Workflow variables reference

In some workflow actions, you can use workflow variables within inputs, outputs, or other settings. A workflow variable is a shorthand notation for referencing a known or unknown value, such as a user name, a file or folder name, or the current date and time.

What is a workflow variable?

A workflow variable is a placeholder for an input field in a workflow action. For example, a workflow variable could be a placeholder for a user name, a file or folder name, or the current date and time.

You can also use a workflow variable to get data from users while a workflow is running. For example, ${ask} prompts the user to choose a file from the File Explorer.

Use workflow variables to store and reuse values in different workflow actions within a workflow. You can reference workflow variables throughout your workflow—and if the value that the workflow variable stands for changes, you don't need to update the input field.

For example, if the name of the workflow changes and you are using the ${workflow} variable, the new workflow name will be automatically updated while the job is running. Using workflow variables increases your ability to work efficiently and minimises the likelihood of error.

Workflow variables types

There are two types of workflow variables: global and field.

You can use global workflow variables anywhere that you can add a workflow variable to an input field. Every workflow action in your workflow can access the value of a global variable.

Field variables are specified in the InDesign template as a Typefi Field, and they have the field: prefix included in their name.

Syntax

The syntax for using workflow variables is ${name:parameter,optional-parameter}, where:

• name is the workflow variable,
• a colon (:) is a separator,
• parameter provides extra information (such as formatting instructions) to Typefi Server,
• a comma (,) is a separator for any optional parameters, and
• optional-parameter provides optional parameters.

Add a workflow variable

Within a workflow action, click the Add Variable icon next to an input field, and choose the variable you want to use from the pop-up menu.

Suppose your workflow uses the Edit Metadata workflow action or has an InDesign template that includes Project Fields. In that case, those Project Fields will also be listed in the Add Variable pop-up menu. If Typefi can resolve the Project Fields to actual values (for example, a real Content XML file is an input in the workflow), the description shown in the Add Variable menu is the actual value. Otherwise, only the Project Field name will be shown. Project fields are grouped below named variables, while relevant outputs from previous actions are grouped at the top of the Add Variable menu for quick access.

Workflow variables reference

${ask}

${date:patterns}

${field:name}

${input:first}

${job-folder}

${output}

Requires the Adobe InDesign plug-in version 31 or later

${section}

Requires the Adobe InDesign plug-in version 31 or later

${seq:patterns}

Requires the Adobe InDesign plug-in version 31 or later

Name	Description	Example
${seq:patterns}	Used in the Create InDesign book workflow action to customise the file naming convention for generated InDesign documents within a book. ${seq:patterns} is a counter for files, formatted using patterns: For a simple numeric counter, without any padding, use 1 or # For a numeric counter that is padded with one 0 when needed (for example, 01, 02,...10, 11, 12…,101, 102), use 01 or 0# For a numeric counter that is padded with two 0s when needed (for example, 001, 002,...010, 011, 012…,101, 102), use 001 or 00# For a numeric counter that is padded with three 0s when needed (for example, 0001, 0002,...0010, 0011, 0012…,1001, 0102), use 0001 or 000# For an uppercase alphabetic counter, use A For a lowercase alphabetic counter, use a	For example, ${seq:A}_${section} sets the filenames as: A_OpeningChapter.pdf, B_Body.pdf, and C_Appendix.pdf The counter is set by ${seq:A} and the Typefi Section name is set by ${section}.

${username}

${variable:indesign-pages}

${workflow}

${xpath:expression}

Requires the Adobe InDesign plug-in version 31 or later

${xpath:'.//tps:fieldSet
[@name='ChapterTitle\']
/@value',No_Title}

${xpath:'.//tps:fieldSet
[@name='ChapterTitle\']
/@value',}