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action:Set_Variable_to_Text [2016/04/16 08:02] – JMTX template + add forum link & internal link AlainLifchitzaction:Set_Variable_to_Text [2023/09/15 09:44] (current) – peternlewis
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-The Set Variable to Text action allows you to set a selected variable to plain text. +====== Set Variable to Text Action ======
  
-{{:action:setvariabletotext.png|200}}+The Set Variable to Text action allows you to set a selected variable to plain text, by either typing in the text box, or selecting a [[:Tokens|Token]].
  
 +Alternatively (v9.0+), you can Prepend the text to the variable, or Append the text to the variable by selecting from the action (gear) ⚙ menu.
  
-Select the variable to set from the //Set variable// pop-up or enter a variable name.+{{:action:set-variable-text-token-popup.png?nolink|}}
  
-Enter the text to use in the text area. +You can (v11.0+) set a specific array entry within the action. You can delete the entry by setting it to `%Delete%`.
  
-Use the arrow at the right of the text area to select variables, calculations, clipboards and other tokens to enter in the text area.+===== Examples ===== 
 + 
 +==== Set To Text You Type ==== 
 + 
 +{{:action:set-variable-text-to-text.png?nolink|}} 
 + 
 +==== Set to The Clipboard ==== 
 + 
 +{{:action:set-variable-text-to-clipboard.png?nolink|}} 
 + 
 +==== Set To Another Variable ==== 
 + 
 +{{:action:set-variable-text-to-variable.png?nolink|}} 
 + 
 +See below for how to use dynamic variable names. 
 + 
 +==== Combine Multiple Variables and Text ==== 
 + 
 +There is no need to use any operators when combining text with multiple variables or other tokens.  Just enter the text and variables/tokens as you would like them to appear in the Variable being set by this Action. 
 + 
 +{{:action:set-variable-text-combine-var.png?nolink|}} 
 + 
 +==== Append to Variable ==== 
 + 
 +You can append directly to a variable with the //Append// variant of the action: 
 + 
 +{{append-variable-with-text.png?nolink&512x157| Append to Variable }} 
 + 
 +or equivalently using text tokens to expand the variable: 
 + 
 +{{set-append-variable-with-text.png?nolink&512x157| Set Append to Variable }} 
 + 
 +==== Set Second Line of Variable ==== 
 + 
 +You can specify an array entry of the variable to set. By default, entries are comma separated, but you can specify an specific separator after the closing square bracket (`]`), 
 + 
 +{{ set-second-line-of-variable-example.png?nolink&512x310 | Set Second Line of Variable Example }} 
 + 
 +===== Setup ===== 
 + 
 +Configure the Action as Needed 
 + 
 + - Select the variable to set from the //Set variable// pop-up or enter a variable name. 
 + - In the text area, Enter the text and/or [[:Tokens|Tokens]] (which include Variables). 
 +    - You may intermix text and tokens as much as you like 
 +    - You can type the Token, in the format of `%TokenName%`, or select it from the popup list under //Insert Token//. 
 +    - [[:Tokens|Tokens]] include variables, calculations, clipboards and more. 
 +    - You can create a dynamic variable name using this format: `%Variable%%%Variable%myVar%%%`
  
 Unlike most places you specify a variable, the variable name itself is a text token field, so you can set a variable whose name changes. Unlike most places you specify a variable, the variable name itself is a text token field, so you can set a variable whose name changes.
 +
 +The Set Variable to Text action allows you to control what text processing happens in the gear menu (7+) :
 +
 +* Process Text Normally (process text tokens and backslash characters)
 +* Process Text Tokens Only (process text tokens but not backslash characters)
 +* Process Nothing (process neither text tokens nor backslash characters)
 +
 +Most other [Text Fields](https://wiki.keyboardmaestro.com/Text_Fields) in Keyboard Maestro process both text tokens and (except for regular expression fields) backslash characters. 
  
 Tip: leave notes for yourself about what you're doing. Click on the gear icon at top right of the action to select //Set Note…//. A window appears where you can enter text. Click the OK button to save the text of the note for future reference. Tip: leave notes for yourself about what you're doing. Click on the gear icon at top right of the action to select //Set Note…//. A window appears where you can enter text. Click the OK button to save the text of the note for future reference.
  
