I just started using it a few months ago and most stuff I did was only possible using yaml (templates, custom integrations etc.). I think it depends on your requirements.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

None of my custom integrations are configured with YAML anymore, they've all moved to the GUI. Even a couple of my templates have been made directly in the GUI.

"Not a single line of YAML" is a bit hyperbole, but the only YAML I've got left in my setup are a handful of custom sensors, I haven't checked if that can now be done from the GUI. It's around 100 lines of YAML in total or something like that. But all the home automation stuff is done purely with GUI.

There has been huge improvements on what can be done from the GUI in the last few years since I started with HA.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Most of my automations use templates. I have template sensors, I use the KNX integration, which must be configured using yaml and the adaptive lighting integration as well. For my dashboard I used many template cards (evaluation of states with templates to set appropriate icons, colours and text), tabbed cards, card mod for css inside yaml for my custom room cards.

You see, it absolutely depends on your requirements and how sophisticated your dashboard is.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I use the KNX integration, which must be configured using yaml

This is probably because of the devs behind the integration though and not the fault of HA.

I have my all my cards and dashboards defined through GUI as well, you van make plenty sophisticated interfaces without YAML. A lot of tutorials are probably not up to date with what you can do though and use YAML.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I don't think you can do something like this without yaml (fully custom mushroom template cards, each button opens a popup with the entities in the room, text formatting and unit conversion, also icons change dynamically depending on state and icons appear for open windows):

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago (2 children)

It's relative. If you just started, it might feel like a lot of YAML, but if you used it back when everything had to be done in YAML, modern Home Assistant will feel like little to no YAML.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 8 months ago

"haven't written a single line of YAML" doesn't sound relative

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I have around 2500 lines of yaml, I think that's relatively much.