User Guide > Objects > Working with Objects > General Information

General Information

In AE, you can use specific variables in attributes or in the scripts of executable objects. While these objects are being executed, the variables are replaced by the corresponding values. These values are either system- or objectAutomation Engine controlled activities and processes are structured in the form of objects. See also: Task-related values.

Predefined variables are placeholders for values of the object in which they are used, a Variable object or the AE system. You can also retrieve and use these values with scriptA particular Automation Engine object type. functions (such as SYS_ACT_ME_NAME). Using variables, however, simplifies this procedure and reduces the length of scripts in objects.

They can either be used in attributes or the AE Script of executable objects. Predefined variables can also be used in the following places (they are replaced by the corresponding value at the time they are accessed):

Predefined variables for Variable objects are not supported in AE Script and are therefore not replaced. Use the script elements GET_VAR /PUT_VAR to access Variable objects.

You can insert predefined variables either manually or by using the Variable picker dialog in the UserInterfaceThis is the Automation Engine's graphical user interface. [Formerly called the "Rich Client", "RichGUI" and "Dialog Client."]. You can open this dialog using the toolbar of objects.

A listShows entities in a grid view of all predefined variables for system and object values is available here.

Script or object variables can also be used in attributes. More details are provided in the document "Attributes."

Syntax

Variables that stand for values of the AE system or the object in which they are used commence with &$ and end with #. In between is a string that is constant except for the format of date and time values. These values correspond to the return codes of script functions or object attributes.

A specific variable is required to insert Variable-object values in attributes dynamically and at runtimeThe duration of a task's execution. It refers to the period between a task's start and end. It does not include its activation period (see also: activation and start).. It has the following syntax:
{ Variable object [, Key [, Column number ]] }

Key: Key columnColumn in static Variable objects that can be used to access values of a particular line. in static Variable objects or the first value column (first basic column) in dynamic Variable objects. If neither the Key nor the column is defined, the system uses the value of the first entry or the result columnThe first column of dynamic Variable objects with the sources "SQL", "SQL-internal" and "Multi". The content of this column can be defined with Result format. /first Value column.

These placeholders are also available in the Variable picker dialog unless it has been called via script. The document Using Variable objects describes where these placeholders can be used.

These placeholders cannot be used in Forms tabs. Forms only support predefined variables for system and object values. 

In attribute fields and scripts, all predefined variables are highlighted in purple.

You can also use variables in the fields of Form tabs (for example, in SAP jobs). In this case, the variables are not highlighted in color.

 

See also:

Using Variable Objects
List of Predefined Variables for System and Object Values
"Variable Picker" Dialog
Using Predefined Variables

 


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