8.5

process runs, that is to say it will not remain static. This can be extremely useful when, for example, you
want to determine how many copies you will print out depending on your data, or what document will be
used in the printout depending on the department it came from.
Variable properties may include:
l Static data.
l Standard Variables. See "Standard Variables" on page537.
l Local and Global Variables. See "Manipulate Local Variables" on page573.
l Job Infos. See "Job Info Variables" on page536.
l Data and Metadata Selections. See "Data Selections " on page19.
l Printer Control Characters. See "Shared Printer Queue Properties" on page60. These are normally
only used in printer outputs.
Variable propertiescan also be used in these special locations:
l In the Set Job Infos and Variables Action Task. See "Set Job Infos and Variables" on page312.
l In Scripts. See the chapter on "Using Scripts" on page81.
l In the Create File Input Task. See "Create File" on page181.
l Within a PlanetPress Design Document, using the ExpandString()function.See the PlanetPress
Design User Guide and PlanetPress Talk Reference Guide.
Variable properties can also be mixed, meaning you can combine, within a single variable property box, any
number and order of variable types. You can, for example, do the following for an output file name: %O_@
(1,1,1,30, KeepCase,Trim)_%y-%m-%d.txt. This would translate in the original file name, followed by part of
the first line of a text data file, then the current date.
Contextual Menu
In any variable properties box, you may use the contextual (right-click) menu to add variables and control
characters, as well as to get data and make data selections. The lower part of the contextual menu is divided
into 4 items that provide variable properties: