Template Variables show images, not input fields

[Lis Riba]

Trying to create a template in Confluence 4.3

I insert several variables, but when I try to Create Page from Template, the page shows the green rounded rectangles instead of the input fields.

I've simplified things down to the most basic.

1. Created a page, added 4 variables, saved it - the template worked.
2. Edited the page, used the bullet icon to put the variables in a list. The template failed.
3. Took out the bullets, restored them to a single line - the template failed.

What is going on here?

Checking the source editor, and the code in Step 1 is identical to that in Step 3, yet 1 worked and 3 fails.

• Has anybody else seen anything like this?
• Any known issues surrounding template variables that I should know of?
  • Does use of the source editor somehow mess up variables?
• Why does the very top of my form show the variable names in an unordered list?

FWIW, here's the source code of Step 1 & 3:

<ul>
  <li>ProductVersionWholeNum</li>
  <li>ProductVersionDecimal</li>
  <li>WholeBuildNumber</li>
  <li>IncrementedOvernightBuildNumber</li>
</ul>
<p>
  <img class="template-variable" src="http://confluence/plugins/servlet/confluence/placeholder/template-variable?name=ProductVersionWholeNum"/>
  <img class="template-variable" src="http://confluence/plugins/servlet/confluence/placeholder/template-variable?name=ProductVersionDecimal"/>
  <img class="template-variable" src="http://confluence/plugins/servlet/confluence/placeholder/template-variable?name=WholeBuildNumber"/>
  <img class="template-variable" src="http://confluence/plugins/servlet/confluence/placeholder/template-variable?name=IncrementedOvernightBuildNumber"/>
</p>

[Tadd Seiff]

I saw this too, I'm guessing the Source Editor is broken and strips out some of the magic that makes these work.

My fields were drop-downs, and the Source Editor just barfed all the options a a huge <ul> at the top of the page.  In place of the variables I saw the same as you, just the images.

If I run the developer tools in the browser (e.g. right-click->inspect element) on one of the variables in the template, there is a lot more "magic" inline with the element that I don't see in the Source Editor output.

I'm guessing the source editor just doesn't work the way you expect.  Sorry I don't have a solution, but wanted to chime in and say I also experienced this.

My template works fine otherwise, so there might not be anything wrong with your template.

[Sean King]

Make sure the variables show up under the variables drop down next to the insert button. If they don't then recreate them and they should start working. For some reason if they aren't showing up then confluence doesn't treat them like variables. This could be because variables used to be different syntax. I'm assuming confluence is converting the WYSIWYG variables to that old syntax and if it's not registering with the system and showing up in the available variables then they're not getting converted.