Variable

The #Variable object is used to display and/or input a numerical/alphanumerical variable.

Example

variable_1 variable_3

Parameters

Object

Column A	M/O	Default	Description
#Variable	M		Display or/and input of a numerical/alphanumerical variable

Text/File

Column B	M/O	Default	Description
[text]<format>[text]	M		Static text can be combined with a format. These formats are described below.

See also Unit systems

Formats

The following formats can be used to display the text in the variable object. See the basic template for an explanation:

Text %[Sign][IntegerDigits].[DecimalPlaces][Type] Text

Sign

Sign	Description
+	If this character is placed in front, a sign value ("+" or "-") is always specified.
0	If this character is placed in front, all unused characters are filled with 0.

Example

Input	Format	Output
10000	%+d	"+10000"
10000	%08d	"00010000"

Integer digits

Number, specifies the number of places to the left of the decimal point.

Example

Input	Format	Output
10000	%8d	" 10000"

Decimal places

Number, specifies the number of places to the right of the decimal point.

Example

Input	Format	Output
100.1111	%4.2f	" 100.11"

Type

Type	Description	Bits
b	Binary representation	16
lb	Binary representation	32
llb	Binary representation	64
d or i	Signed integer representation	16
ld or li	Signed integer representation	32
lld or lli	Signed integer representation	64
u	Unsigned integer representation	16
lu	Unsigned integer representation	32
llu	Unsigned integer representation	64
f or g	Signed floating point representation	32
lf or lg	Signed floating point representation	64
c	Letter	8
s	Text
x	Hexadecimal representation	16
lx	Hexadecimal representation	32
llx	Hexadecimal representation	64
e	Exponential representation	64

Integer values with decimal point

Integer values can be displayed on screen with a decimal point. A value of 1000 grams can thus be displayed on screen as kg 1.000 and also input in this way. In most cases, this eliminates the need for complex floating point arithmetic on the PLC (speed!).

Sample: %3.2d

Date and time formats

The DT and Time data types are configured as follows. This must be used for both the input and for the output screen:

•	%[<printout>]DT

•	%[<printout>]T

Format	Description	Number of characters	Value range
d	Day of the month, represented by two digits	2	01-31
m	Month of the year, represented by two digits	2	01-12
y	Year, represented by two digits	2	00-99
Y	Year, represented by four digits	4	0001-9999
H	Hour, represented by two digits	2	00-23
M	Minute, represented by two digits	2	00-59
S	Second, represented by two digits	2	00-59
P	AM/PM - representation The hours are converted and P is replaced by AM or PM. See also: AM/PM time system	2	01-12 AM and 01-12 PM
p	am/pm - representation The hours are converted and p is replaced by am or pm. See also: AM/PM time system	2	01-12 am and 01-12 pm
a	Abbreviated day of the week, in the language of the operating system	2	Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu,Fri,Sat,Sun
A	Day of the week in full, in the language of the operating system		Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
b	Abbreviated month name, in the language of the operating system	3	Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
B	Full month name, in the language of the operating system		January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

Examples:

Format	Output
%[d.m.Y H:M:S]DT	26.01.2012 14:54:36
%[dd.mm.YY HH:MM:SS]DT	26.01.2012 14:54:36
%[d.m.Y H:M:S P]DT	26.01.2012 02:54:36 PM
%[A, d.B Y]DT	Thursday, 26 January 2012

Time

Format	Description	Number of characters	Value range
H	Hour, represented by one digit	1	0-9
HH	Hour, represented by two digits	2	00-23
M	Minute, represented by one digit	1	0-9
MM	Minute, represented by two digits	2	00-59
S	Second, represented by one digit	1	0-9
SS	Second, represented by two digits	2	00-59
MS	Millisecond, represented by one digit	1	0-9
MSMS	Millisecond, represented by two digits	2	00-99
MSMSMS	Millisecond, represented by three digits	3	000-999

Examples

Format	Output
%[H:M:S:MS]T	9:3:7:4
%[HH:MM:SS:MSMSMS]T	09:03:07:004

If the formatted text should contain %-character, then two %-characters must be defined.

