Can you use a customvar in a customvar file?

[jxm28788]

I have a customvar which is set as 'file name' and 'use file content'. The specified file contains html formatted text, so when the page is uploaded the customvar is replaced by the html text from the file.

My question is, can I put a different customvar in the html text of the file...?

I did try it and was expecting 1 of 2 results, either -

1) It would display the contents of the customvar correctly, or

2) It would display the customvar variable as text (ie. "CUSTOMVAR:INFO")

However, what actually happened was that it displayed nothing. The fact that (2) didn't happen suggests it recognised it as a variable and tried to resolve it, but the fact that (1) didn't happen either suggests it didn't work...

So should it work...?

[RobSollars]

Hi John,

I'm pretty certain it's possible to have nested CUSTOMVARs working in the way you describe. We're currently using a similar method just to seperate out elements of the page into different files and so far it works fine.

Unfortunately, the nested CUSTOMVARs stop being variables, making them just CUSTOMs. That is to say that if you have a CUSTOMVAR with different values specified in different pages, it will only ever take the default value. This is unfortunately also true of NETQUOTEVARs, meaning that you can't use things like NETQUOTEVAR:PAGETITLE inside a CUSTOMVAR, because it'll simply always give you the default page title.

So if you've not set a default value for a nested CUSTOMVAR, that could very well be the problem.

Hope that helps.

[Jan]

Did you use NETQUOTEVAR:INFO in the script or CUSTOMVAR:INFO .. it should be the former.

Regards,

[jxm28788]

So if you've not set a default value for a nested CUSTOMVAR, that could very well be the problem.

Nope, no default defined. But if I can't use the 'current' value then it won't work for my purposes...

[jxm28788]

Did you use NETQUOTEVAR:INFO in the script or CUSTOMVAR:INFO .. it should be the former.

Customvar, does it need to changed to a netquotevar if used in a file then?
ps. it's not really customvar:INFO, I just made that up. Sorry if that caused confusion by being some kind of system variable... I meant customervar:myvar...

[RobSollars]

I think Chris mentioned something on another thread about it not being possible to have nested CUSTOMVARs or NETQUOTEVARs in CUSTOMVARs to have variable values. It's a real shame, since it means that we can't fully modularise our design, and instead have to retain the NETQUOTEVARs on the base page.

Something for the wishlist, perhaps?

[jxm28788]

ok, plan B it is then...

[Jan]

You create a customvar in Actinic but to reference it in a template you use NETQUOTEVAR:<NAME> where name is the custom property name.

Regards,

[jxm28788]

ok, now I'm confused... I have been using CUSTOMVAR:<NAME> in my templates and it has been working fine.

[RobSollars]

Hi Jan,

Are you sure that's the case? I thought that the only way to do it through a NETQUOTEVAR would be to use NETQUOTEVAR:INCLUDE or something similar? We have quite a few CUSTOMVARs in our templates that reference files by using CUSTOMVAR:whatever.

I like the new avatar by the way. Much better than the cat
________

[jxm28788]

I like the new avatar by the way. Much better than the cat

I was going to say that - but it was a 3d "ME" before, not a cat...?

[RobSollars]

It's entirely possible that I imagined the cat.

It's been a long day

[Jan]

I am wrong in that case, seems to be the day for it - it is actinic variables that use NETQUOTEVAR but CUSTOMVAR for customvariables.

I had the 3D ME for quite a while, then when the trend for photos came along I put one of those on, but that was horrible because I kept on thinking my avatar was staring me out so that went quick smart and I went back to a 3D ME, then Gigi the cat, I tried very hard at the weekend to create a Teto the fox squirrel but failed but then found my mole.

I have to say that I like avatars, it is also always interesting to meet people -or even to talk to them on the phone, they are often quite different to the pseudo person that you can't help but create.

Cheers,