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--- action:Set_Variable_to_Text [2016/04/17 03:59]
AlainLifchitz add forum link
+++ action:Set_Variable_to_Text [2023/09/15 05:44] (current)
peternlewis
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-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.
+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.
-===== 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.
+==== Dynamic Determination of Variable Name in Text Area Block ====
+**This requires two steps (two 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 ===
+==== 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]]
@@ Line 25: / Line 123: @@
 * [[:Actions|See all Actions]]
-----
 ==== Forum ====
@@ Line 34: / Line 131: @@
 - [[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]]

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