2.13 FAQ-423 How do I retrieve and use variables extracted from file name and header?

Last Update: 9/5/2015

There are numerous ways in which file metadata might be extracted and used in your Origin project. This FAQ will focus on the most flexible user-interface methods for retrieving and using variables extracted from your imported data files.

  1. First, you must extract metadata from your data file and the best Origin tool for this is the Import Wizard. To find out how this is done, see Part 3 of this video tutorial on data import.
  2. Once you have identified your variables and imported your data files, there are several options for retrieving and using the extracted variables:
    • To insert a variable value into a worksheet cell, right-click on the cell and choose Insert Variables (in edit mode, you can press CTRL+H). This opens the Insert Variables dialog box for worksheets. For more information on use of this dialog box see this topic.
    • To insert a variable value into a text object on a graph page, select the Text tool Text button.png from the Tools toolbar, click in an empty space in the graph window, then right-click and choose Insert Info Variable (or press CTRL+H). For more information on the use of this dialog box, see this topic.
    • Variables stored in the page.info area of a workbook can be used, for instance, in Set Values calculations in that workbook. These variables will be listed at the page level in both the Workbook Organizer or the Insert Variables dialog boxes (data plots, worksheets). For more information, you can refer to this OriginBlog post.
    Workbook Organizer UserVars.png
    InsertVars UserVars.png

Keywords:metadata, organizer, book, import, annotate, Import Wizard, Insert Variables, page.info,