Tasker application launch. Tasker is a multifunctional application for programming Android devices

Modern smartphones are quite deservedly called smart phones, because they are able to perform many routine tasks in automatic mode. To do this, you only need to install special utility, which can track certain events and perform the actions you need.

One of the most popular utilities of this kind is Tasker, which is considered to be " swiss knife» automation. With it, it's easy to teach your phone to automatically turn on silent mode at work, turn off Wi-Fi when you leave the house, and launch your favorite music player when you plug in your headphones. However, for all its merits, Tasker is difficult to master, its interface inspires horror with its angularity, and besides, it costs money.

If you are looking for free alternative, then be sure to pay attention to SwiP. This program provides automatic switching between different device profiles that you have created. Although it is not as flexible and feature-rich as Tasker, its capabilities are still enough for the average user. In addition, SwiP is much more convenient and easier to operate and configure.

The main screen of the program is divided into two tabs: "Profiles" and "Triggers". The first is for managing profiles and contains three preset profiles called Home, Default, and Meeting. You can edit any of them or create a completely new set of settings. In each profile, you can include the following actions:

• changing the call mode;
• setting the volume of the call and notifications;
• setting the alarm volume;
• enable or disable GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth;
• brightness level adjustment.

On the "Triggers" tab, you can set the conditions under which a particular profile will be activated. This can be your geographic location, time, battery status, headphone connection, and so on. It is also possible to link the same profile to multiple triggers. In this case, you must set a priority for each condition.

The program is currently in beta testing, but we haven't found any bugs or problems while using it. Try SwiP in action and let us know in the comments about your impression.

Millions of people spend endless hours doing routine tasks. This also applies to the use of computers and smartphones. We constantly turn on GPS, turn off Wi-Fi, launch applications - we perform dozens of different operations. And no matter how convenient the interface is, all these actions waste a precious non-renewable resource - time. Meanwhile, if you look, you can always find a pattern in the performance of routine operations: for example, the GPS module turns on when the smartphone is used in the car, and Wi-Fi - when the device is at home. Similar patterns underlie the work of Tasker. This utility is not the only automation tool for Android, but other programs (for example, on (X) and Locale) are just child's play compared to the hero of our article.

You can entrust him with almost anything: the application will properly filter incoming SMS, turn on and off the smartphone at a specified time and when given conditions, wake up the owner of the phone in the middle of the night if a call comes from a certain number, and keep him asleep if calls come from any other numbers. Tasker can go online at the right time, ask about the weather forecast and display a notification on the screen that it won’t hurt to take an umbrella with you today. The program can also be required to monitor battery savings, control ringer volume, screen brightness, and other parameters. By and large, Tasker can handle almost any task, including creating standalone Android apps. At the heart of any script that Tasker executes is a simple rule: "If an event X occurs, you must automatically execute Y."

The widest possibilities of automation are both the main advantage and the main disadvantage of the application: it is not easy to deal with the utility on the go: all scripts have to be created from scratch. The developer compares his brainchild with a huge Lego box, from the parts of which you can assemble anything. However, there are many examples of using Tasker and even ready-made scripts on the Internet.

BASIC TASKER CONCEPTS

As already mentioned, it will take time to master Tasker, and first of all, you should study the terminology of the program. The application uses seven basic terms, each of which has a strictly defined meaning - these are tasks, profiles, projects, contexts, scenes, variables, and actions.

Actions

An action is what an application should do when certain conditions are met. That is, the Y in the formula "If X happened, you need to do Y" will be an action. An action is turning off Wi-Fi, turning on an alarm, displaying a notification or reminder on the screen, etc. In total, more than two hundred actions are sewn into the program, most of which can be flexibly configured and linked to each other.

Tasks

Actions are grouped into tasks. A task can contain one action, ten or a hundred - it all depends on what result you need to achieve. Tasks can be started with actions. Also, a task can contain several actions that launch tasks, each of which, in turn, has some actions defined. This allows you to group activities into tasks and refer to these sets of activities in different tasks. An example of a task could be a set of actions that changes the brightness, volume, and other settings of a device in a certain way. Each parameter is controlled by a specific action, but a group of actions forms a task that can be used either on its own or as part of other, more challenging tasks. Tasks can be launched using contexts, widgets, via third party applications, as well as directly, using shortcuts.

Contexts and profiles

The context is the condition for starting the task (X in the above formula). Connection to a specific WiFi networks, receipt incoming message, application launch are all examples of context.

