Working with Variables in Load Plans

1. Declaring Variables in Load Plans:
• Project and Global Variables used in a Load Plan are declared as Load Plan Variables within the Load Plan editor. These variables are automatically available in all steps, and their values are passed to the Load Plan steps during execution.
2. Passing Variable Values:
• The values of the variables are passed to the Load Plan as startup parameters when the Load Plan starts. At the step level, you can overwrite the variable values (set them manually or force a refresh) for the step and its child steps.
3. Updating Variable Definitions:
• Load Plan Variables are copies of Project and Global Variables. Changes made to the original Project and Global Variables will not automatically update the corresponding variables in the Load Plan.
• You can update a Load Plan variable definition by right-clicking and selecting the Refresh Variable Definition option. This will synchronize the Load Plan variable with the current value from the corresponding Project or Global variable.
4. Startup Behavior:
• At startup, Load Plans do not automatically consider the default value of the original Project or Global Variables, nor do they consider the historized/latest value in the execution context. The value of the variable is either the one specified at the start of the Load Plan or the value that has been set/refreshed within the Load Plan.
5. Using Variables in Different Step Types:
• Run Scenario Steps: You can use variables in Run Scenario steps where the variable values are passed as startup parameters to the scenario.
• Case/When/Else Steps: Variables can also be used in Case, When, and Else steps for conditional branching within the Load Plan.

Notes:

• Overwriting Variable Values: You can modify variable values at the step level, which will affect only that step and its child steps, giving you flexibility in handling different scenarios or contexts.
• Synchronization of Variables: Since Load Plan variables are copies, it’s important to manually update them if changes occur in the original project or global variables.
• Variable Usage: Proper use of variables is essential for dynamic and flexible Load Plans, especially when dealing with conditional logic or passing data to scenarios.