Displaying System or Custom Variables in a Text Element

Save authoring time using template pages and share Project information easily with your learners

This feature was added in the 7.4.6 release.

As you create a Project, you’re setting up all kinds of information like the Project’s title, the names of Pages it contains, or what the passing score is for a test.

A lot of that information is available as a System Variable that you can display in a text element.

For example, if you create a Title Page template that displays the system variable for the Project’s Title, an author never has to edit or change the text field.

If you have an information page that displays the system variable for the passing score you never have to remember to update the page, it will always display the correct set score even if the passing score is changed.

Here’s a simple example of adding a Project Title into a text element on a title page.

When editing the text element, select the Variables icon on the mini-toolbar.

The Variables Finder panel opens.

The variables are organized in to Custom and System Variables.

You can scroll through the list or you can type in the Search field (where the {{ brackets are) to find a variable.

There are also buttons for opening the filter options and the Variable Browser panel.

When you find the variable you want, select it.

On the page you’ll see the variable string added to the text element.

Filter Options and the Variable Browser

Filter Options

You can also narrow the search options using the Filters panel.

You can filter for the type of variable:

True/False (boolean)
Number
String

You can also filter for Custom or System variables.

Variable Browser

Selecting the Variable Browser button opens the Variable Browser panel.

This panel gives you additional filtering options on the left side.

When you select a variable, you'll also see more details about it on the right side of the panel, including initial value settings and usage information.

In the Usage information you can select the number to see fuller details.

You can use the Insert button to add the selected variable to the text element.