# Eztimer programming errors, timer won't start

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/eztimer-programming-errors-timer-wont-start/15485>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [12 September 2019 23:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/eztimer-programming-errors-timer-wont-start/15485 "2019-09-12T23:51:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 12\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [13 September 2019 15:16 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/eztimer-programming-errors-timer-wont-start/15485/21 "2019-09-13T15:16:52Z")

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> [@gerry](#):
>
> I'm going to assume that the eztimer node actually works since it is in the library

Hmm, that might be the start of your issue I'm afraid. The library is generated automatically by and large. Just because a package exists doesn't mean that it works or that it works well.

Clearly there are not many people in this forum using it. The library has a star rating and you could raise an issue on the github repo.

> [@gerry](#):
>
> I will keep hammering on this if for nothing else to improve my skills at this point

I've seen worse reasons 🙂

> [@gerry](#):
>
> I would hope that helping less technically capable people like me would be the focus and goal of this forum but perhaps I'm too altruistic.

Woah there cowboy, steady on. There are a lot of us here who have spent countless hours of our personal time helping others of all abilities and knowledge levels.

But we all have limited time and energy so have to pick and choose what to spend time on. That you wish to expand your knowledge by working with this node is great - but that doesn't mean that we wish to do the same.

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**Author:** ![gerry](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/gerry/32/21604_2.png) [@gerry](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/gerry)\
**Post date:** [13 September 2019 15:55 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/eztimer-programming-errors-timer-wont-start/15485/22 "2019-09-13T15:55:06Z")

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You are correct, sometimes frustration does creep in.

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**Author:** ![bakman2](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/bakman2/32/6207_2.png) [@bakman2](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/bakman2)\
**Post date:** [13 September 2019 16:51 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/eztimer-programming-errors-timer-wont-start/15485/23 "2019-09-13T16:51:35Z")

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> [@gerry](#):
>
> I want to be able to do this without cracking back open the programmer. It seems to me that one should be able to programmatically change those settings.

Did you take a look at [light scheduler](https://www.npmjs.com/package/node-red-contrib-light-scheduler) as suggested ? You don't have to program anything, just visually select the day/timeframe.

 ![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/2X/5/574c69b24f51357f3c4c0f8ec0eaa589da9b84a9.png)

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**Author:** ![gerry](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/gerry/32/21604_2.png) [@gerry](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/gerry)\
**Post date:** [13 September 2019 18:13 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/eztimer-programming-errors-timer-wont-start/15485/24 "2019-09-13T18:13:56Z")

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I have not looked at that node as a primary criteria is it must be done via the UI. My wife has to be able to set the schedule and I had used another node in my first program (I can't recall the node now) that also couldn't use a UI. Needless to say the wife absolutely threw a fit about having to use a programmer and all. The sad part of it is she was absolutely right. Because I couldn't or wouldn't make it a user friendly interface was no reason for her to have to put up with it. So, I'm having to modify the program to make it user friendly.

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**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [13 September 2019 21:24 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/eztimer-programming-errors-timer-wont-start/15485/25 "2019-09-13T21:24:09Z")

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The last couple of posts in the following thread for Steve's new cron-plus node shows that Lena and Steve are working on this.

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**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [14 September 2019 09:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/eztimer-programming-errors-timer-wont-start/15485/26 "2019-09-14T09:37:55Z")

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I'm certain he would have had it done by now had he used [node-red-contrib-cron-plus](https://flows.nodered.org/node/node-red-contrib-cron-plus).

The built in documentation and the built in importable example shows how to create schedules via a msg input.

This msg could easily be created from a dashboard.

No offense to the author of the ez node intended (I haven't used it) I'm sure it's a perfect fit for many things.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [14 September 2019 10:55 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/eztimer-programming-errors-timer-wont-start/15485/27 "2019-09-14T10:55:33Z")

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> [@Steve-Mcl](#):
>
> This msg could easily be created from a dashboard

Yes, we just need a good example to use 😉

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**Author:** ![bakman2](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/bakman2/32/6207_2.png) [@bakman2](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/bakman2)\
**Post date:** [14 September 2019 11:19 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/eztimer-programming-errors-timer-wont-start/15485/28 "2019-09-14T11:19:51Z")

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Perhaps [this](http://shawnchin.github.io/jquery-cron/) could help ?  
Various projects can be found on github to create an userinterface.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [14 September 2019 11:22 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/eztimer-programming-errors-timer-wont-start/15485/29 "2019-09-14T11:22:37Z")

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I was thinking of something that would pass the family-friendly test 🙂 However, that is a starting point. I think that Lena was saying she had something that might be wrangled to usability.

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**Author:** ![afelix](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/afelix/32/9743_2.png) [@afelix](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/afelix)\
**Post date:** [14 September 2019 12:16 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/eztimer-programming-errors-timer-wont-start/15485/30 "2019-09-14T12:16:06Z")

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I have indeed, though it’s more like a sketch on paper I still have to turn into an interface. From there on it’s usually a day or two before I’ve something working. Won’t be today that I can show a rough example; working on food experiments in the kitchen rather than node-red experiments today.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Steve-Mcl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/steve-mcl/32/4826_2.png) [@Steve-Mcl](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Steve-Mcl)\
**Post date:** [14 September 2019 12:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/eztimer-programming-errors-timer-wont-start/15485/31 "2019-09-14T12:31:51Z")

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No need. One of the functions of the node is "describe". You can send a control message to cron-plus node and get back a human readable description. It's all there in the built in help and importable example flow.

I did a sample back home where a text input "on change" triggered a control msg to "describe" the expression and fed that back to a ui\_text. All fairly simple.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![afelix](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/afelix/32/9743_2.png) [@afelix](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/afelix)\
**Post date:** [14 September 2019 12:40 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/eztimer-programming-errors-timer-wont-start/15485/32 "2019-09-14T12:40:55Z")

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I think what @bakman2 was suggesting was to use something like that for a configurable interface on dashboard level so you won’t have to dive into the flow/node configuration to edit the schedule when cron-plus already allows you to send schedule changes through a command 🙂

> [@Steve-Mcl](#):
>
> You can send a control message to cron-plus node and get back a human readable description.

This however makes that even better. Amazing node, once again!

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