Unlike tasks, contexts cannot exist separately; they are always an integral part of some profile. A profile is a script, in fact, what binds tasks and contexts, determining which task should be launched when the context is executed. A profile can contain up to four contexts and up to two tasks. Contexts can be of several types: time, date, place, event, and state. With the first three, everything is more or less clear: the condition is the onset of a given time, date, or the movement of the device to a certain place. But the contexts of states and events can be more difficult to understand, so we will consider them separately.

Status context

When using a state context, the profile remains active as long as the condition continues to be true (for example, as long as a connection to a given Wi-Fi network is available). There are two types of tasks for persistent contexts: inbound and outbound. The former are executed when the condition is triggered and the profile becomes active, the latter when the profile is deactivated.

Event context

Unlike state contexts, event contexts never run for a specific amount of time. An example of such a context would be receiving an SMS message. When the event context fires, the task is executed and the profile is no longer active. If the profile contains several contexts, then only one of them can be event-driven, since it is impossible for two contexts to run simultaneously. When using two or more contexts, keep in mind that in order for a profile to run, they all need to fire. For example, if a Wi-Fi network status context and an SMS receive event context are used, then the trigger condition will be: “if I receive an SMS while I am connected to this network…”

Variables

Variables are used to access information about the system, to pass data between parts of Tasker, and also act as settings. For example, the %DATE variable specified when composing a reminder will always be replaced current date when it appears on the screen.

Scenes

The scene is user interface. With Tasker, you can create menus, pop-ups, settings, and other interface elements.

Projects

Projects serve to put all Tasker settings in one place. A project can combine multiple tasks, profiles, and scenes. Projects are also useful when exporting, as they allow you to create your own application based on a set of tasks, scenes, and profiles. On the network you can find many ready-made user projects.

BEGINNING OF WORK

Main window: interface features

When the application is launched for the first time, the user sees an empty main window. There are several tabs in the top panel, the names of which are already familiar to those who have studied Tasker terminology. In the future, these tabs will display already created profiles, tasks and scenes.

By default, Tasker starts in easy mode, but most of the guides on the Internet and even the official guide for using the application are based on normal mode. Therefore, the first thing to do after starting is to switch to normal mode. To do this, click on the button, go to Settings, open the Interface tab and uncheck the Beginner Mode checkbox.

At the bottom of each tab there is a button, by clicking on which new program elements are created (depending on which tab is currently active). To create a new project, click on the button and select Add.

The icon is displayed at the top of the window. In order to disable all active profiles, you need to double-click on it. When all profiles are disabled, the icon will turn gray.

The application searches not only for the created profiles, tasks and scenes, but also for the settings and (subject to a working network connection) for the user manual. The search is carried out by keywords. To search for something, click on the button and select a search option. For example, to search by content, make the User Data option active and type the desired keyword in the search field.

Create a new profile

By touching the button for creating a new profile, you can see a list of six categories of contexts

For example, let's create a simple profile that will beep and send a notification when the battery overheats.

Creating a profile begins with adding a context, that is, specifying the conditions for performing an action. To create our profile, select the category Event > Charging > Battery overheating

If an error occurred and the wrong context was specified, you can return to the selection window by clicking on the Switch State or Switch Event button (depending on the type of context).

Now click on the button and enter the name of the task. Click the button to add an action. The Tasker application contains more than twenty different categories of actions. For our profile, you will need to select the Signal category. More than a dozen different signal options, in turn, are available

To make the device sound an alarm when the battery overheats, select the Notification with sound option from the options offered by the program.

Now we need to configure the created action.

Enter the notification text in the Title field. In field Sound file you can choose one of the available signals or specify the path to any audio file located in the device's memory or on an SD card

If an incorrect action was set by mistake, you can return to the selection window by pressing the Switch Action button. To go to the list of profiles, tap the back button on the Android status bar. By default, each new profile automatically becomes active immediately after creation. To turn it off, you need to set the switch opposite the profile name to the Off position.

Tasks created once are saved on the Tasks tab and are available for editing. In addition, when creating new profiles, the program prompts you to select a task from among existing ones.

Thus, you can not waste time creating tasks of the same type. To add additional context to an already created profile, click on the name of the profile, then touch and hold the line with the first context until a menu appears

Select Add.

In the interface settings, you can set menu items that will be called by a short click/long press on a context or task.

Adding a task to a profile is performed in the same way. Using this menu, you can also create copies of contexts, delete them, rename them, and change the tasks specified in the profile to others. Profiles that are this moment active are highlighted in light green in the list. In addition, they can be seen on the panel android notifications. If there are no active profiles at the moment, a message will appear on the notification panel about this.

