# Any way to create variable shortcuts for common configuration properties

**URL:** https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/any-way-to-create-variable-shortcuts-for-common-configuration-properties/5273
**Category:** Discussion
**Created:** [November 12, 2014, 4:17am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/any-way-to-create-variable-shortcuts-for-common-configuration-properties/5273 "2014-11-12T04:17:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![karmasponge](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@karmasponge](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/karmasponge)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2014, 4:17am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/any-way-to-create-variable-shortcuts-for-common-configuration-properties/5273/1 "2014-11-12T04:17:34Z")

</div>

I wanted to add a new configuration for a new repository (under the same project). So I did the obvious and cloned the configuration which worked fine.  
However the configuration is littered with references to the previous repository e.g $Source.trunk.Path$ which now have to be manually updated (~50).  
  
Is there a way to create a variable/shortcut that I could reference all the related $Source.trunk.\*$ properties.  
I thought I could create a variable for each one but that would still require ~10 variables considering all the sub properties we use.  
  
Is there a better way of doing this?  
  
Simon Kennedy

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![peter.toms](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/df788c/32.png) [@peter.toms](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/peter.toms)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2014, 5:09am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/any-way-to-create-variable-shortcuts-for-common-configuration-properties/5273/2 "2014-11-12T05:09:47Z")

</div>

Hi Simon, its possible to an extent;   
  
 You can assign an expression variable ‘$Source.MYREPONAME.BranchName$’ to %branchname% then if ‘MYREPONAME’ changed you would only need to change a single variable.   
  
 You cannot however do an expression like ‘$Source.%myreponame%.BranchName$’ where ‘myreponame’ is another text variable containing the variable ‘MYREPONAME’.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![karmasponge](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@karmasponge](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/karmasponge)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2014, 6:05am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/any-way-to-create-variable-shortcuts-for-common-configuration-properties/5273/3 "2014-11-12T06:05:36Z")

</div>

That’s disappointing

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![jens.weigele](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/f1d935/32.png) [@jens.weigele](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/jens.weigele)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2014, 9:09am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/any-way-to-create-variable-shortcuts-for-common-configuration-properties/5273/4 "2014-11-12T09:09:55Z")

</div>

I have a similar problem and used the method from peter. Maybe it would be good to allow definition of object aliases or assignment of objects to variables (e.g. %myRepo% = $source.myRepo$)