created: 20190330100101453
modified: 20190330100101453
tags: [[Filter Operators]] [[Special Operators]]
title: getvariable Operator
caption: getvariable
op-purpose: select all values of variables named in the input titles
op-input: a selection of variable names
op-parameter: ignored
op-output: the values of each of the variables named in the input titles (or blank if the variable is not defined)

<<.from-version "5.1.20">> The usual way to retrieve a variable value within a filter is with the angle brackets notation. For example, `[<currentTiddler>]` will retrieve the value of the variable called `currentTiddler`. 

The `getvariable` filter operator provides an alternative way to retrieve a variable. For example, `[[currentTiddler]getvariable[]]` is another way to retrieve the value of the variable `currentTiddler`.

The advantage of `getvariable` is that it makes it possible to work with variables whose name is computed, and not known in advance. For example, `[<myvariable>getvariable[]]` gets the value of the variable whose name is given in the variable `myvariable`.

<<.operator-examples "getvariable">>