Process Developer > Part II: Creating and Modifying Processes > Variables > Viewing Variables

Viewing Variables

The Process Variables view has several features to help you easily define and use variables, such as:

•Quickly view variables in use by selecting an activity in Outline or Process Editor canvas. See Quick View of Variables Used in Activities.
•Search for all uses of a variable using Find Where Used. See Finding Variables Where Used.
•View a complete variable definition (message and parts, path, properties, elements and their attributes, and simple types). See Understanding Icons Symbols and Descriptions of Variable Parts.
•Drag and drop variables to create Copy operations for new or current assigns. See Using the Process Variables View Options and Using Variables in a Copy Operation.
•Add, load, generate, and edit sample data for message and element variables. See Using Sample Data in Process Variables View.

The following illustration shows an example of Process Variables list.

Quick View of Variables Used in Activities

When you select an activity on the Process Editor canvas or Outline view, the variables used in the activity appear selected in the Process Variables view.

Using the Process Variables View Options

Use the picklist of options on the Process Variables toolbar for convenience. The following table lists the options.

Option	Description
View Variable	Shows the variable list and lets you open a variable. Useful if the list is hidden. See Opening a Variable to View its Definition.
Show Variable List	Selected by default. If deselected, makes more room for open variables in the view by hiding the list of variables
Show Internal Variables	Deselected by default. If selected, displays the container variables associated with the implicit scopes created for data mapping within invokes, receives, and replies activities. Container variables are named parameters and attachmentCopyResult. For details, see Input Variable.
Show Variable Data	Displays variables in sample data view
Show Variable Definition	Displays variables in definition view
Layout Horizontal	Opens variables from left to right
Layout Vertical	Opens variables from top to bottom
Reload Variable Data	Displays last saved version of sample data

Tip: To rearrange the list of variables in Process Variables view, go to the Outline view and move variables up or down.

Opening a Variable to View its Definition

In the Process Variables view, you can open one or a selection of variables.

•To open one variable, double-click it
•To open a selection of variables, select them, and then select Open All from the right-mouse menu
•Select Open All to open all variables in the list

The following illustration shows an example of the BuyerPO variable opened.

Viewing Variable Properties

Select a variable from Process Variables view or Outline to put the Properties view in focus.

The following table shows the required and optional properties for a variable.

Required Properties	Optional Properties
Name	Documentation. See Adding Documentation to a Process
Definition	Comment. See Adding Comments to a Process.
	Initial Value. See Initializing a Variable.
	Extension Attributes and Extension Elements. See Declaring Extension Elements and Attributes.

Understanding Icons Symbols and Descriptions of Variable Parts

To understand each part of a variable, rest your mouse over it to view a description, as shown.

A variable definition can include:

•Message parts and properties
•WSDL schema types
•WSDL schema elements and attributes

An icon appears to the left of a variable part, property, element, or attribute. The icon, such as a pair of brackets (< >), is associated with a structural entity, such as an element.

Variables used in copy operations have additional visual information, as described in Creating a Copy Operation Using Drag and Drop.

In addition, to the right of a part, a symbol can appear, including:

•Asterisk, indicating a required field
•Ellipsis, indicating a repeating element