diff --git a/core/modules/filters/variables-wl.js b/core/modules/filters/variables-wl.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3c3076e80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/modules/filters/variables-wl.js
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+/*\
+title: $:/core/modules/filters/variables-wl.js
+type: application/javascript
+module-type: filteroperator
+
+Filter operator for returning the names of the active variables
+
+\*/
+(function(){
+
+/*jslint node: true, browser: true */
+/*global $tw: false */
+"use strict";
+
+/*
+Export our filter function
+*/
+exports["variables-wl"] = function(source,operator,options) {
+	var operands = [];
+	$tw.utils.each(operator.operands,function(operand,index){
+		operands.push({
+			name: (index + 1).toString(),
+			value: operand
+		});
+	});
+	var names = [],
+		sort,
+		widget = options.widget,
+		included = (operands[0].value) ? operands[0].value : "var fn proc macro widget";
+		// all will overwrite 
+		included = ((included.indexOf("all") !== -1)) ? "var fn proc macro widget" : included;
+
+		// variableTemplate = (operands.length > 1 && operands[1]) ? operands[1].value : "$type$ $name$($params$) $firstLine$";
+
+	switch(operator.suffix) {
+		case "raw":
+			sort = false;
+			break;
+		case "alphabetical":  // the fallthrough is intentional. "alphabetical" is default
+		default:
+			sort = true;
+			break;
+	}
+	while(widget && !widget.hasOwnProperty("variables")) {
+		widget = widget.parentWidget;
+	}
+	if(widget && widget.variables) {
+		for(var variable in widget.variables) {
+			var varInfo = widget.getVariableInfo(variable, {});
+
+			// varInfo.name = variable;
+			// variable = $tw.utils.formatVariableString(variableTemplate, varInfo);
+
+			if( ((included.indexOf("fn") !== -1) && varInfo.srcVariable.isFunctionDefinition ) ||
+				((included.indexOf("proc") !== -1) && varInfo.srcVariable.isProcedureDefinition ) ||
+				((included.indexOf("macro") !== -1) && varInfo.srcVariable.isMacroDefinition ) ||
+				((included.indexOf("widget") !== -1) && varInfo.srcVariable.isWidgetDefinition ) )
+			{
+				names.push(variable);
+			} else if((included.indexOf("var") !== -1) && !varInfo.srcVariable.isFunctionDefinition && !varInfo.srcVariable.isProcedureDefinition && !varInfo.srcVariable.isMacroDefinition && !varInfo.srcVariable.isWidgetDefinition )
+			{
+				names.push(variable);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	if(sort) {
+		return names.sort();
+	} else {
+		return names;
+	}
+};
+
+})();