Launching tasks using the widget on the start screen

Although Tasker has almost limitless customization options, it is by no means always possible to specify the conditions under which automation tasks will work. Sometimes it is preferable to include tasks manually, that is, to use an action or set of actions without context. One of convenient ways running tasks in manual mode- launch using a widget placed on the start screen. Let's take a closer look at how this can be done. To create a widget, go to the list of Android widgets. Tap and hold Tasker until the widget is brought to the home screen. In the appeared menu for adding a task

name it, then click the button and add one or more actions. Click the Select Icon button to select an icon for the widget.

Click on the back button in the Android status bar.

A new widget with the selected icon will appear on the start screen. Click on the widget to see how the task works in manual mode.

Profile Properties

The Properties link will appear at the top of the screen if you hold your finger on the profile name for a few seconds. Using this link, you can view and change some settings of the current profile

So, if you check the box Number of repetitions. you can specify the maximum number of profile hits. In the Time between activations field, you can set the minimum time interval between profile activations. If you uncheck the Show In Notification Pulldown checkbox, the information that the profile is active will not be displayed in the status bar.

EXAMPLES OF USING TASKER

Performing the same actions every day, you may not even be aware that they can be automated. Below are the most common examples of using Tasker to perform everyday tasks.

Launching a music app when headphones are connected

You have connected headphones to your smartphone. Your next step will almost certainly be launching an application to play audio files. Tasker can do this for you. Create a new profile and select the context Status > Hardware > Headphones connected. Return to the list of profiles by clicking on the back button, click on the link New task. Specify a name for the task, for example Launch Player. Touch the button and select the category Signal > Menu. In the Items field, click on the button for adding an item. Click the Action button. Select the action category Application > Launch Application. A list of installed applications will appear on the screen. Choose the right one. If you need to launch multiple applications, return to the step of adding an action, in the Items field, click the add item button and add another application.

Disable some device features when the battery is low

Android owners really appreciate every opportunity to recharge mobile device. If there is no power source nearby, you can extend battery life by turning off unnecessary functions. Create a profile that will automatically optimize the performance of the device when the charge decreases. Create a new profile and select the context Status > Charging > Battery level. Move the From slider to position 0 and the To slider to position 20

Add a new task and name it, for example, Low Battery Actions. Add an action Network > Change Wi-Fi Status. By default, the Disable action is selected for it, in which case you do not need to change the settings.

Return to the Add Actions window and add another one by selecting the Network > Auto Sync category. In the Install list, select Disable. Now, when the battery is low, automatic synchronization will be disabled. You can also reduce the brightness of the display to save battery. To do this, return to the window for adding actions and select the category Display > Display brightness. Set the desired brightness using the Level slider. You can also turn off Bluetooth data transfer to optimize battery life. To do this, add the action Network > Bluetooth and in the Installation list, select the Disable option. Now our task contains four actions that will be performed every time the battery level drops to 20%

Mute the call during important meetings

This profile is useful for those who use the calendar to schedule appointments. During important meetings, it is customary to turn off the bell so that the phone does not distract the participants. Tasker can put the phone on silent mode itself, and turn it back on when the meeting is over. To create such a profile, select the context State > Application > Calendar Entry. Click the search icon next to the Calendar field to select the one you need. By default, Tasker will respond to all calendar entries, but you can use an availability filter. For example, a profile can become active only if an appointment is found in the calendar for which the user has indicated that he will be unavailable during the appointment. To create such a context, in the Available list, select No. If the Doesn't matter option is selected, the profile will work on all records without exception. When you have finished setting up the context, return to the Profiles tab by clicking the button and click the New task link. Enter its name, then add a new action. Select the category Audio > Silent Mode. In the Mode list, select Silence

Run an application at a given time

Previously, people could not imagine a morning without a fresh newspaper and a cup of coffee. The habit of drinking coffee has survived to this day, but instead of a newspaper, many people use a tablet. If you, too, start your day by reading the news or browsing your friend's feed, set up Tasker to automatically launch an RSS reader or other app at a given time.

Create a time context. In the From section, enter the time you usually get up. The time in the To section should be the same because the action must be performed once. Now create a new task and add the action Application > Launch Application. Select desired application from the list.

Turn off the ringer when turning the smartphone screen down

There are situations when the smartphone rings at the wrong time. Instead of apologizing to those present and looking for controls that turn off the signal, you can do it easier: create a profile that will put the phone in Silent mode when you turn the device upside down. Here's how it's done:

Add a new context State > Sensor > Orientation. In the Position list, select Screen Down. Return to the Profiles tab and click the New task button. Enter a name for the task, then add a new action. Select the category Audio > Silent Mode. In the Mode list, select Silence.

Note that the Orientation context allows you to work with a variety of device positions, including upright, left side, right side. However, the screen down option is the most convenient - if you need to quickly respond to unwanted call you definitely won't miss.

Scheduled SMS sending

Why do people send SMS? Very often - to wish you a happy birthday, when you don’t want to call. And also - to tell your beloved before going to bed that she is the only one. In order not to forget to send SMS on time, you can assign the sending of important text messages at a given time to Tasker. Let's tell you more about how to do it:

Create a new profile and add the Day context. Specify a date sending SMS. Here you can select both days of the month and days of the week, select all dates or only even / odd

Add a new task and select the Phone > Send SMS action. In the Number field, enter the recipient's phone number. By clicking on the button, you can find a contact in address book. In the Message field, enter the SMS text.

Now you need to specify exact time sending a message. To do this, you need to add a second context to the profile.

Return to the Profiles tab and click the button. click on the profile, and then touch the name of the date context and hold your finger for a while. Select the Add option from the menu and specify the Time context. Set the time to send the message. You can also set the SMS to be resent every few hours or every few minutes. To do this, check the Repeat checkbox and set the frequency of sending. Using the profile cloning function, you can set up automatic sending of greetings to friends and relatives. Highlight a profile by long clicking on it, click on the Clone link at the top of the screen, and then on the date context to change the date the message was sent. Go to the properties of the send SMS action and change the number to which the message will be sent.

Automatic answer to missed calls and SMS

Using variables, you can send automatic responses to calls and text messages when you cannot answer yourself (for example, while sleeping). To create such a profile, you need to use two contexts: Time and Event. To get started, select the Time context and specify the length of time you won't be able to answer a phone call. Now add a new task. Give it a name and add the action Phone > Send SMS. In the Number field, specify the %CNUM variable (thanks to it, messages will be sent to the numbers from which the calls came). In the Message field, enter the response text. Here you can write, for example, the following: “I'm sorry, but now I cannot answer your call. I'll call you back in the morning."

Return to the list of profiles. To add a second context, click on the name of the profile, and then touch and hold the line with the first context until a menu appears. Select Add and add the context Event > Phone > Missed call.

To create a profile designed to automatically reply to incoming SMS, clone current profile. To do this, click on its name and hold your finger until the Clone button appears on the top panel. Make changes to your profile. Click the Missed Call context and click the Switch Event button. Select the context Text message received.

Now back to the list of profiles. Click the task, then click the send message action. In the Number field, change the value of the variable to %SMSRF. You can add its name manually or click on the button and select SMS from number from the list of variables.

Turn off new mail notifications on weekends

Your smartphone is smart enough to notify you of new emails in e-mail, but he clearly lacks the brains to think about whether you always want to receive these notifications. Maybe on weekends you would rather forget about work? Tasker will help you get rid of annoying reminders. Create a new profile and add the Day context. Click the Days of the month button and switch to the Days of the week mode. Select the days of the week you want to receive mail. Return to the list of profiles and create a new task. Add a Network > Auto Sync action. In the Install list, select Enable.

Now you need to create an output job. To do this, return to the list of profiles, touch the line with the task and hold your finger until the menu appears. Select Add Exit Task. Create a new task and add the same action: Network > Autosync. Now in the Install list, select Disable.

Receive notifications based on location

Despite the fact that our life is unthinkable without electronic organizers and shopping lists, there are things that we constantly forget about. To get a reminder exactly when you need it most, you can use the Place context. He works in conjunction with google maps. Select on the map the location of the store where you constantly forget to buy chocolate bars for your child. Set the value of the Radius parameter to 50-100 meters. Click on the Capture button to indicate the location on the map. Coordinates can be determined using GPS or a network signal. The first option is more accurate, but the second one uses the battery more economically.

Create a new task and add the action Phone > Send SMS. Enter your phone number in the Number field. In the Message field, enter the reminder text.

Advanced Scheduler. Allows for different events to produce actions / lists of actions. Similar to Locale, only much more powerful. It is possible to create widgets with an arbitrary list of actions.

