Adobe RoboHelp: Variable Sets

by Willam Van Weelden

I've previously shown you how to use variables in topic titles. As discussed in that article, variables allow you to quickly update text throughout a project. For example, variables are particularly handy should your boss decide to rebrand the project two days before your deadline.

RoboHelp also supports variable sets, which are alternative definitions for your variables. For example: a company markets the same product in different sectors, private and public. In the private sector, the product is called ACME; in the public sector the product is called EMCA. It's the same product, just a few naming differences. You use the same help output for both sectors. Before you publish, you just need to set the product name correctly using variables.

Using variable sets, you first define a single set of variables. Then you create alternative definitions for only those variables that need to be changed. When you generate the output, you simply choose which variable sets to use, allowing you to set the alternative product name a single time.

Creating a Variable Set

1. Open the User Defined Variables pod. (View > Pods > User Defined Variables)
2. Click the Add/Edit/Delete Variable Set button.
   
3. Click the Add button and name the variable set.
   
4. Click the OK button to close the dialog box.
5. Select the variable set from the drop-down menu and change the values as needed.
   

Generating a Layout With a Variable Set

Prior to generating the layout, you simply need to choose the variable set from the Variable Set drop-down menu. (For WebHelp, the Variable Set drop-down menu can be found in the Content Categories area.)

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