Low Variables

Variable types

Low Variables comes with over a dozen variable types. Each type has its own specific settings. You can select which types are available by (de)selecting them in the settings.

• Checkbox
• Checkbox Group
• Date
• Grid
• Radio Group
• Rich Text Editor
• Select
• Select Categories
• Select Channels
• Select Entries
• Select Files
• Table
• Text Input
• Textarea

Checkbox

Displays a single checkbox with optional label. Its value is either y (checked) or blank (unchecked).

Settings for Checkbox variable type

Setting	Description
Label	Custom label added to a single checkbox.

Checkbox Group

Displays multiple checkboxes, based on given options. Its value is a list of checked values, separated by the chosen separator.

Settings for Checkbox Group variable type

Setting	Description
Options	A textarea field to list multiple options for selection. Put each option on a new line. Optionally use  :  (space colon space) to separate values and labels.
Separator	Character to separate multiple values. Either a new line (\n), a pipe (|) or a comma (,). If your values contain one of these characters, don’t use that as separator.

Date

Displays a date picker. To output anything other than a timestamp, use the {exp:low_variables:single} tag. This takes the same parameters as the native Date field. Additionaly, use modifier="relative" to output a relative date string.

Code examples

{exp:low_variables:single var="my_var" format="%Y-%m-%d"}

{exp:low_variables:single var="my_var" modifier="relative"}

Grid

Requires ExpressionEngine 2.7.0+. Uses the native Grid field. All native types are available, except for Relationships. To output the variable, use the {exp:low_variables:pair} or {exp:low_variables:single} tag where appropriate. You can use any of Grid’s parameters and variables using these tags. Additionally, one more parameter is available:

Extra parameters for Grid variable type

Parameter	Description
modifier	Any of the available modifiers, which will trigger the ouput the modifier provides.

Code examples

{exp:low_variables:pair var="my_var"}
	<figure>
		<img src="{my_var:image}">
		<figcaption>Photo by {my_var:credit}</figcaption>
	</figure>
	{my_var:description}
{/exp:low_variables:pair}

{exp:low_variables:single var="my_var" modifier="total_rows"}

Radio Group

Displays multiple radio buttons, based on given options. Its value is the value of the checked item.

Settings for Checkbox variable type

Setting	Description
Options	A textarea field to list multiple options for selection. Put each option on a new line. Optionally use  :  (space colon space) to separate values and labels.

Textarea (Rich Text)

Requires ExpressionEngine 2.5.3+. Uses the native RTE module for displaying a Rich Text Editor. The height of the field can be set, as well as the text direction.

Settings for Textarea (Rich Text) variable type

Setting	Description
Rows	Number of rows (height) of the textarea field.
Text direction	Left to Right or Right to Left.
Display wide field	If set to Yes, the field will be shown in full width.

Note: always use the Tag syntax to output the formatted content.

Select

Displays either a drop down list box or multiple list box, based on given options. Its value is either the single selected item or a list of selected items, separated by the chosen separator. You can also select an interface that is used for multiple selection.

Settings for Select variable type

Setting	Description
Options	A textarea field to list multiple options for selection. Put each option on a new line. Optionally use  :  (space colon space) to separate values and labels.
Multiple	Option to allow multiple items to be selected.
Separator	Character to separate multiple values. Either a new line (\n), a pipe (|) or a comma (,). If your values contain one of these characters, don’t use that as separator.
Interface	For multiple selections, you can choose different interfaces. Multiple Select element will show a regular select element. Drag and drop lists will show two lists of unselected and selected items. You can drag items across these lists and put them in a preferred order as well.

Select Categories

Displays either a drop down list box or multiple list box of categories, based on the selected Category Groups. Its value is either the category id of the single selected item or a list of selected category ids, separated by the chosen separator. You can also select an interface that is used for multiple selection.

Settings for Select Categories variable type

Setting	Description
Category groups	Limit selectable categories to these category groups.
Multiple	Option to allow multiple items to be selected.
Separator	Character to separate multiple values. Either a new line (\n), a pipe (|) or a comma (,). If your values contain one of these characters, don’t use that as separator.
Interface	For multiple selections, you can choose different interfaces. Multiple Select element will show a regular select element. Drag and drop lists will show two lists of unselected and selected items. You can drag items across these lists and put them in a preferred order as well.

Select Channels

Displays either a drop down list box or multiple list box of weblogs/channels, based on the selected weblogs/channels. Its value is either the weblog/channel short name of the single selected item or a list of selected weblog/channel short names, separated by the chosen separator. You can also select an interface that is used for multiple selection.

Settings for Select Channels variable type

Setting	Description
Select Channels	Limit selectable channels to these channels.
Multiple	Option to allow multiple items to be selected.
Separator	Character to separate multiple values. Either a new line (\n), a pipe (|) or a comma (,). If your values contain one of these characters, don’t use that as separator.
Interface	For multiple selections, you can choose different interfaces. Multiple Select element will show a regular select element. Drag and drop lists will show two lists of unselected and selected items. You can drag items across these lists and put them in a preferred order as well.

Select Entries

Displays either a drop down list box or multiple list box of entries, based on filters by Future or Expired entries, Channels, Categories and Statuses. You can also set the order of the entries and limit them to a certain number. Its value is either the entry id of the single selected item or a list of selected entry ids, separated by the chosen separator. You can also select an interface that is used for multiple selection.