Main list of events:

• Application Service Activity Tracking
• Launching and shutting down the application
• Launching the selected activity of the application (long tap on the application in the selection list)
• User request for help in an application or system
• The occurrence of a certain time and / or date, as well as the day, week, month, day of the month or week, day of the month or week, last day months
• The onset and end of a certain period of time
• The onset and end of the event in the calendar, alarm clock
• Entrance to geographical area(determined by GPS or cell towers and points WIFI access) and exit from it
• Connecting the machine to a specific cell tower (from a specified list of towers)
• Establishing and disconnecting a connection in a specific mobile data transfer mode: 2G, 3G, 4G and others
• Reaching and losing a certain level of cellular signal reception
• Finding a specific (or any) WIFI hotspot, connecting to it and disconnecting from it
• Turning airplane mode on and off
• Turn Bluetooth, NFC, and WIFI adapters on and off
• Hardware keyboard events (open-extract/close-retract)
• Pressing certain hardware keys, including those on headphones (wired or wireless)
• Pressing soft buttons and some other user interface elements of Android and third-party programs
• Incoming or outgoing call, answer an incoming call, end a call
• Receiving SMS (MMS)
• Successful sending of SMS (MMS) and an error when sending it
• Missed call, SMS (MMS)
• Events from various built-in sensors (illuminance, proximity to an object, orientation, movement, magnetic field, pressure, temperature, humidity, pedometer)
• Connecting and disconnecting charger(wired, wireless, USB bus powered)
• Reaching a certain battery level, discharging the battery below a certain level, changing the battery level
• Turning the screensaver on or off (Android Daydream)
• Connecting to and disconnecting from a computer via USB
• Connecting to the machine USB devices and turn them off
• Connecting and disconnecting an SD card
• Finishing downloading Android and starting to turn off the device
• Screen on/off, screen unlock
• Starting and ending a user session
• Creating, modifying and deleting a file on the SD card
• Connecting and disconnecting wired or wireless headphones, Bluetooth devices and USB
• Connecting to and disconnecting from a car or desktop dock, TV, watch
• Spatial movement of the device in a given way - gesture
• Shaking the apparatus
• The occurrence of a certain system event in Android - receiving an intent (intent)
• Changing the system date, time, time zone
• Adding, updating, and deleting an app
• Appearance of a certain or any window (ordinary, pop-up, dialog)
• The appearance of an application notification in the system notification bar and the user selects such a notification

Main Action List:

• Driving mode control
• Airplane mode control, incl. selective shutdown of radio modules
• Volume control, incl. individual streams: call, tone dialing signal (DTMF), telephone conversation, incl. via bluetooth headset, alarm clock, ringtones, notifications
• Ringtone playback and vibration control for incoming calls
• Answer to incoming call("to answer a call")
• Silent control
• Screen settings management: brightness, incl. automatic brightness mode, orientation, duration of inactivity before blocking, incl. when charging
• Getting information about screen characteristics: screen dimensions, screen resolution, current auto-orientation setting
• Setting the wallpaper on the home screen
• Screen lock management: turn the lock on and off, incl. forced inclusion blocking
• Controlling the auto-sync mode
• Mode control sound accompaniment clicks on hardware and software buttons, haptic navigation mode (haptic feedback)
• LED control, incl. LED backlight mode when displaying notifications by Android and third-party applications
• Night mode control
• Enable/disable adapters Bluetooth, NFC, WIFI, WiMax, GPS, network mobile communications, including control of data transfer modes in the mobile communication network
• Getting information about network connection(connection type, availability of access to mobile transmission data), about parameters WIFI networks(adapter MAC address, signal strength, access point name), Bluetooth, Ethernet
• Setting device name in bluetooth network
• Enabling and disabling various modes of data transfer via NFC, incl. Android Beam and NFC Payment
• emulation of button presses incl. and non-existent on the device, for example, joystick emulation - a "universal sledgehammer", which is used for almost everything
• text input emulation
• Capture in the exclusive use of some hardware buttons
• Closing system dialogs
• Inserting an event into a calendar
• Get information about calendar entries
• Call to a specific number
• Outgoing call management certain numbers: call blocking and forwarding
• Creation of letters, SMS and MMS
• Sending SMS
• Getting information about contacts in the phone book
• Application launch, incl. call log, contacts (with the selection of specific contacts), maps (with the selection of a specific location), input language selection dialog, applications that provide separation of Internet traffic via USB and WIFI (tether)
• Getting information about installed apps and application components (activities, services, receivers)
• Managing the notification panel: displaying and minimizing it
• Interrupt Mode Control
• Adding a new alarm
• Starting the system stopwatch
• Selecting the default SMS application
• Force Quit Applications
• Control music player, incl. built-in, incl. playlist generation
• Playing audio files, built-in ringtones incl. with audio stream selection
• Getting information about audio files: title, artist, playing time
• Vibration activation, incl. according to a given template
• Built-in microphone control, incl. sound recording from it
• Operations with directories and files: creating, copying, moving, reading (getting a list of files in the case of directories), checking the existence of a file, reading file attributes: size, access rights, modification time, writing, deleting, archiving to a zip archive, extracting from zip archive, encryption and decryption)
• Working with images: resizing, cropping, rotating, applying a filter
• Setting default ringtones for calls, alarms, notifications
• Determination of the current location (by GPS or by cell towers and WIFI access points)
• Connection to Ethernet networks and disconnect from it
• Output of messages, ordinary and pop-up dialogs, menus, lists (in fact, it is possible to build arbitrary graphical user interfaces through scenes
• Displaying notifications in the notification panel, incl. accompanied by LED lighting or sound notifications, vibration
• Canceling your own notifications
• Speech recognition and synthesis
• Switching to the home screen, incl. with a specific number
• Getting the ID of the current user
• Working with web servers: receiving and sending content, not necessarily in html format, running scripts in shell, javascript, SL4A
• Using Java language constructs and calling Java and Android language functions (via Java reflection mechanism)
• remount partitions on internal or external map memory
• Starting a system forced scan of an SD card
• Sending an arbitrary system event - intent (intent)
• Adding content to the clipboard
• Photography
• Flash control
• Operators for organizing control in programs: creating and changing variables, arrays, the if-then-else operator, loops, calling subroutines (in fact, even coroutines), mathematical functions, searching and replacing by pattern, incl. using regular expressions

