Set Variable

1. How Set Variable Works#

Variables in a figranium task act as temporary storage containers. The Set Variable action lets you define a variable's name and assign it a value.

• Var Name: The name of the variable you want to create or update (e.g., itemCount, pageTitle, isFinished).
• Value: The data you want to store in the variable. This can be a static value or a dynamic JavaScript expression.

2. Using Static Values#

You can use the Set Variable block to initialize a variable with a specific value.

Example: Setting an initial counter#

• Action: set
• Var Name: currentPage
• Value: 1

This sets the variable currentPage to the number 1. You can then use this variable in a While loop or a Navigate action to keep track of pagination.

3. Using Dynamic Expressions#

The true power of the Set Variable block comes from its ability to evaluate JavaScript expressions. You can perform calculations, format strings, or access other variables and task outputs.

Example: Incrementing a Counter#

To increase a counter, you can reference the variable's current value in the Value field:

• Action: set
• Var Name: currentPage
• Value: variables.currentPage + 1

Example: Storing Block Output#

Many action blocks (like JavaScript or CSV) output data to a special variable called block.output. You can save this output to a named variable for later use.

• Action: javascript
  • Value: return document.title;
• Action: set
  • Var Name: savedPageTitle
  • Value: block.output

Now, the page's title is safely stored in savedPageTitle, and you can run other blocks without losing this information when block.output gets overwritten.

4. Using Variables in Other Blocks#

Once you have set a variable, you can use it in other action blocks.

• In fields that support templates: Use the {$variableName} syntax. For example, in a Type action, you could use {$savedPageTitle} to type out the title you extracted earlier.
• In conditions: In an If or While block, you can reference variables directly using the variables object (e.g., variables.currentPage < 5).

5. Summary#

The Set Variable block is a foundational tool for building complex, stateful tasks. By storing intermediate results and managing counters or flags, you can create robust workflows that handle dynamic scenarios efficiently.