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How do you add template variables as macro parameters or in plain text macro bodies?

Bob Swift

Prior to Confluence 4.3, it was easy to add template variables anywhere in the template. Is this capability gone in Confluence 4.3?

Also, when editing a template and using Insert Wiki Markup, I keep getting "Wiki Markup Conversion Errors - error:Bad Request" when the inserted wiki contains a macro (like {info} for example). Same problem on Confluence 5.0.

Accepted answers

Kim Poulsen

I have done some tinkering on this subject and have come up with a (less than perfect) user macro that will work in a lot of cases. "Less than perfect"? Well it seems the user macro rendring of $body ruins the layout of sections on the page if JIRA macros are included. In practise this makes side-by-side JIRA issue tables impossible, outside of that I have tried sections and columns with success.

Macro name: applytemplatevars
Macro Title: Apply Template Variables
Description: This macro encases other macros so that template variables can be transferred to them.
Categories: Confluence Content
 
Macro Body Processing: Rendered
Template:
## Macro title: applytemplatevars
## Macro has a body: Y
## Body processing: Rendered
## Output: body with replaced variables
##
## Developed by: Kim Poulsen
## Date created: 28/09/2015
## Installed by: &lt;you?&gt;
## @noparams
## Fish out the parameter section of the body:
######################################
#set ($lbody = $body)
#set ($idx = $lbody.indexOf("&lt;/p"))
#set ($params = $lbody.substring(3, $idx))
## Replace the body with the real body (without the variable section)
#set ($body = $lbody.substring($idx))
## This version accepts &lt;name&gt;=&lt;value&gt;|&lt;name&gt;=&lt;value&gt;|... type specification
#################################################################
#foreach($v in $params.split("[|]"))
  ## Fish out variable names and values:
  #######
  #set ($varArr = [])
  #foreach($i in $v.split("[=]"))
    #set ($retval = $varArr.add($i) )
  #end
  #set ($vn = $varArr.get(0) )
  #set ($vv = $varArr.get(1) )
  ## And do the replacement:
  ########
  #set ($body = $body.replaceAll($vn, $vv) )
#*
  ##  Change the page title as well (dangerous: The page will change title, and possibly get lost.)
  #set ($title = $content.getTitle() )
  #set ($title = $title.replaceAll($vn, $vv) )
  $content.setTitle($title)
*#
#end
$body

Use it like this:

{applyfromtemplate} mySuperTemplatevar=$mySuperTemplatevar|myOthervar=$templateVar2|myNonTemplateVAR=Yes we can substitute arbitrary strings not only template vars. Instance other macros and use the "mySuperTemplatevar" and "myOthervar" anywhere. The macro will replace them with the template vars. The variable list will not be rendered on the view page. {/applyfromtemplate}

I'd appreciate any input on how to not get output ruined when using JIRA macros in a rendered $body.

Edit: Obviously the macro can also be used without template variables. Just type in the string you want to substitute and all is good too.

All comments

EddieW_h8oivr

Perhaps I am misunderstanding, but in Confluence 5 you can define variables anywhere, including inside macros like the info box.

The "insert wiki markup" (ctrl+shift+d) also seems to work for me.

Space tools > content tools > page templates

https://confluence.atlassian.com/display/DOC/Adding+a+Template

EddieW_h8oivr

Sorry for my confusion before. Even the former work around of declaring the variable outside the scope of the macro parameters does not make them replaced within the parameter. Have you "poked" atlassian about this, or submitted a ticket? Seems some functionality has regressed.

Bob Swift

Yes, I poked a couple of times.

BTW, I don't think the Variables insert thing is very obvious for people that new the old way of doing things. I took me a while to notice that in the editor. So actually your post would be helpful for some other folks.

Bob Swift

Yes, I poked a couple of times.

BTW, I don't think the Variables insert thing is very obvious for people that knew the old way of doing things. I took me a while to notice that in the editor. So actually your post would be helpful for some other folks.

