Variables are special named "containers" for values that change. (The word "variable" comes from the changing nature of the values that variables represent.)
We say that values are "assigned to" or "stored in" variables. If you picture a variable as a container that can hold a value, assigning a value to a variable is like "placing" that value into a container. You can change this value at any time by assigning a new value to the variable; the new value simply replaces the old one. This ability to hold changeable information is what makes variables so useful.
Variable names in Setup Factory always begin and end with a percentage sign. At design time these variable names serve as placeholders, marking the places where the values will go once those values become known.
Wherever you use a variable like %CompanyName% in Setup Factory, the user will see the value that was assigned to that variable instead. (In this case, the user would see the value you specified for your company name on the Product Info tab of the General Design screen, i.e. some text like "Foobar Widgets and Gadgets Corp.")
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Normally, the user never sees the variable names-just the values they represent. (The exception is when a variable gets used before a value is assigned to it. In that case, the name of the variable is shown where the value would have appeared.) |
There are two kinds of variables in Setup Factory: built-in variables, and custom variables.
See Also: Naming Variables, Defining Variables with Actions, Defining Variables with Screens, What Can You Do With Variables?