Contents

# Variables

Variable fields let you add dynamic content to your document. For example, you can use a variable to reset the page numbering.

To access this command...

#### From the menu bar:

Choose Insert - Field - More Fields - Variables tab

#### From the tabbed interface:

On the Insert tab, choose Field - More Fields - Variables tab.

Field

#### From the keyboard:

Ctrl + F12

To add a field to your document, click a field type, click a field in the Select list, and then click Insert.

## Type

Lists the available Variable field types.

Type | Description
--- | ---

Set Variable

Defines a variable and its value. You can change the value of a variable by clicking in front of the variable field, and then choosing Edit - Field.

By default, all variables are created of numeric type.

When you insert a Set Variable field into the document for the first time, you need to define its format in the Format area. The format can be either text or numeric, with various number formats available. Once defined, you cannot change the format unless you remove the variable from the document. By default, all variables are created of numeric format.

Show Variable | Inserts the current value of the variable that you click in the Select list.
DDE field | Inserts a DDE link into the document, that you can update as often as you want through the assigned name.

Insert Formula

Inserts a fixed number, or the result of a formula.

When a variable is created with a numeric value, its content is interpreted as a formula, and the result is automatically converted to a number. Plain text enclosed in quotes evaluates to 0, but if you enter a mixed string like "123a456", the conversion stops at the first non-numeric character—resulting in the number 123.

The formula expression follows the rules for formulas in tables, using variables defined in the document rather than table cells.

Input field

Inserts a new value for a variable or a User Field.

The value of a variable in an Input field is only valid from where the field is inserted and onwards. To change the value of the variable later in the document, insert another Input field of the same name, but with a different value. However, the value of a User Field is changed globally.

The variables are displayed in the Select field. When you click the Insert button, the Review Fields dialogue box appears, where you can enter the new value or additional text as a remark.

Number range | Inserts automatic numbering for tables, graphics or frames.
Set page variable | Inserts a reference point in the document, after which the page count restarts. Select "on" to enable the reference point, and "off" to disable it. You can also enter an offset to start the page count at a different number.
Show page variable | Displays the number of pages from the "Set page variable" reference point to this field.
User Field | Inserts a custom global variable. You can use the User Field to define a variable for a condition statement. When you change a User Field, all instances of the variable in the document are updated.

## Select

Lists the available fields for the field type selected in the Type list. To insert a field, click the field, and then click Insert.

To quickly insert a field from the Select list, hold down Command Ctrl and double-click the field.

### Format

If a field is displaying a date, time or number, then Format is used to customise the appearance of the date, time, or number. Common formats are shown in the Format window, or click "Additional formats" to define a custom format.

### Name

Type the name of the user-defined field that you want to create. This option is available for "Set variable", "DDE field", "Number range" and "User Field" field types.

User-defined fields are only available in the current document.

### Value

Enter the contents that you want to add to a user-defined field.

In the Format list, define if the value is inserted as text or a number.

The following fields can only be inserted if the corresponding field type is selected in the Type list.

In an HTML document, two additional fields are available for the "Set variable" field type: HTML_ON and HTML_OFF. The text that you type in the Value box is converted to an opening HTML tag (<Value>) or to a closing HTML (</Value>) tag when the file is saved as an HTML document, depending on the option that you select.

## DDE Statement

The general syntax for a DDE command is: "<Server> <Topic> <Item>", where server is the DDE name for the application that contains the data. Topic refers to the location of the Item (usually the file name), and Item represents the actual object.

This option is only available if the "DDE field" field type is selected.

## Formula

This option is only available if the "Insert Formula" field type is selected.

### Reference

Type the text that you want to display in the field. If you are inserting a placeholder field, type the text that you want to display as a help tip when you rest the mouse pointer over the field.

#### Offset

Enter the offset value that you want to apply to a page number field, for example "+1".

This option is only available if the "Set page variable" field type is selected.

## Invisible

Hides the field contents in the document. The field is inserted as a thin grey mark in the document. This option is only available for the "Set Variable" and "User Field" field types.

## With Heading Number

Use this option to display a heading number before a “number range” field. The heading number comes from a heading prior to the location of the field.

### Up to level

With typical use of headings in the document, the selected number will indicate how many levels of heading number (starting from level 1) to display. The selected value indicates the maximum number of levels to show. The actual number may have fewer levels. For example, if the immediately prior heading number is 2.6, and 4 is selected, then only 2.6 is displayed . If [None] is selected, no heading number is displayed.

The heading number selected for display is the first prior heading whose outline level is equal to or less than the selected outline level. For example, select “2” to use the heading number of the first prior heading with outline level 1 or outline level 2.

### Separator

Specify the character to use as a separator between the heading number and the field number.

With Heading Number, Up to level and Separator are only available for the “Number range” field type.

## Apply

Adds the user-defined field to the Select list.

Apply

## Delete

Removes the user-defined field from the select list. You can only remove fields that are not used in the current document. To remove a field that is used in the current document from the list, first delete all instances of the field in the document, and then remove it from the list.

Delete

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