SarahA

Hallo Bob and Eddie

I'm not exactly sure what you're asking but could it be the same as this discussion in our doc space?

https://confluence.atlassian.com/display/DOC/Confluence+4.3-RC1+Release+Notes?focusedCommentId=297669317#comment-297669317

Cheers, Sarah

Daniel Brice

Sarah that discussion is related. I'm surprised this feature is missing in 4.3 & 5 as I make use of it in many of my templates and don't want to loose that functionality when we upgrade. Is there not any other way to use variables as macro parameters? Some plugin perhaps?

Bob Swift

Must have missed this earlier. It covers part of it. The part about variables in plain text bodies is not covered.

iribe

We also have got a similar issue.

We want to create a page template using one variable (issue key) that will be used by the SQL macro.

This mechanism will allow the users to have a page already pre formated with a set of macros (here this is SQL macros) using the value of an issue required during the page creation.

The template will look like:

Type the value of the issue_key: $variable

{sql:dataSource=xxxx}
select i.issue_key, i.issue_type, i.timespent
from issue
where i.issue_key = 'Eval of $variable' (here I would like to have the value of the variable selected)
{sql}
......
......

Does somebody help us ?

Daniel Brice

Is there a bug or improvement open for this issue? Is there any way to work around this problem?

I use this feature in many of my Confluence 4 templates for many reasons. Here's one example:

Enter label of projects: @PROJECT_LABEL@
{checklist:name=Project Information|parent=Home|usecanvas=false|label=@PROJECT_LABEL@|depth=4}
{checklist-input:cols=20|heading=Tech Lead|rows=1}
{checklist-input:cols=40|heading=JIRA Versions|rows=1}
{checklist-input:cols=20|heading=Bamboo Key|rows=1}
{checklist}

Angel Arcos

Any updates about this? I'm currently evaluating Confluence and I need some functionality like this one...

Daniel Brice

I think the closest you'll get to this functionality is through writing your own User Macros:

https://confluence.atlassian.com/display/DOC/Adding%2C+Editing+and+Removing+User+Macros

MoBe

Any updates about this? I'm currently evaluating Confluence and I need some functionality like this one... +1

unknown

Just ran into this issue as well. CONF-3324 has been open a surprisingly long time with no real "desire" from Atlassian to fix it. I'm a little baffled honestly with how good their product seems to be. Not sure how this issue could be viewed by them as a "nice to have" for their Blueprints feature. To me it is just straight broken if this doesn't work, they lose all their power to be used for anything beyond a very simple formatted text page. Very disappointed right now.

joeycorea

You can watch this issue, but I wouldn't hold your breath https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONF-3324

joeycorea

No, the question is asking about macro _parameters_. You are referring to inserting variables into the macro body.

Kim Poulsen

Macro name: applytemplatevars
Macro Title: Apply Template Variables
Description: This macro encases other macros so that template variables can be transferred to them.
Categories: Confluence Content
 
Macro Body Processing: Rendered
Template:
## Macro title: applytemplatevars
## Macro has a body: Y
## Body processing: Rendered
## Output: body with replaced variables
##
## Developed by: Kim Poulsen
## Date created: 28/09/2015
## Installed by: &lt;you?&gt;
## @noparams
## Fish out the parameter section of the body:
######################################
#set ($lbody = $body)
#set ($idx = $lbody.indexOf("&lt;/p"))
#set ($params = $lbody.substring(3, $idx))
## Replace the body with the real body (without the variable section)
#set ($body = $lbody.substring($idx))
## This version accepts &lt;name&gt;=&lt;value&gt;|&lt;name&gt;=&lt;value&gt;|... type specification
#################################################################
#foreach($v in $params.split("[|]"))
  ## Fish out variable names and values:
  #######
  #set ($varArr = [])
  #foreach($i in $v.split("[=]"))
    #set ($retval = $varArr.add($i) )
  #end
  #set ($vn = $varArr.get(0) )
  #set ($vv = $varArr.get(1) )
  ## And do the replacement:
  ########
  #set ($body = $body.replaceAll($vn, $vv) )
#*
  ##  Change the page title as well (dangerous: The page will change title, and possibly get lost.)
  #set ($title = $content.getTitle() )
  #set ($title = $title.replaceAll($vn, $vv) )
  $content.setTitle($title)
*#
#end
$body

Use it like this:

I'd appreciate any input on how to not get output ruined when using JIRA macros in a rendered $body.