Both of these lists are far from complete. Firstly, Tasker's set of events and actions can be expanded by connecting third-party plugins, thousands of them. Secondly, using emulation of hardware and software keys or running scripts on the shell and SL4A, you can perform almost any action. And besides, there is also the reception and sending of intents.

Scenes

Scenes allow you to add a graphical user interface to tasks. That is, if you dreamed of orange buttons on a crimson background, Tasker scenes are exactly what you need to make your dream come true.
In fact, the raspberry background, of course, no one uses. Almost. But, for example, make the background of the window transparent, place the window on top of the status bar, and display the text with the battery charge in the window itself. Tempting? Still would.

List of interface elements

• button- button
• checkbox- a checkbox (by marking the same element with a checkmark in the paragraph, we change one or another parameter).
• Doodle– a field where we can draw an element on the screen
• Image- picture
• map– gps map
• Menu- a menu with a scrollable list of all the items we have added
• Number Picker- number selection (as for example in the setting given in android. Spinning drum)
• oval- graphic element oval.
• Restangle- graphic figure
• slider- the so-called slider (changing the volume in the settings, for example, is done in the form of a slider)
• spinner- drop-down menu
• text- text display
• textEdit– input field, text editing
• toggle– on / off button (such as turn on wifi in settings
• webview – web browsing pages ( standard means android)

We take the interface elements listed above, combine them in different ways, set the width, height, colors so that it is not boring. Such a set is called a scene.

1. We start by determining the size of the scene (tab scenes), press (+) enter the name of our scene, then in visual editor scenes - increase / decrease the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe scene to the size we need
2. Now we can fill the created scene with our elements

In the screenshot above, the image of the radio (all these buttons, wheels, orange screen in the center) is set as a background image for our scene (set as background). UI elements have been added to the scene with transparent background (dotted lines in the picture - the borders of the elements). To create a more realistic interface (draw a pressed key, for example), you will have to draw (steal) a picture for each graphic element (in several versions, a pressed and not pressed button). And set these pictures as a background for each element separately, then the background of the scene can be filled with one color.
4. We sign the buttons (Text). In the screenshot below - Tasker's dialog for editing the LIGHT button (it is in the center of a row of buttons located immediately below the orange screen). We assign actions to the buttons to taste for tapping (Tap), long pressing (Long Tap)

Tasker Android

"Contexts" define the situation in which a particular action is performed. This can be time of day, location, phone status (for example, charging).

"Tasks" is a list of actions for any specific situation. This includes everything from enabling/disabling system settings to sending messages.

If your phone's charge drops to 20 percent ("context"), Wi-Fi is turned off ("task").

There are an infinite number of combinations of situations and actions, both simple and complex, it's all up to you. Android forums are full of examples of interesting applications Tasker, but if you are new to this business, then first of all you will need some basic guidance.

When you run Tasker, you will be taken to the Profiles tab. this is the place where the combinations you created (contexts + tasks) are indicated. At the bottom of the screen is a big plus, a button that you will use when creating a new profile. The best way familiarize yourself with the application - create several such profiles.

1. Turn on the music app when headphones are connected

In this scenario, every time you connect the headphones, the menu of the music application will appear.

