You can use the Manage variables window to manage variables across the catalog, for example to adjust the naming, set visibility and much more. Right-click on a catalog, one or more projects or any folder and then click on Manage variables under Automation to open the Variable manager [Variable Manager].

You receive a list of all variables from the underlying projects in table form with the corresponding columns Name, Description, Storage location [Save location], Unit, Group, Type, Data type, Decimal places, Status, Hidden and Translatable.

	Tip
	If required, the columns Data type, Decimal places and Status can be minimized so that only the symbol or the alphanumeric value is visible.

Variables management [Variable Management]" window

Click on a line to display the file path in the right-hand display window. Via the button ... button to open the project in PARTdesigner.

	Note
	The color of the file path is based on the usual PARTproject rules. This means that hidden projects are also displayed here in red font color.

	Tip
	You can change the content of an editable field in the table by clicking on it. The written text must be confirmed with the Enter key, otherwise the change will not be accepted.Changes are marked as bold text.

Text in large print clearly indicates changes

With SVN-managed catalogs, variables can only be managed if the catalog is checked out. If this is not the case, you can open the variable management [Variable Management] and export it as a list, but you cannot make any changes. If you open a part from this view in PARTdesigner, it also only opens in read-only mode.

Variable management [Variable Management] in read-only mode

If you select a directory that contains both checked-out and checked-in parts, a dialog box appears.

You can then view all projects in read-only mode or ignore the read-only parts so that they are not displayed in the variable management [Variable Management].

Use the filter [Filter] line to filter the table. Select a term or enter something.

	Note
	Select <empty> to filter for empty fields. You can search using wildcards ( * ), e.g. " C* ", " *C " or " *C* "

Above the table, you have the option of exporting the displayed table using the Table export button.

Above the table there is the option to reload variables [Reload variables]. If you have previously made changes, a dialog box will appear, that queries whether you want to save or discard the changes.

Query dialog box

The system checks the variables in the table and displays a yellow or red warning symbol if a corresponding entry contains an error. You can move the mouse over the symbol to display the warning text as a tooltip.

	Tip
	A "problem" is the generic term for an error or a warning. An "error" is a serious problem that requires additional measures or can lead to the affected project no longer being functional. A "warning" is a minor problem that should be fixed, but the affected project should remain functional.

Example warning: "The variable is in a group, but hidden. [The variable is in a group, but hidden.]"

As soon as there are problems, you can use the navigation at the bottom left to jump to the corresponding messages.

When you have corrected all errors, click on Apply and / or OK.

If you move the mouse pointer over the Group column, all assigned groups are displayed as a tooltip.

If you click on a cell within the Group column, you can call up the Variable groups window via the ... button.

	Note
	Variable groups [Groups of variables] can be created and managed on the General tabbed page under Create variable groups. See Section 5.9.2.3.2, “ Creating variable groups (at catalog level) ”.

Window Variables Groups [Variable groups]

	Note
	When combining, all selected lines are aligned so that they are identical. All previous values are overwritten.

You can combine two or more variables by holding down CTRL and selecting the lines you want to combine with a mouse click. By clicking the secondary mouse button on one of the selected lines, the context menu opens and you can select Combine variables.

In the window of the same name, you can make a selection before merging if there are different entries in the same column. After pressing OK, the rows are aligned and the old values are overwritten.

You can use Reset variables to reset previously made changes to a line to the original value.

	Important
	Resetting the variables only works if the change has not yet been saved.