Edit: Obviously the macro can also be used without template variables. Just type in the string you want to substitute and all is good too.

Kim Poulsen

To add to the case it seems Confluence does more to the body after the JIRA macro: <div class="hidden"> <textarea id="refresh-wiki-2035414160"> <input id="refresh-page-id-2035414160" type="text" value="7375841" /> </div> <p /> </div> <p /><h5 id="... ... </textarea> The "class=hidden" effectively eats everything below that point on the page. And the textarea converts it all to a string, so bye bye remaining page.

yorky001

I was able to pass a template variable to a macro in the following way:

Create a new Macro
$body will be the value of the template variable. Use this however you need to. In my case I am hooking into the Content By Label macro by passing a dynamic label parameter from the template.
In the page template edit mode add a new template variable
Add the macro into the page template. Click into the body of the macro and choose Insert > Your variable.

## Macro title: My Macro
##
## Developed by: My Name
## Date created: dd/mm/yyyy
## Installed by: My Name
## @noparams
&lt;ac:macro ac:name="contentbylabel"&gt;
&lt;ac:parameter ac:name="label"&gt;$body&lt;/ac:parameter&gt;
&lt;ac:parameter ac:name="operator"&gt;AND&lt;/ac:parameter&gt;
&lt;/ac:macro&gt;

Simple but it works.

Kim Poulsen

This is a simple solution, and that is an advantage. The disadvantage is that it is also tailored for a single purpose because you have to insert any and all macros you want in here, or create one user macro for each type of default macro you want to use template variables with. Another disadvantage is that you can only use a single variable in this case. My solution works for any number of variables and can substitute any number of contained macros and any number of fields in those macros. The disadvantage is that JIRA macros seem to render themselves in a way that puts the remainder of the page into a hidden <textfield>. This is where your solution comes in handy because the use is them limited to e.g. the JIRA macros. Thanks for sharing.

Dougi B

I tried this solution in confluence 5.4.2 but it doesn't work for me. Is this working in JIRA only? I pass 4 variables as macro parameter to the macro, two of them are urls. the macro only gets $variablename. I tried both, insert to the body of the wrapper-macro: $variablename or $$variablename.

Kim Poulsen

@Dougi B: The macro Kate describes only works because the $body variable contains the body of the macro, and the body of the macro becomes the label text in this case. In other words, you will not have any other variable names available to you in this example. My own solution further above splits the $body into separate variables, which are then substituted into other macros instantiated inside the body of the wrapper macro.

Dougi B

@Kim Poulsen thank you for your comment. I got this working, but it replaces variables in the body-output only. It does not replace variables, I pass to the makro as parameter (as the title of this thread is suggesting). Is that correct?

Kim Poulsen

@Dougi B The macro should replace all variables in text and macros put into the body of the "applytemplatevars" macro. I cannot post images here, but lets try this in text:

/applytemplatevars/
/ VAR1=Hello|VAR2=World 
/ VAR1 VAR2 
/------------------------- 
This would print on screen:
    Hello World

Another one: 

/applytemplatevars/
/ VAR1=Hello|VAR2=World
/
/Panel(title=VAR1)           /
/ VAR2                       /
/------                      /
Other text from the big VAR2 / 
/----------------------------/
This would print on screen: 
/-----------------------------/ 
/ Hello                       / 
/-----------                  / 
/ World                       / 
/-----------                  /
Other text from the big World /
/-----------------------------/

So in the case I set the Title of the panel to the value "VAR1" and the body of the panel to "VAR2" I also re-use VAR2. You can use this together with template variables "$myVar" if you like. It looks like the mechanism is as simple as Confluence substituting $myVar when generating the draft page. So using them as variable values in this macro, you get to input data from the template generation stage too. It get's complicated without images, so I hope you understand the crude drawings above. The only case where I cannot get this to work is when using JIRA macros - which was actually where I started looking into this :-)

Edit: Fix formatting.

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