Form variables

Use form variables to store and manage data in your form. These variables can be used to hold information used in your form, capture data entered by users in form fields, and display information to users in forms.

In the Form variables tab of the Forms designer, you can:

  • Create variables with applied formulas to use throughout your form and workflow.
  • View, edit, and delete variables with applied formulas.

Note: All variables that you create in Start event forms are available as an object under start event variables in the workflow; while variables created in Form based tasks are available as task variables. See Manage variables in a workflow.

Create variables using formulas

Use the Formula builder to create variables with applied formulas in the Form variables tab.

  1. In the form designer, click the Form variables tab.
  2. Click Add form variable. The Add form variable section is displayed with the Formula builder.
  3. Type a Name for your variable.
    Note: 

    Variables names must adhere to the following naming conventions to support localization:

    • Must be at least 1 non-whitespace character.

    • Cannot contain newline or paragraph characters.

    • Cannot contain HTML as it contains unsupported characters like <, >, and /.

    • Cannot begin with a number.

    • Cannot contain any of the following characters: +, -, !, *, ", /, >, >=, <, <=, =, ==, !=, &, &&, |, ||, ., , (comma), [, ], (, ), and \n

  4. Select a Type for your variable.
  5. In the Value field, type your formulas.

    6. Note: 
    • As you type the formula, suggestions of possible functions and variables are displayed to select from, if required.
    • From the Lookup pane on the right, you can search for Functions and variables to insert in the formula.
    • You can use logical operators such as && (And), || (Or), == (Equal), and != (Not Equal).
    • On the Functions tab, click the name of a function to display its description, format, and an example.

  6. To save your changes, click Create.

For more information on the fields and options in the Form variables page, see Form variables page fields, buttons and settings.

This sample scenario will create a variable with a formula that formats a date variable into a US date format.

Before doing these steps, make sure to add a Date/time control to your form in the Designer tab and name it Date of Order.

  1. Click the Form variables tab.
  2. Click Add form variable. The Formula builder appears.
  3. Type "OrderDate_USformat" in the Name field.
  4. Select Text for Type.
  5. From the Functions tab in the Lookup pane, hover your mouse over formatDate, and then click Insert.

    6. Tip: You can click formatDate to view its description, format, and an example on how to use it.

  6. In the Value field, enter parameters for the formatDate function:

    7. formatDate(DateTime value, Text date format)

    1. For the DateTime value, click Form tab, hover your mouse over Date of Order, and then click Insert.
    2. For the Text date format, type "MM/DD/YYYY". Include typing the quotation marks.

    Your Formula builder should look like the window below.

    Formula builder sample function to format date

  7. Click Create.

    8. Your new variable with applied formula is now created.

Field

Description
Add form variable

Click to display the Formula builder.

Name

The name of the variable you create.

Note: 

Variables names must adhere to the following naming conventions to support localization:

  • Must be at least 1 non-whitespace character.

  • Cannot contain newline or paragraph characters.

  • Cannot contain HTML as it contains unsupported characters like <, >, and /.

  • Cannot begin with a number.

  • Cannot contain any of the following characters: +, -, !, *, ", /, >, >=, <, <=, =, ==, !=, &, &&, |, ||, ., , (comma), [, ], (, ), and \n

Type

The type of variable you create:

  • Text
  • Integer
  • Decimal
  • Boolean
  • DateTime

Value

The values and/ or formulas stored in the variable.

(Edit variable)

Click to edit an existing variable.

(Delete variable)

Click to delete a variable.

Section

Field

Description

Add form variable

Name

Type a name for your new variable.

Note: 

Variables names must adhere to the following naming conventions to support localization:

  • Must be at least 1 non-whitespace character.

  • Cannot contain newline or paragraph characters.

  • Cannot contain HTML as it contains unsupported characters like <, >, and /.

  • Cannot begin with a number.

  • Cannot contain any of the following characters: +, -, !, *, ", /, >, >=, <, <=, =, ==, !=, &, &&, |, ||, ., , (comma), [, ], (, ), and \n

 

Type

Select a type for your new variable.

 

Value

A text box where you type your formulas.

 

Create

Saves your new variable.

 

Update

Saves your updates.

 

Cancel

Discards your changes and hides the Formula builder.

Lookup

Functions

A list of functions that you can use to build formulas. Each function is a code that performs a specific operation.

Click the name of a function to display its description, format, and an example on how to use it.

For more information, see Functions.

 

 Variables

Includes the following:

  • Form variables: A list of variables created in the Formula builder.
  • Form controls: Variables that hold values in form controls.
  • Form translation: Variables that enable context passing to workflows for language-based branching.
  • Context: Variables that represent data related to the current workflow instance, such as current item or site URL and workflow name.

 

Insert

Appears when you hover over a row in the Functions, Form, or Workflow tab.

Click to insert a function or variable to the Value box.