm UTC](https://community.homey.app/t/help-with-app-flow-event-bus/61367/15 "2022-03-25T14:20:47Z")
That’s odd. This is a var I use in the biggest number of flows, and all of them are listed… ![Screenshot_20220325-151322_Chrome](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/athom/original/3X/c/9/c9270cbaa3e37c0b320462b0392ebbb56a40b405.jpeg)