Lenovo ThinkPad SL300 - Manual (Page 115)

• Setting a variable to contain a hard coded value
• Setting conditions to determine menu items displayed during the installation process
• Referencing text within menu item descriptions and sub-menu item titles
• Setting a variable to prompt the user for a specific value during the installation process
• Setting a variable so that a prompted value is passed as a parameter for a utility or filter
Note: Variables as described in this section have no association or interaction with the variables used in the
User Information tab of the Map Settings window.
Setting a variable to contain a hard coded value
The first step in using variables is to determine whether or not you want to hard code a value to a variable,
or if you want to prompt the person performing the installation process for a value to a variable. In some
cases, you might want to hard code, or define, a value for a variable used in a base-map menu item.
Hard coding values to menu items enables you to develop a structure whereby you can begin to exercise
functions that variables provide. For instance, you might have a menu item titled “Windows 2000.” In this
example, you may want to define the variable for this menu item as “OS.” In which case, you could hard
code the value for this variable to be “Windows 2000.”
To set a variable and its related value for menu items in a base map, do the following:
1. Open the Repository window for the repository where the map resides.
2. If your repository contains folders, navigate to the folder where the map resides.
3. In the right pane of the Repository window, click Base Maps. A list of base maps is displayed.
4. Double-click the appropriate base map. The Base Map window opens.
5. Expand the map tree.
6. Select the menu item to which you want to associate a variable. (In this example, you would select the
Windows 2000 menu item.
7. In the Main window menu bar, click View and then click Properties. The Menu Item Properties
window opens.
8. In the Variables tab, do the following:
a. Click the Insert Variable icon.
b. In the Variable field, either type the variable or select a predefined variable using the drop-down
menu. (In this example, you would type OS).
c. In the Value field, type the value you want to associate with the variable. (In this example, you
would type Windows 2000).
d. Click OK. The variable and its associated value are inserted in the Set field on the Variables tab.
e. Repeat these steps for each variable you want to add.(In this example, you might want to set similar
variables for each operating system supported within the base map).
9. Click the Save icon located in the Main window toolbar; then, close the Menu Item Properties window.
The following illustration is a view of two menu items in a base map. The Windows 2000 menu item is a
conceptual view, showing that it contains a hard-coded variable and value.
Chapter 6 . Map construction overview 101