Click on the plus to create a new profile. Name it, for example, "Music" and click the checkmark. From the context menu, select State > Hardware > Headset Plugged. Then a green tick. Next, the task selection menu will appear. Select a new task (New Task), name it "start music". Click on the blue plus. Basically, it has everything your phone can do. Select Alert > Menu. In the "items" section, click the gray "Action" button. Then App > Load app and one of the music apps you want to download. To add another application, click on the green plus, "Action" button and repeat the above steps. Click the green checkmark when done.

2. Disable certain processes when the battery is low

This task will disable power-hungry processes when the battery is low. Click on the plus to create a new profile. Name it "Battery" and click the checkmark. From the context menu, select State > Power > Battery Level. Set the slider for the minimum level to zero, the maximum level to twenty. Click the checkmark. In the task selection menu, click "New Task" and name it "Low Battery". In the next window, click on the blue plus. Here you can select the settings that will be turned off at a given charge level. To turn off auto-sync, do the following: Net > Auto-Sync and click on the checkmark. To add another task - click on the blue plus. To turn off Wi-Fi - Net> Wi-Fi> checkmark.

Repeat this procedure for any other processes you wish to disable. For example, you can do this for Bluetooth (menu item Net) or display brightness (menu item Display).

3. Starting a task from the application icon on the homescreen

Tasks are usually associated with such contexts as location, time, state. However, you can link a task to a homescreen icon, it will only be executed when the latter is clicked. To create a widget, press and hold on the homescreen, then press "Add to Home Screen". Then click on "apps" and go to the widgets tab. This process may vary depending on the version of your Android and OEM. Find a widget Tasker and add it to your homescreen. The job selection menu appears. Here you can choose what you need. Click "New Task", name it, then click on the blue plus to add your first task. The choice of tasks is very large (from composing a message to turning off Wi-Fi and opening the settings menu). You can add any number of tasks to the widget - just click on the blue plus.

Introduction

Frankly, thinking about which side to approach this review took almost more time than writing it directly. I don't know whether or not to believe the people who call Tasker the hardest Android app, but the fact remains that the app manual I downloaded from the web is about 200 pages long. PDF format. Entire sites and forums are devoted to individual profiles and tasks of Tasker "a, users shoot videos about the procedure for working with it, post ready-made scripts - and with all this, it can hardly be argued that the application has been studied up and down. And since I'm in Tasker" Since I am a complete novice and layman, I decided this: let this text become a kind of introduction, and in the future I will share my experience as I master it. I can't promise it will be regular or often, but I'll try.

What is Tasker and what is it for? This is an application designed to automate the various actions that your smartphone performs on a regular basis. In other words, Tasker will save you from the need to perform routine manipulations, for example, turn on Wi-Fi in a certain place, launch the necessary applications in specified time or when connecting appropriate accessories, etc. Yes, these are the simplest functions that many devices are already trained in. But the possibilities of Tasker "a are much, much wider - up to creating some kind of your own applications with it, according to the reviews.

preliminary conclusion

Tasker is a serious automation application that will not only significantly expand the capabilities of your device and make it more functional and technological, but also allow you to experiment and show a certain amount of imagination. A real find for fans of extraordinary software solutions.

First acquaintance and interface

I would like to start right away with fly in the ointment, otherwise it will not be clear why some moments are exactly the way they are. So:

1. Tasker is translated into Russian, but not completely. And what is translated is not always correct. I was tempted to screen only the English-language interface, but respect for readers who do not speak foreign won.

2. Tasker is completely unintuitive. Having launched the application, you will have to delve into it for a long and tedious time before an elementary algorithm of work is built in your head. Therefore, it is necessary to show patience and thoughtfulness.

So let's get started:

You have downloaded and installed Tasker. The application immediately prompts you to create a new profile,

but instead, we'll first switch from "Beginner" mode to normal mode. To do this, call the settings and uncheck the box. After that, the start screen will look like this:

To activate or deactivate the application, you need to hold the Tasker "a icon in the upper right corner. When the application is active, the icon is colored.

We see four tabs: "Profiles", "Tasks", "Scenes" and "Variables". I don’t know, maybe in other versions of the application everything is in Russian. I couldn't find any updates.

So far, all tabs are empty. Let's start with Profiles. The house in the lower right corner brings up a menu that allows you to manage existing profiles. We don't have them yet.

The plus sign in the lower left corner creates a new profile. I suggest you take a look at specific example, how it works:

This list contains options for the context that will automatically launch certain actions. Select, say, "Time":

That is, you must specify the time interval within which the actions will be performed. Let's take nighttime as an example:

To confirm the creation of a profile, you need to click the Tasker "a button in the upper left corner.

