# Append to Variable Issue?

**URL:** <https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/append-to-variable-issue/4430>\
**Category:** Discussion\
**Created:** [May 5, 2010, 6:20am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/append-to-variable-issue/4430 "2010-05-05T06:20:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sexy-trousers](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/user_avatar/www.finalbuilder.com/sexy-trousers/32/97_2.png) [@sexy-trousers](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/sexy-trousers)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 6:20am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/append-to-variable-issue/4430/1 "2010-05-05T06:20:41Z")

</div>

I noticed if I&nbsp;had an Append to Variable action under an ADO&nbsp;Dataset Iterator that some of the lines I was appending to the var were being missed... The values were valid and I could watch the append happening "sucessfully", but the values were'nt being appended.

After a bit of investigation it seems the I was appending had emedded variables (which is fine), the append didn't seem to work correctly when that embedded variable value had a %&nbsp;sign in it, it just skipped if entirely - pretty sure thats a bug...

TJ

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![paulsamways](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/e8c25b/32.png) [@paulsamways](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/paulsamways)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 11:59am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/append-to-variable-issue/4430/2 "2010-05-06T11:59:15Z")

</div>

Hi TJ,   
  
 When you’re referencing the variable in the Append to Variable action you’ll need to use the %!variable\_name% syntax which will stop the variable expansion engine trying to recursively expand the variable.   
  
 Regards,   
 Paul.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![sexy-trousers](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/user_avatar/www.finalbuilder.com/sexy-trousers/32/97_2.png) [@sexy-trousers](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/sexy-trousers)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 1:15am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/append-to-variable-issue/4430/3 "2010-05-07T01:15:30Z")

</div>

Yup, thats what I ended up doing, that being said, the behaviour of the append action isn't what I would have expected - is this a bug or will this continue to be the way the action works?

TJ

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![paulsamways](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/e8c25b/32.png) [@paulsamways](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/paulsamways)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 10:16am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/append-to-variable-issue/4430/4 "2010-05-09T10:16:17Z")

</div>

Hi TJ,   
  
 This is by-design, not a bug.   
  
 Regards,   
 Paul.