Other Data Sources Attached to an Estimate > Variables

As in Excel™, a Name Manager gathers all kinds of variables and ranges.

Its content is context sensitive: it lists out the variables and references defined or consumed locally, or added.

Its viewer allows you to:

▪enrich the list

▪filter the list.

The variable management at a glance (this does not apply fully to In-Row Workbooks):

cycle

The repository on the left is the comprehensive list of Global Variables. On the right he Name Manager collates data of various origins or kinds.

The main kinds of managed objects are:

▪Global variables: User-defined data (used in calculations), System variables (QDV7 options and variables), Project Management data

▪References to Overhead ranges (user defined or native: refer to Protected Names & Shortcuts), that can be invoked in the In-... workbooks

▪Local data: references to ranges in the WBS or entries from the rows in an In-... workbook.

Name Manager

The Name Manager shows various variables according to:

1.the selected object (the WBS, an in-line workbook, the Overhead workbook, the report)

2.the filter in force.

Object ↓	Local References ("User-defined")	Global Variables (input)	Outputs	System fields	Management fields
WBS	X	on demand	–	SYS_Lang_UI SYS_MustCalc_SellPrice	on demand
Minutes view> in-line workbook	X	X	locally defined (RET_/OVH_: see In-Row Workbooks )	locally defined
Overhead workbook	X	X	locally written (xxxOUT_: see Comsumption of Variables)	SYS_Lang_UI SYS_MustCalc_SellPrice + locally pasted
Report	VATRate (see Calculation options)	locally pasted	–	locally pasted +, in edit mode, SYS_Lang_UI, SYS_Lang_Report

Do not confuse Local References, and Local variables defined in How to Empower the Minutes with Quantity Calculation Capabilities; the latter are not globally managed.

The local References, along with locally written variables (outputs), are enrolled in the local combo box in the sheet left upper corner in Edit mode.

To localize the cell/range associated to a variable (Local Reference or Output), select the name in the combo box or double click the row in the Name Manager.

Kind	Type	Filter	Prefix	Core	Suffix	Comment
Global variables	User defined	Global Variables In	GLV_	name
	User defined	Global Variables out	GLVOUT_	name
	System variables	System fields	SYS_	name		SYSOUT_ available only with two RW variables
References	to Overhead ranges (in OVH)	User Defined	–	name		free text in comment column
	to Overhead ranges (in workbook)	Input from overhead	OVH_	name		free text in comment column
	to minutes field (minutes header)	Input from row	IN_	mnemonic	.<Id for workbook>	/<Source field name> in comment column
	to minutes field (minutes row)			mnemonic
	to WBS field (WBS task)			column rank		0 for item, <Source field name> in comment col.
	to workbook cell (minutes header)	Output to row	RET_	mnemonic	.<Id for workbook>
	to workbook cell (minutes row)	Output to row		mnemonic
	to In-row Workbook ranges	User Defined		name		free text in comment column
	to In-document	Variable not managed	ROW_	mnemonic		used only as a merging field
Estimate metadata	Management (refer to How to Update an Estimate)	Input from management database	PMP_	name		The Writeonly project management variables (see ProMo+ help) cannot be pasted to the Overhead workbook
		Output to management database	PMPOUT_	name
		Input from management module	MGT_	name
		Output from management module	MGTOUT_	name

NOTES

- The minutes view has NO combo box, but each in-line workbook has.

- The Name Manager of the reports of types Minutes, Nomenclatures and Overhead features the Protected Names kind, which is of no use at this time (with the Overhead type, Sheet of Sales!QDV_System_VisibleArea is classified as this by the Name Manager).

Procedure

Tool: bar Automation, group Formulas

Global variables

Condition: Edit mode available. The Manage Names link is subject to security setting (Global variables).

Click Automation>Formulas>Manage Names.

On opening, the System fields are viewed. To view the other names, change filter in the upper right corner list.

Example in an Overhead sheet:

NM page1

The RefersTo column indicates where the data is used or created (references) or its value (variables). The references begin with the sheet name or with a mnemonic wrapped with quotation marks; they are followed with a !

NOTES

- The Sheet of Sales' visible area ('Sheet of Sales'!QDV_System_VisibleArea) is a local reference that belongs to no type

- '<Sheet name>'!System_ShowHeader and '<Sheet name>'!System_ShowFormulaBar are variables described in How to Build a Sheet

Delete Name button:

- To stop using a global variable, select it and click Delete; as a result, it is stripped away from the manager and the combo box (but not from the list of global variables)

- To stop using a reference, select it and click Delete; as a result, it is stripped away from the manager and the combo box. In the overhead workbook, the very definition of the reference is deleted.

To add into the manager a range, select the All filter and click New Name. (Refer to Range of Cells.) As in Excel, to select several blocks, hold down the Ctrl key.

To enroll into the manager global variables that are not used, click Add Name. To checkout the adding, select the All filter.

Managed Data

Managed Data