The profile has been created, now you need to fill it with content in the form of tasks. The offer to do this pops up automatically. We press the plus sign.

Let's conditionally name the task "Silent Night" and click on the checkmark. Now you need to select the actions that will be performed as part of the "Silent Night" task.

As you can see, there are many options, but not everyone needs them - moreover, far from all are expedient within the framework of the scenario we need. Suppose we do not want to jump at night from an unexpectedly loud call from our beloved boss. Select "Ring volume" and set the level we need. But the customization options don't end there. Two intertwined arrows at the top right allow you to set the required level in percent - for lovers of accuracy. The plus sign next to "If" allows you to set additional conditions related by correlations "and", "or", etc. We will not go deep into this jungle yet, but, as you can see, the possibilities are more than wide.

So, the volume level is set. We should add a couple more tasks. Let's say, let the brightness of the screen be minimal so that it doesn't hurt our eyes if we get into the head waking up to see what time it is. Or reply to an unexpected SMS from a girlfriend/boyfriend. Select "Screen", then "Display Brightness". We put 10%, add a tick "Immediate effect" and generally choose any options to your taste.

Now we already have two tasks. Let's come up with a third, for luck.

For example, for those who have Wi-Fi always on at home, you can provide for its automatic deactivation at a specified time. Select "Network", then "WiFi Status". Turn off.

We have created three tasks. It looks like this on the Tasks tab:

By clicking on the name of the task, you can change the actions included in it or add new ones.

And the "Profile" tab now looks like this:

As you can see, the profile can be disabled. And with the activated profile, it turns out that every day from 00:00 to 06:00:
1. Ringer volume will be at minimum.
2. Screen brightness will be 10%.
3. Wi-Fi will not work.

You can also activate the energy saving program, for example. And this will be done automatically, i.e. without any involvement on our part.

Let's practice and create another profile. Let's make it so that when you turn on mobile internet a list of the most relevant applications appeared on the display. Go to the "Profiles" tab again and create a new profile. This time the context will be "Status" => "Network" => " cellular". We put the necessary checkboxes.

Create a task called "InetApps". Adding actions. "Signal" => "Menu". Layout (location) is set to Icon Grid Menu (i.e., application icons without their names). Scroll down and under the word Item, press the plus sign, then "Action". Select an application, say Gmail. We repeat the same for each application that we want to see in our list. I also chose Vkontakte and Socialife.

This is what the final profile looks like:

Exit and enable data transfer. Voila: a window with three applications popped up on top of the home screen. Their list can be expanded; if we do not need any at the moment, just press the return button. I haven't figured out how to get the window back after I'm done with one of the apps. But everything is ahead.

Well, let's practice some more, shall we? Now let's try to create a link to some application or service. Yes, Tasker allows you to do this, and you don’t even need to create a profile for this. Instead, we immediately make a new task "Downloads". Then "Application" => "Run application". By activating the "All" function at the bottom, we get access not only to ordinary applications, but also to various services and program files. Find "Downloads". There is a new challenge.

We exit Tasker, but do not turn it off. Add the Task Shortcut widget to the home screen. A dialog box appears with a list of tasks and a suggestion to create a new one. Select the already existing task "Downloads". Now you need to select an icon. The list opens by clicking on the square in the lower right corner. For a change, choose a different image - "Embedded Icon". Find a suitable one, say, an arrow pointing down. It remains to be confirmed. The icon appeared on home screen, and it will instantly take us to the list of downloaded files.

So, we have one more main tab left - this is "Scenes". In short, this is a tool for creating your own interface elements: buttons, sliders, dialog boxes, etc. One has already appeared - this is the same list of applications that pops up when we turn on data transfer. But in fact, this section deserves a separate full-fledged review, its possibilities are so great, up to creating your own applications. which can then be issued in apk file and put in Play market. At least that's what they say on forums and websites. In any case, I won’t analyze the Scenes in detail now, but I’d better write a separate review later.

And then there are Variables. They allow you to set additional conditions for profiles and tasks, from simple circumstances of place and time to humidity levels or magnetic field strength (if your device can measure it). You can also create your own variables. This is also a subject for further study and reviews.

Well... that's it. I hope this introductory digression did not seem too chaotic or superficial to you. I would be grateful for fair criticism. In the future, I'm going to dwell in more detail on the features of this curious application in all respects. Personally, I already understand: Tasker is a real find for an inquisitive mind.

Thank you for attention!

P.S. Oh yeah, I forgot to say that Tasker is a paid app. But I think the developers deserve every penny.