Using Variables

Creating and editing variables is discussed in depth in Adding A New Variable. This section will talk about using variables in a design.

Inserting a Variable into a Layout

To insert a variable you can either use the 'Insert Variable' button  on the layout code toolbar, or right-click and select 'Insert Variable'.

You will then be presented with a list of variables that are valid within the current layout. Select one from the list, or click 'New' to add a new variable (discussed in Adding A New Variable).

If you are having trouble finding the variable you want, then enter a search term in the 'List names containing' field. You can also choose to look within certain classes of variable by selecting one from the drop down.

Once you have selected the variable you want to insert, click 'Insert'.

Editing the Main Properties of a Variable

You can edit the main properties of a variable from the Design tab. Simple right-click on a user-definable variable and select 'Edit Text'.

The settings in this window are described in Variable Configuration.

If there is no 'Edit Text' option, this is because the variable you have selected is a system variable that you can't edit.

Editing The Appearance of a Variable

Right-click on a variable and select 'Edit Appearance'. You  will be shown a selection of settings that control the appearance of that variable in the design.

The first group of settings ('Bold', 'Underline' etc.) are controlled by the 'Preview Toolbar' - see Editing Layouts - but you can also manually set the text appearance here.

The 'Selectable' setting controls whether or not the variable can be selected within the preview. It is a good idea to leave this set to 'true'.

At the bottom of the 'Instance Properties' window is a setting called 'Condition'. This is either set to 'True' (the variable always appears), 'False' (the variable never appears) or you can control when the variable appears with a condition, by selecting 'Edit Expression' or 'Browse Condition'.

Conditions are discussed in more depth in Inserting Conditions.