-===== See Also =====+===== How To Use Dynamic Variable Names =====
  
-----+In some languages, this is known as //indirection//, where one variable is really referring to another variable.  This is a bit complicated, and you may not often need it, but it is very useful when you do need it.
  
-=== Actions ===+==== Dynamic Determination of Variable Name in Text Area Block ====
  
-* [[action:Set Variable to Calculation|action:Set Variable to Calculation]] +**This requires two steps (two Actions):**
-* [[action:Set Variable to Keychain Password|action:Set Variable to Keychain Password]] +
-* [[:Actions|See all Actions]]+
  
-----+{{:action:set-variable-text-dynamic-var.png?nolink|}} 
 + 
 +**The Steps Are** 
 +  * **STEP 1.**\\  //Set Variable to Text Action// (this action) to dynamically determine a standard variable token based on one or more variables, which optional text. 
 +    * In the text area of the Action, enter a special form of the Token entity, where you will embed another Variable token, and optionally text. 
 +    * For example: `%%Variable%%myVar%Variable%myVarNum%%%` 
 +      * Note the use of two percent symbols (`%%`) in places where you want the result to be one `%`. 
 +      * Here is how this text will be processed when the Action executes:\\  .<code> 
 +%%Variable%%myVar%Variable%myVarNum%%% 
 + 
 +TEXT                  BECOMES 
 +%%                    % 
 +Variable              Variable 
 +%%                    % 
 +myVar                 myVar 
 +%Variable%myVarNum%   2 
 +%%                    % 
 + 
 +RESULT WHEN EXECUTED 
 +%Variable%myVar2% 
 +</code> 
 +    * This is the variable we want to get the results of, so we will need another Action to get it.\\     
 +  * **STEP 2.**\\  [[action:Filter|Filter Action]] using the //Process Tokens// option. 
 + 
 +==== Dynamic Determination in Variable Name Block ==== 
 + 
 +Since the Variable Name block of the //Set Variable to Text// Action accepts tokens, we can just use it directly if we just need to concatenate two more more Variables, with optional text. 
 +  * For example: `%Variable%myPrefix%%Variable%myFieldName%` 
 +  * When this action executes, it will first evaluate these tokens to produce something like: `myAddress`, and then set that Variable to the results in the Text Area block. 
 + 
 + 
 +{{:action:set-variable-text-dynamic-var-name.png?nolink|}} 
 + 
 +===== See Also ===== 
 + 
 +==== Actions ==== 
 + 
 +* Prepend Text to Variable 
 +* Set Variable to Text 
 +* Append Variable with Text 
 +* [[action:Set Variable to Calculation|Set Variable to Calculation]] 
 +* [[action:Set Variable to Keychain Password|Set Variable to Keychain Password]] 
 +* [[action:Substring of Variable or Clipboard|Substring of Variable or Clipboard]] 
 +* [[:Actions|See all Actions]]
  
 ==== Forum ==== ==== Forum ====
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 - [[https://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/t/can-i-pick-a-variable-dynamically-using-a-variable/3036/4|Can I pick a variable dynamically, using a variable?]] - [[https://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/t/can-i-pick-a-variable-dynamically-using-a-variable/3036/4|Can I pick a variable dynamically, using a variable?]]
 - [[https://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/t/km-delete-all-variables-except-those-on-keep-list/3428|[KM] DELETE All Variables Except Those on Keep List]] - [[https://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/t/km-delete-all-variables-except-those-on-keep-list/3428|[KM] DELETE All Variables Except Those on Keep List]]
 +- [[https://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/t/feature-request-finding-macros-that-use-a-variable/3439/2|(Feature Request?) Finding macros that use a variable]]
 +- [[https://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/t/variable-naming-conventions/3444/2|Variable Naming Conventions?]]
  
-- [[https://www.google.fr/search?q=site:forum.keyboardmaestro.com+Set+Variable+Text|Keyboard Maestro Forum topics about Set Variable to Text]]+- [[https://forum.keyboardmaestro.com/search?q=Set%20Variable%20Text|Keyboard Maestro Forum topics about Set Variable to Text]]
action/Set_Variable_to_Text.1460793730.txt.gz · Last modified: by AlainLifchitz
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