27.7.4.1 Customizing Origin using System Variables

LabTalk includes a type of system variable referred to as an "@" system variable. These (generally) read/write variables are built into your Origin software. Their purpose is to allow you to control certain Origin behaviors by assigning a predefined value to the variable. This assignment can made automatically at startup or it can be made manually at any time during the Origin session.

An "@" system variable generally affects settings at a much lower level than, for instance, those in the Preferences: Options dialog box.

For example:

  • @A: Controls default angular units (0=radians, 1=degrees, 2=gradians).
  • @CCT: Controls the default text column cell width.
  • @DAM: Controls default state for the Recalculation drop-down list in analysis dialog boxes (0=None, 1=Auto, 2=Manual).
  • @EEE: Controls whether empty sheets are excluded during drag-and-drop import of Excel files.
  • @FBM: Controls whether data filters might apply to masked data (0=filter ignores masked data, 1=filter has access to masked data).

There are literally hundreds of such "@" variables. You can check the value of an "@" variable at any time by opening the Script window (Window: Script Window), typing the name of the variable followed by the "=" sign and and pressing Enter, as in this example: 

@FBM= //type and press Enter
@FBM=1 //Origin returns the variable's value

Changing the Value of a System Variable

As mentioned, almost all "@" variables are read/write. You can use the Script window to change the value of a variable, as for example, in the following: 

@DAM= // type and press Enter
@DAM=2 // Origin return's the variable's default value
@DAM=1 // type and press Enter to change the default Recalculate mode in analysis dialogs to "Auto".

However, when you change the value of a variable in this way, it is changed for the session only. To apply your change across sessions (i.e. every time that Origin starts), you should add the variable and its assigned value, to the Set System Variables dialog box.

FAQs on Modifying Origin Behaviors using "@" System Variables

This is a partial list of FAQs that discuss the use of a system variable to resolve a particular issue. The idea is to give you some feeling for the way in which these "@" System Variables can be used to modify Origin behaviors.

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