How can I delete unused variables?

HI Deepak,

Those variables were created by storyline when a results slide was created. The second set was created when another results slide was created. Unfortunately, deleting the first results slide does not clean up the variables, and you can't access them to delete them. I've found the best thing to do is just leave them alone, and not worry about them. 

If you really want to get rid of them, you can create a new project, and import all of your slides except for the results slides from the old project. Then you can start from a clean slate. I've done this, and id does work, but usually I find it isn't worth the extra effort, as the abandoned variables won't effect your course in any way.

Thanks Dave,

However, for me, probably these variables were creating some kind of confusion, my custom Review and Retry buttons were not clickable and the scoring was not visible (even though the triggers were fine). So, I wanted to delete those. 

Anyways, as I was in time crunch, I simply deleted the result slides and recreated those while renaming unused result variables. Thanks anyways! 

Hi Deepak:

You raise a good point in that there is currently no Storyline feature to quickly remove all unused variables in one step, menu click, or action. 

The most common approach is to delete variables such as these one at a time.

However, if you reuse a project, as I often do, I tend to create newer variables and then stop using many of the older ones from the older project.

I'll try to stop by Articulate Storyline's request link later today and make a specific feature request for this, if it hasn't been covered already, of course (!)

-Mark

I asked while back for an option to purge unused variables at the press of one button  additional feature request would help raise the profile of this!

It's not yet a feature to purge the unused variables, but you can definitely submit them here. 

Hi Ashley and Phil:

Done! Storyline feature request submitted to Articulate.

I also included an option to allow for individual confirmation of variables as they are deleted. ;)

Thanks Mark :) 

Hope you have a great Friday and weekend to come! 

Thanks Mark for making that initiative. :)

I just submitted this request too, and following this thread in case there are any updates.

Thanks Terry for adding your voice to the discussions and feature requests. Thanks for adding your voice.

I would also like to see the feature to purge unused variables.

Hi All!

I'm excited to report that today we released Update 36 (Build 3.36.21213.0) for Storyline 360!

One of the features we've added is the ability to select multiple variables and then copy, paste, or delete them at the same time. Use Ctrl+click, Shift+click, and Ctrl+A to multi-select variables. This new addition is sure to improve your workflow!

Now all you need to do is update your Articulate 360 Desktop app!

Ditto, another huge time saver! Authoring time is getting faster and faster, the new trigger window was huge as well in saving time.  Thank you.

Re-opening this thread as I feel like the initial issue was not solved, while I appreciate you can delete variables in bulk now, I can not delete built-in variables, such as the ones created when adding a result slide(which I feel is what Deepak was initially trying to say) 

Because a majority of the content I have created is being used across multiple different learnings, I have been duplicating the module and then adding the more task-specific content required for the role. 

I think in doing so it has created up to 15 different result.passpoints etc. to select from *see attached image* on my results slide. I am only assuming this is how it's created that many as I have no idea how it would have otherwise. You can appreciate the issues I am now having with trying to get this to function properly when it comes to the quiz and referring it to the correct variable. 

I saw the comment above to copy the content into and new storyline file to try and start fresh with a result slide there, but there is so much content and whenever I paste it over, the formatting is lost(even when pasting with source formatting) 

I apologise if there is a different thread answering my questions and I have missed it, this is a difficult/confusing question to ask haha. 

Thanks for any help in advance, I have also already put in a feature request to be able to delete or remove these built-in/system created variables.

Thanks for following up, Adam, and great call on submitting a feature request!

I appreciate you sharing these details of what you're experiencing. From here, I'd recommend connecting with one of our support engineers directly so they can provide guidance, so I've gone ahead and opened a support case on your behalf. Stay tuned; one of my teammates will reach out shortly!

Great!

Thank you so much, I have managed to at least get the result slide to work correctly now, I still, unfortunately, have the 15 or so result variables, but at least it is working! I just won't breathe, touch, or even look at the slide moving forward in case it decides to stop working again 😂😂

Just found this link and post.  I commented at a different locations where the Results#.ScorePoint and similar are confusing.  It just created another chaos in my testing file.  I imported a new quiz in my Scene 2 and by default the Result slide named the score Results.ScorePoint and replace the same variable in my first Quiz in Scene 1.  Now I have a series of Resuts#...... sitting in the system that I cannot delete according to the thread above.  And apparently I have to delete this Result slide and create a new one and hope it will solve the problem.  This is very frustrating for3 reasons:  (1) the issue has existed for years and Articulate does not think this issue is important.  (2)  we as users were given no chance to rename any of the built in variables.  Articulate just simply wipe out or replace our existing one which is actually being used while I have a handful of result slide generated variables just sitting in the system as those question banks + result slide have been deleted.   (3)  I don't know the background of those who developed online courses for their clients.  I am a structural engineer and professor, NOT a computer scientists.  This sort of obstacles is not helpful for us in education try to develop any online learning materials.  NO, I don't have an IT department that would do those work.  Good thing, I still have 4 weeks to assess the software.

I'm sorry for this frustration, KC. If recreating the result slide didn't help, could you share your file in a support case so our support engineers can assist? Feel free to upload your file with this private link, and we'll reach out via email shortly after!

Has there been a solution to this in the last five years? A proper and functioning variable management would be great, so we don't end up with hundreds of obsolete variables from old project iterations. :)

As per one previous update from Lauren, the feature has already been implemented in Articulate 360 Storyline, but I'm yet to check it. You may test if you have the 360 Storyline product license. 

So did we ever get the feature to remove these unused "built-in" variables? I even resorted to manually removing them from the xml file but after doing so the story file was rejected as invalid.

No purge button yet but you can now select. multiple item. I Joe sort by use and select all of the 0 use and delete

Sent from my iPhone