Hi everyone, this is Sunny from the Confluence team. After speaking with our engineering team, we are closing this bug as the original issue and use case reported has been resolved. The engineering team has opened up a new bug for an edge case related to this issue, where variables inside of certain macros show up as inlineextensions. You can follow this bug here: https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONFCLOUD-67823.

Because the original issue and use case has been resolved, we will be closing this bug. Thank you for all of your continued input and feedback!

Sunny

We created our templates using the old editor. The only thing I don't like with the current fix is that the page to fill the variables does not show instructional text fields.

We use this text to tell what to put into the variables. The great thing about these instructional text fields is that they are not shown into the final document, which makes sure that documentation only useful while editing is not polluting the final text.

Guilherme, variables in the new editor are still broken.
Here's my assessment of the patch that was implemented recently:

1. Old editor variables are fixed now. You can fill out the variables, you can copy and paste the variables, and reference the same variable multiple times.
2. New editor variables can be filled out now, but they are still broken because you can't save the template again after the first save. This is the error I'm seeing:

Replication Method #1

1. Create a new template.
2. Create a new variable, then add another instance of that same variable somewhere else in the template.
3. Save the template.
4. Edit that template.
5. Make no changes, then click "Save", and it will give you an error: "Can't save changes, Multiple template variables which have the same name "var1" but different parameters"
6. It somehow allows you to save initially, but if you ever go back to edit you cannot save, even though nothing has changed.

Replication Method #2

1. These steps require using two different methods of creating multiple instances of a variable.
2. If you copy a variable from the template, then delete everything on the template page, then paste the variable multiple times, it will let you save. but if you paste that variable, then use the macro menu and add the New Variable macro with the same name, it won't let you save.
3. Alternatively, if you start with a clean template and you use the macro menu to create a variable, you can use that method infinitely for the same variable name, and it would allow you to save. but if you add a new variable from the macro menu, then copy paste that macro anywhere, it won't let you save.
4. The error is the same regardless of how you replicate.

The purpose of a variable is to set the data once, and be able reference that data multiple times in the future. It seems that in the new editor variables were programmed without that concept in mind.

The old editor presented a table of all variables for population as a step before dropping into editing the page.  The new fix does not do this, it simply drops into the editor with inline fields.  With long and complex templates, this requires the user to hunt for variable fields to populate. Is this a deliberate change of behaviour, as it makes the templates less usable than they were before?

Cheers

Mark

Hey there,

Robin, from the development team has been working on this case and the definitive fix is now released to the Cloud environment.

Before we close this report, we wold like to confirm if everything is working as expect now!
Could you please clear the browser's cache and check if you're now able to create pages with variables on the new editor?

We'll be looking forward to hearing back from you with the results.

Kind regards,
Guilherme Tworkowski | Atlassian Support

Hello luca2056682004,

The issue with the page properties is known and I opened a public ticket so that progress can be tracked here https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONFCLOUD-67823 . ( A possible workaround is to have a variable that shares the same name outside of that macro because then it will use the value inputted across the entire document.)

With regards to the dropdown panel, I appended it as an additional issue in the above ticket as it's a small fix.

If there are any more specific issues, please post them on the new ticket as I want to keep the scope of this one to whether an instance has the wizard.

Hi @Robin,

we just figured out one more bug regarding the "drop-down-list variable":

The width of the button as well as the dropdown-panel is always determined by the option which is currently chosen. If you have very long and very short options, and you chose a short option, the panel will cut off the other, longer options and make them unreadable.

Kindly, Luca

Hi @Robin,

I just figured out, that the variables are not working inside an "Page properties" macro. Once the variable is inside the "page properties" macro, it is broken and only displays "inlineExtension" instead of the variable-options.

Kindly, Luca

Hi @Robin,

I see that something changed, but it is still not working for me.

First I tested it with my existing templates which include variables, not working. Then I created a new, fresh template, assuming it might work if I use the new page style. But still not working!

Once I create a page from the template, it brings me to the page wizard and telling me to fill in the variables. But the variables are not displayed as they should look like. Instead it only says "inlineExtension" in every place a variable is supposed to be.

Please fix the problem.

Kind regards,

Luca

Hi all,

The ability to input variable values for user created templates should be re-enabled for all instances.

If there still are any issues please don't hesitate to follow up.

Thanks again for your patience,

Robin