Caution: This documentation is for eZ Publish legacy, from version 3.x to 6.x.
For 5.x documentation covering Platform see eZ Documentation Center, for difference between legacy and Platform see 5.x Architecture overview.

set

Summary

Sets the value of a variable.

Usage

{set $var1=value1 [ var2=value2 [...] ] [ name=name ] [ scope=scope ]}

Parameters

NameTypeDescriptionRequired
var1 string Name of variable number one (with a dollar sign in front of it). Yes.
value1 any The value that should be assigned to variable 1. Yes.
var2 string Name of variable number two (with a dollar sign in front of it). No.
value2 any The value that should be assigned to variable 2. No.
name string The name of the target namespace. No.
scope string The scope ("global", "root" or "relative"). No.

Description

This function makes it possible to assign new values to variables that previously have been declared using either the "def" function. The "name" and "scope" parameters are optional and can be used to set the desired namespace and scope.

Examples

Example 1

{def $apples=4}
Before: {$apples} <br/>
...
{set $apples=8}
After: {$apples} <br/>

The following output will be produced:

Before: 4
 After: 8

Example 2

{def name=ns1 $var1='ns1 org value'}
{def name=ns2 $var1='ns2 org value'}
 
Original values: <br/>
$ns1:var1 : {$ns1:var1} <br/>
$ns1:ns2:var1 : {$ns1:ns2:var1} <br/>
...
{set name=ns1 scope=root var1='new value'}
{set var1='new value'}
...
New values: <br />
$ns1:var1 : {$ns1:var1}<br/>
$ns1:ns2:var1 : {$ns1:ns2:var1}<br/>

The following output will be produced:

Original values:
 $ns1:var1 : ns1 org value
 $ns1:ns2:var1 : ns2 org value

New values:
 $ns1:var1 : new value
 $ns1:ns2:var1 : new value

Example 3

{def $today='rainy'}
Before: Today is a {$today} day!
{set scope=global $today='sunny'}
After: Today is a {$today} day!

The following output will be produced:

Before: Today is a rainy day!
After: Today is a sunny day! 

Balazs Halasy (06/02/2004 1:22 pm)

Ricardo Correia (25/01/2013 3:38 pm)

Balazs Halasy, Ricardo Correia

Comments

  • def using namespaces

    Friday 30 December 2005 8:51:37 am

    William Steenbergh

    Hi eZ Pub guys,

    In the manual for {def} it is stated that def does not support the 'name' and 'scope' parameters. In the examples of {set} however, it does. Did you simply 'search and replace' all occurences of {let} in the documentation, or do some parts of the manual need an update?

    • Re: def using namespaces

      Tuesday 03 January 2006 10:51:53 am

      Alimi Nabil

      {set} is not {def} ;).

      Namespaces are supported by the set function but not by the def statement as mentionned in the documentation.

      In other words, you can define a variable and set a value for a specific namespace.

      • Re: Re: def using namespaces

        Friday 09 June 2006 7:39:42 am

        Niels

        Example 1:
        {def name=ns1 $var1='ns1 org value'}
        {def name=ns2 $var1='ns2 org value'}

        There still ist a name=.. in there.

      • Re: Re: def using namespaces

        Wednesday 14 June 2006 3:43:23 pm

        Stefano Guandalini

        Yes, but what if I want to define a variable in the 'root' or 'global' namespace?
        The following does not work:
                {def $loaded='pippopippo'}
        {set name=root $loaded='pippopippo'}


        In this case $root:loaded outputs nothing!

        g

        • How to define global variables

          Monday 04 September 2006 12:30:09 pm

          Leif Arne Storset

          After some forum searching, trial and failure, I found out how to work with global variables. Apparently, 'root' means current template, and 'global' is for exchanging data between templates. :S

          You cannot declare a variable as global, so just declare it like a regular variable (definition is compulsory):

          {def $total_items=0}


          To define or set a global variable:

          {set scope='global' $total_items=0}


          To read a global variable:
          {$#total_items}


          To update a global variable, you naturally combine the above:

          {set scope='global' $total_items=$#total_items|inc()}

          • Re: How to define global variables

            Wednesday 22 November 2006 10:33:17 am

            Olav Bringedal

            Thanks for your research.

            It really logical, but I had to try a few times before it got to me:
            You need to declare the variable in pagelayout.tpl to access it in templates on same or higher level than the one that sets it.

            • Re: Re: How to define global variables

              Friday 23 November 2007 3:40:14 pm

              Guillaume

              This doesn't work for me, i can set the var but i cannot get the value.

              • Re: Re: Re: How to define global variables

                Monday 10 March 2008 9:17:25 pm

                Gaetano

                If you have trouble using scopes or namespaces, a simpler solution is to use the "persistent_variable" var:

                - it is accessed as $persistent_variable in node templates
                - it can be set directly in any template without having to be def()ined first
                - it can be set() in an included template and it will be available in the including template
                - it will even be available in another template included after the one where it is set
                - it will be available in the pagelayout via $module_result.content_info.persistent_variable

                the only drawback is that it is not easy to use in custom modules.

                To store multiple values, just make it a hashmap containing all the desired values.

                Otoh if all you need to pass around between templates are strings, you might also investigate the set-block template function, which takes scope and namespace params. It works better than set.

  • either? what if undefined?

    Thursday 16 February 2006 11:50:04 pm

    zurgutt

    "..variables that previously have been declared using either the "def" function." - either def or what?

    And more importantly, what if variable is previously undeclared?

    • Re: either? what if undefined?

      Wednesday 08 March 2006 11:26:50 pm

      AtR

      {if is_set($module_result.node_id)}

    • Re: either? what if undefined?

      Thursday 07 December 2006 1:00:49 pm

      Olav Bringedal

      "either def or predefined"?

  • set limitations

    Thursday 16 March 2006 5:24:16 pm

    Ronnie Garcia

    According to this bug report : http://ez.no/community/bugs/weird_behavior_or_bug_on_set_statement
    You can't {set} array values or object attributes.

    Eg: {set $object_parameters['link_to_image']=true()}
    is *not* valid (at least in 3.6.2). Bummer.

  • What is SCOPE?

    Monday 19 June 2006 9:50:58 am

    vytis

    what mean "scope"? Does "global" mean, that this variable will known in other templates?