Settings for Select Entries variable type

Setting	Description
Future entries	Adds future entries to the entry list.
Expired entries	Adds expired entries to the entry list.
Channels	Select which channels the entry list is filtered by.
Categories	Select which categories the entry list is filtered by.
Statuses	Select which statuses the entry list is filtered by.
Order by	Sort entry list either by Title or Entry date, in ascending or descending order.
Limit entries	Maximum number of entries to show in the entry list.
Multiple	Option to allow multiple items to be selected.
Separator	Character to separate multiple values. Either a new line (\n), a pipe (|) or a comma (,). If your values contain one of these characters, don’t use that as separator.
Interface	For multiple selections, you can choose different interfaces. Multiple Select element will show a regular select element. Drag and drop lists will show two lists of unselected and selected items. You can drag items across these lists and put them in a preferred order as well.

Select Files

Displays either a drop down list box or multiple list box of files, based on the selected folders. Its value is either the full URL of the single selected file or a list of selected files, separated by the chosen separator. You can also optionally define an Upload Destination for new files. You can also select an interface that is used for multiple selection.

Settings for Select Categories variable type

Setting	Description
Folders	Limit selectable files to these upload destinations.
Upload folders	Select target folder for new files, or set to No uploads to hide the upload form.
Multiple	Option to allow multiple items to be selected.
Separator	Character to separate multiple values. Either a new line (\n), a pipe (|) or a comma (,). If your values contain one of these characters, don’t use that as separator.
Interface	For multiple selections, you can choose different interfaces. Multiple Select element will show a regular select element. Drag and drop lists will show two lists of unselected and selected items. You can drag items across these lists and put them in a preferred order as well. Drag and drop lists with thumbnails will show a thumbnail for each image when available, and the field will be shown in full width.

When using the Tag syntax to display the variable, you can use additional parameters to further customize the output:

Extra parameters for Select Files variable type

Parameter	Description
manipulation	The short name of the Image Manipulation you want to output. Alternatively, you can use {var_name:manipulation} in the tag pair.

Code examples

{exp:low_variables:single var="lv_files_var" manipulation="squared"}

{exp:low_variables:pair var="lv_files_var"}
  <img src="{lv_files_var:squared}" alt="">
{/exp:low_variables:pair}

Table

Displays a table of simple input fields, based on the amount of columns given. You can add unlimited rows to the table. Remove rows by emptying its values. Use the {exp:low_variables:pair} tag to output the content.

Settings for Table variable type

Setting	Description
Columns	A pipe-delimited list of column names for the table, eg. URL | Link text
Display wide field	If set to Yes, the field will be shown in full width.

When using the module tags to display the table variable, you can use additional parameters to further customize the output:

Extra parameters for Table variable type

Parameter	Description
sort	asc, desc or random; Displays rows in ascending, descending or random order. Defaults to asc.
limit	Limit the number of rows displayed.

Code examples

{exp:low_variables:pair var="lv_table_var"}
  {if count == 1}<ul>{/if}
    <li><a href="{cell_1}">{cell_2}</a></li>
  {if count == total_results}</ul>{/if}
{/exp:low_variables:pair}

{exp:low_variables:pair var="lv_table_var" sort="random" limit="1"}
  Random link: <a href="{cell_1}">{cell_2}</a>
{/exp:low_variables:pair}

Text Input

Displays a single line edit input field. The maxlength property can be set as well as the size of the input fied. You can also define a regular expression pattern to validate the value, and the text direction of the input field.

Settings for Text Input variable type

Setting	Description
Maxlength	Maximum number of characters allowed in this input field.
Size	Width of the input field. Large, medium, small or x-small.
Pattern	Regular Expression used to validate the value of the variable.
Text direction	Left to Right or Right to Left.

Textarea

Displays a multi-line edit input field (aka Textarea). The height of the field can be set, as well as the text direction. You can also choose to apply code formatting, which will result in a monospaced, light-on-dark version of the textarea. Textarea is the default variable type.

Settings for Textarea variable type

Setting	Description
Text direction	Left to Right or Right to Left.
Code formatting	If enabled, it will display the textarea as a monospaced, light-on-dark input field.
Display wide field	If set to Yes, the field will be shown in full width.

When using the module tags to display a Textarea variable, you can use additional parameters to further customize the output:

Note: since version 3.3.0, existing snippets, config vars, segment vars and current time vars will be parsed in the variable content before it hits the template.

Extra parameters for Textarea variable type

Parameter	Description
formatting	Applies formatting to the variable content. You can use xhtml, br or any formatting plugin like textile. Defaults to none.
html	To be used in combination with format. Possible values: none, safe or all. Defaults to safe.
preparse:my_var	If the variable content contains variables that need to be parsed before it is put in the template, you can use this parameter, similar to embed variables. For example: setting the parameter preparse:foo="bar" will replace the variable {preparse:foo} with bar in the variable content.
preparse_prefix	See above, change the default variable prefix from preparse to something else. For example, the parameters preparse:foo="bar" preparse_prefix="lv" will replace the variable {lv:foo} with bar inside the variable content.

Code examples

{exp:low_variables:single var="my_var" formatting="xhtml" html="all"}

{exp:low_variables:single var="my_var" preparse:entry_id="12"}