Variable

Description

As in programming, an Automate variable is a storage location and an associated name (or identifier) which contains some known or unknown numeric or textual value. This value may change depending on certain conditions or information being passed. Variables play an important role in Automate because they enable developers to build flexible tasks. Rather than entering data directly into a task, variables can be used to represent the data. When the task is executed, the variables are replaced with real data. The variable name is the usual way to reference the data; this separation of name and content allows the name to be used independently of the exact information it represents, making it possible for the same task to process different sets of data during each execution or during the course of the same execution.

The Variable action comprises various activities geared for the creation and management of variables, which can store dynamic values for utilization in any step of a task or sub-task. The developer can enter a value to initially populate the variable during creation or the value field can be left blank. Instead, variables can be set with a value using the Set Variable activity, which adds or changes the contents of an already existing variable. Certain available actions that support populating variables can also set or modify a variable's contents, such as the Input Dialog activity, which displays an input box allowing the user to enter a value which is saved to the variable specified.

Available Activities

For more information about a specific activity, click the associated link:

Activity	Description
Variable - Create	Creates an Automate variable used to store dynamic values for use in subsequent steps.
Variable - Decrement	Decrements the current value of a variable by the specified amount.
Variable - Increment	Increments the current value of a variable by the specified amount.
Variable - Return	Allows contents of the variable, dataset or array as the return value.
Variable - Set	Changes the value of an existing variable or sets an empty variable with a specific value.