Inserting Variables

After you create or modify variables, you can insert them into any content file (e.g., topic, snippet) in your project. You can insert variables by dragging them from the Project Organizer, or you can use the Variables dialog.

How to Insert a Variable—Drag-and-Drop

  1. Open the content file.

  2. Open the Project Organizer.
  3. Expand the Variables folder and expand the appropriate variable set under it.
  4. Click on the variable and drag it to the XML Editor.
  5. Click Save the active file. to save your work.

How to Insert a Variable—Variables Dialog

  1. Open the content file.
  2. Place your cursor where you want to add a variable.
  3. Do one of the following, depending on the part of the user interface you are using:

    • Ribbon Select Insert > Variable.

    • Local Toolbar Click the face of the Insert a Variable button .

      OR

      Click the down arrow next to , then select More Variables.

    • Keyboard Shortcut On your keyboard press CTRL+SHIFT+V.
    • Right-Click Right-click in the editor and select Insert > Variable. This context menu option is available only when your cursor is located in certain places in the editor (e.g., not in a drop-down effect).

    The Variables dialog opens, with the variable set(s) on the left and the variables associated with the selected set on the right.

    Note There are various additional places throughout the user interface where you can select variables (e.g., Properties dialog for TOC entry, Target Editor). Next to certain fields, you can click Insert Variable button to insert a variable into that field.

    Note If a variable contains multiple definitions, the default definition is displayed in the Definitions column. The additional definitions are not shown. You can view and select alternative definitions from a drop-down list in the Target Editor when overriding definitions. See Overriding Variable Definitions in Targets.

  4. On the left, select the appropriate variable set.
  5. On the right, select the variable you want to insert.
  6. (Optional) If you want to add one of your 20 most recently used variables to the project, you can select a variable from the Recently Used Variables group. If you want to add one of your pinned—or favorite—variables to the project, you can select a variable from the Pinned Variables group.

  7. Click OK. The variable is added, with brackets surrounding it. The bracket shows the variable name and the variable definition (as long as markers are turned on and the set marker width allows it).

    You can adjust the marker width from the Show tags button Show Tags button to see more or less of the variable information, and you can also tell Flare to turn off the variable names so that you only see the variable definition.

  8. Click Save the active file. to save your work.

How to Insert a Variable—Local Toolbar

  1. Open the content file.
  2. Place your cursor where you want to insert the variable.
  3. In the local toolbar at the top of the XML Editor click the down arrow next to . From the drop-down, you can see your pinned variables and the 20 most recently used variables.

  4. Navigate to the variable that you want to insert and select it.
  5. Click Save the active file. to save your work.

What’s Noteworthy?

Tip If you have the variable feature in Auto Suggestions enabled, you can quickly insert variables into content files when you begin typing matching text. See Auto Suggestion and Inserting Auto Suggestions Into Content.

Note If you need to insert a variable that does not appear in the Pinned Variables or Recently Used Variables groups, you can select More Variables to open the Variables dialog.

Note Variables must appear in the Recently Used Variables group before they can be pinned. If the variable you want to pin does not appear in the Recently Used Variables group, you can add it to a content file by dragging it from the Project Organizer or using the Variables dialog.

Note You can expand or collapse the Recently Used Variables and Pinned Variables groups by clicking the arrows next to each group name.