Example:

Format	Ausgabe
Val: %d %%	Val: 0 %

Font

Column C	M/O	Default	Description
<Fontname>.FNT	O	Current font	Font for displaying the scale

X, Y, DX, DY

Columns D-G

M/O

Default

Description

Integer constants

Variable of type INT

Autom. positioning

Position and dimension

Color

Column H	M/O	Default	Description
Color	O	Current foreground color	Font color

BackColor

Column I	M/O	Default	Description
Color	O	Current background color	Background color

Format

Column J	M/O	Default	Description
Format	O	No frame	Type of frame

Action

Column K	M/O	Default	Description
	O		Only the value is displayed if an action is not specified.
SetVar	O		The SetVar actions are supported
#Page=<name>	O		Opens the keyboard page and sets the input focus Index Variablen <name> may contain a variable name embraced by '%' Sample #page=kbd_%/S/SYS/Kbd_Layout% Opens a keyboard page depending on a system variable, e.g. for country specific keyboard layouts.
#Page=<name>%/S/App/keyb_layout%	O		Opens the keyboard page according to a system variable, e.g. for country-specific keyboard layouts
Edit			Activates the Edit mode

Limit1

Column L

M/O

Default

Description

VarType-Min

Lower limit value of the variable

...Numerical constant

...Variable of type VarType

Limit2

Column M

M/O

Default

Description

VarType-Max

Upper limit value of the variable

Variable of type VarType

ActionLimit1, ActionLimit2

Columns N,O	M/O	Default	Description
<action>	O		The standard LimitActions are available.

VarValue

Column P	M/O	Default	Description
<variable>	O		Value of the variable

VarType

Column Q	M/O	Default	Description
Data type	M		All data types are supported

VarState

Column R	M/O	Default	Description
<variable>	O		see Object status

Option

Column S

M/O

Default

Description

Pos={Center¦Left¦Right}

Pos=Left

Horizontal text, image alignment

•	Pos=Center

centered

•

Pos=Left

left aligned

•	Pos =Right

right aligned

The vertical alignment is centered per default

VPos={Top¦Bottom}

Vertical alignment of text or image

•

VPos=Top

top aligned

•	VPos=Bottom

bottom aligned

Mirror

Displays (mirrors) the current input of the #Variable object with the input focus, e.g. in the Keyboard page to display the currently edited variable

Set_focus

As soon as the object was loaded, it is set to the input mode

HelpText=<n>

If the object has the focus, the system variable /S/SYS/HelpText is set to <n>. The variable is reset to 0 as soon as it no longer has the focus. <n> must be an integer constant. In order, for example, to display a Help text in the Keyboard page

Verify

This option is used for verifying the input (e.g. for password input). The same value must be entered twice. If the same value was entered both times, the Close action is executed.

The /S/SYS/VariableVerify system variable of type WORD displays the status:

•	0 means that nothing has been entered yet.

•	1 means that the first value was entered.

•	2 means that the second value was incorrectly entered and that the input has to be repeated.

•	3 means that the same value was entered twice (verified)

This option can not be combined with set_focus!

CloseIfOk

If the entered value is within the limits, the Close action is executed.

Type=password

The object can be disguised for entering passwords. All characters are replaced with '*' during the input.

PWL=<level>

PWL=0

Required password level for enable

see also #Password object

select

Applies to (W)STRING Types only!

The existing string value will be selected, when the #variable object gets the input focus. erhält. So existing string value will be completely overwritten with the first character entered.

VarStateOnOffInverted

Inverts the On / Off functionality of the VarState Variable:

VarState = 0 -> Off

VarState = 1 -> On

Function

Columns T	M/O	Default	Description
<unit>function0,..</unit>	O		Conversion functions (see Unit systems)

Init, Exit

Columns U, V	M/O	Default	Description
<action>	O		The same actions are available as described for the Action parameter

Edit

In order to edit a variable object, it must be given the input focus.

The input focus is set via the following action:

Action	Description
#Page=<name>	With this action a Keyboard page is normally opened.
Edit	Edit via hard keyboard

The input focus can be set via the following option:

Option	Description
Set_focus	The focus is automatically set after the page is generated.

Edit mode

If the variable object is given the input focus, it is in Insert mode.

Insert mode

Characters are inserted at the cursor position as long as space is still available. If there is no more space available, no more characters are inserted. However characters are also not overwritten. The size of the input field is determined by the format string.

The format string determines the behavior.

Format string	Behavior
%s	With a string, the cursor is placed at the end of the text where all inputs are added.
%d, etc.	With all other formats, the content is not displayed but overwritten.

Selection mode

If the object with the active focus is clicked, the text is selected. If the text was already selected, this selection is cancelled.

Keyboard inputs have an effect on the entire selection:

Key	Behavior
Backspace or Delete	Deletes the entire selection
Character	All selected characters are overwritten
Control character	Cancels the selection

Time/date function

The DT variable type enables the time/date display in conjunction with the /S/SYS/DateTime system variable. The actual time is refreshed once a second. Special system variables are available for the time and date input.