Editor Variables
An editor variable is a shorthand notation for context-dependent information, such as a file or folder path, a time-stamp, or a date. It is used in the definition of a command (for example, the input URL of a transformation, the output file path of a transformation, or the command line of an external tool) to make a command or a parameter generic and re-usable with other input files. When the same command is applied to multiple files, the notation is expanded at the execution of the command so that the same command has different effects depending on the actual file.
Oxygen XML includes a variety of built-in editor variables. You can also create your own custom editor variables by using the Custom Editor Variables preferences page.
- Creating new documents from file templates.
- Inserting code templates in the Text mode or Author editor modes.
- Running custom configured External Tools.
- Executing predefined Built-in Author Mode Operations that have editor variables given as parameter values.
- Running validation scenarios that use editor variables inside to reference various resources.
- Executing transformation scenarios (of type ANT, DITA-OT, XSLT, etc.) that have editor variables set as parameter values or as values for references to various resources.
- Expanding CSS imports for editing in the Author visual editing mode.
- Using specific Java API
UtilAccess.expandEditorVariables(String, URL)from plugins and framework extensions.
You can use the following editor variables in Oxygen XML commands of external engines or other external tools, and in various places in the application, such as in transformation scenarios, Author mode operations, and validation scenarios: