Forum Discussion
What are variables and how (and why) should I use them?
I got home last night, and the cat insisted he had not been fed all day, and was STARVING. I hadn't been there all day, so I didn't know, and my wife was off to her quilting party, so I couldn't ask...
Walt, I think that's such a helpful analogy!
I learned about variables in the days of HyperCard. (Yup. HyperCard. I guess that proves I'm in the "older" category—like your wife is and you aren't. 😉 ) As I recall, the analogy I heard back then was that a variable is like a bucket for carrying info. But I think the post-it-note concept is better.
Of course, what you can enter is based on the "style" (type) of the "note" (variable): text, numbers, or T/F.
- Hmm. Perhaps a better analogy for the T/F variable is that it's like a sign hung on the dishwasher. One side says "Clean," and the other says "Dirty." The sign can only show one of those messages. And it could definitely cause problems if someone forgets to change it at the right time...
For others who find this discussion thread, I'll add this: It’s worth the effort to learn about variables and trigger conditions, because they provide the real power in Storyline. Here’s the User Guide info:
