Getting Started with Variables
Variables allow you to automatically display information from your Ezus projects in your documents and webpages. Instead of manually updating the same information for every client, you can insert a variable into a template and let Ezus retrieve the corresponding value when the document is generated.
What is a variable?
A variable is a placeholder that connects a template to information stored in Ezus.
For example, you can insert:
$$project.title$$
When you generate the document, Ezus replaces the variable with the title of the current project.
If your project is called Iceland Adventure, the result will be:
Iceland Adventure
This means that the same template can be reused for different projects without manually replacing the project information each time.
💡 Think of a variable as an instruction telling Ezus: “Display this specific piece of information here.”
Where can I find variables?
When editing a document template, you can find the available variables in the Variable Drawer, located in the top-left corner of the Document Modification tab.
The Variable Drawer is divided into two main areas:
General: information related to the project, brief, user, client, travellers, account and alternatives.
Program: information related to the itinerary, including days, steps, activities, accommodations, transport, products and suppliers.
Whenever possible, select and copy variables directly from the Variable Drawer rather than typing them manually. This helps you keep the correct syntax.
Choose the variable based on where the information is stored
Before selecting a variable, identify where the information comes from in Ezus.
Similar information can exist at different levels of a project, and choosing a variable from the wrong level can return a different result from the one you expect.
For example:
If you want information about the hotel associated with a particular day, use the corresponding Day / Program information.
If you want the first accommodation in the project regardless of the day, use an Accommodation variable.
If you want general information such as the project title or client name, use the corresponding General variable.
💡 Do not start by asking “Which variable should I use?” Start by asking “Where is this information stored in Ezus?” Then choose the variable associated with that level.
Variables in Slides
In Slides templates, variables use the $$...$$ syntax.
For example:
$$project.title$$
You can combine static text and variables in the same text area. The static text remains unchanged, while the variable is replaced with information from the project when the document is generated.
For example:
Your trip to $$project.destination$$
could generate:
Your trip to Iceland
Variables can retrieve many different types of information, including text, dates, descriptions, images, project information and program information.
🔭 See Full list of variables for Slides for the available Slides variables, their syntax and examples
Variables in HTML templates
HTML webpages also use variables to retrieve information from Ezus.
When a variable is used outside a loop, you can use the variables available in the Variable Drawer in the same way as in Slides.
For example:
<h1>$$project.title$$</h1>
When the webpage is generated, $$project.title$$ is replaced with the title of the current project.
Inside an HTML loop, the syntax changes because you are working with the current item of that loop.
For example, inside a loop that goes through the days of the program:
{% for day in days %} <h2>{{ day.title }}</h2> {% endfor %}Here, {{ day.title }} retrieves the title of each day as the loop goes through the program.
⚠️ Do not automatically copy a Slides variable into an HTML loop. Variables outside loops and variables referring to the current object inside a loop do not use the same syntax.
🔭 See HTML Variables for the available HTML variables and Using loops in HTML templates to learn how variables work with repeated content.
What if a variable does not display the expected information?
If a variable is empty or returns unexpected information, first check the source data before changing the template.
Check that:
The information exists in the project.
You are using the variable for the correct object or information level.
The variable syntax has not been changed.
The template is being tested with a project containing the information you want to display.
If you are working in HTML, the variable is being used in the correct context, particularly when it is inside a loop.
⚠️ An empty result does not necessarily mean that the variable is incorrect. If the corresponding information has not been completed in the project, Ezus may simply have no value to display.
Test your variables
After adding or changing a variable:
Save the template.
Generate the document or webpage using a representative project.
Compare the generated result with the information stored in the project.
Check that the expected value appears in the correct place.
If it does not, verify the source information and variable context before modifying the template again.
💡 Use a representative test project containing days, activities, accommodations, transport, descriptions and images when relevant. A project with incomplete information may not be enough to determine whether a variable is working correctly.
🔭 Once you are comfortable with variables, continue with Full list of variables for Slides or HTML Variables to find the exact syntax for the information you want to display.