# Appending to variable changes %s **URL:** \ **Category:** Bugs\ **Created:** [May 24, 2007, 2:35am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/appending-to-variable-changes-s/2837 "2007-05-24T02:35:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![deleted\_user](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/user_avatar/www.finalbuilder.com/deleted_user/32/937_2.png) [@deleted\_user](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/deleted_user)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2007, 2:35am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/appending-to-variable-changes-s/2837/1 "2007-05-24T02:35:35Z")
I need to put some percent signs into a variable, which will be html text and contain some URls. I’m building the html one table cell at a time, using the Append to Variable action. I can create a % by using %% with no problem. But the next time I append to the variable, the existing text of the variable appears to undergo variable substitution, wiping out my %'s and everything between them. This is the text with the %s before appending: 3 And this is what it looks like afterwards: 3 The ‘1%7C2%7C4’ was converted to ‘17C4’. It looks like it thought that %7C2% was a variable and tried to replace it. But I don’t think appending to a variable should modify the pre-existing content. Besides, I don’t have a %7C2% variable, so it should have given an error if this is expected behavior. I know about using the %!variable% syntax to avoid this sort of thing in other situations, but the Append to Variable action has me pick the variable from a list, so I can’t insert a ‘!’. Any suggestions? Thanks,     Keith Hearn     Devicescape, Inc. ---
**Author:** ![deleted\_user](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/user_avatar/www.finalbuilder.com/deleted_user/32/937_2.png) [@deleted\_user](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/deleted_user)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2007, 2:40am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/appending-to-variable-changes-s/2837/2 "2007-05-24T02:40:09Z")
You know, it’s fascinating the way this forum corrupts the stuff I put into it. This time it even reordered the lines. I guess that’s what I get for putting html in my message. Here is another try with all angle brackets removed. At least it seems to be leaving my percent signs alone. I need to put some percent signs into a variable, which will be html text and contain some URls. I’m building the html one table cell at a time, using the Append to Variable action. I can create a % by using %% with no problem. But the next time I append to the variable, the existing text of the variable appears to undergo variable substitution, wiping out my %'s and everything between them. This is the text with the %s before appending: TD bgcolor="#FFFF00" align=“center"A   href=“[http://katmandu.corp.devicescape.com:5467/cov.cgi?c=AAAAAADA7g&lstate=1|2|4&q=6&runs=1311&t=6&v=1](http://katmandu.corp.devicescape.com:5467/cov.cgi?c=AAAAAADA7g&lstate=1%7C2%7C4&q=6&runs=1311&t=6&v=1)”\>3/A/TD And this is what it looks like afterwards: TD bgcolor=”#FFFF00" align="center"A href=“[http://katmandu.corp.devicescape.com:5467/cov.cgi?c=AAAAAADA7g&lstate=17C4&q=6&runs=1311&t=6&v=1](http://katmandu.corp.devicescape.com:5467/cov.cgi?c=AAAAAADA7g&lstate=17C4&q=6&runs=1311&t=6&v=1)”\>3/A/TD /TR The ‘1%7C2%7C4’ was converted to ‘17C4’. It looks like it thought that %7C2% was a variable and tried to replace it. But I don’t think appending to a variable should modify the pre-existing content. Besides, I don’t have a %7C2% variable, so it should have given an error if this is expected behavior. I know about using the %!variable% syntax to avoid this sort of thing in other situations, but the Append to Variable action has me pick the variable from a list, so I can’t insert a ‘!’. Any suggestions? Thanks,     Keith Hearn     Devicescape, Inc. ---
**Author:** ![angus](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@angus](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/angus)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2007, 6:37am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/appending-to-variable-changes-s/2837/3 "2007-05-24T06:37:39Z")
Hi Keith, This is a bug in the way “Append to Variable” is implemented. I’ve fixed it so that it doesn’t expand the parent variable any more (we’ll have a test build available shortly, I’ll let you know.) Regards, Angus ---
**Author:** ![deleted\_user](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/user_avatar/www.finalbuilder.com/deleted_user/32/937_2.png) [@deleted\_user](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/deleted_user)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2007, 6:58am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/appending-to-variable-changes-s/2837/4 "2007-05-24T06:58:40Z")
Thanks, I figured you guys would get it fixed quickly. You’ve been pretty good at that in the past. 🙂 Keith ---
**Author:** ![deleted\_user](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/user_avatar/www.finalbuilder.com/deleted_user/32/937_2.png) [@deleted\_user](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/deleted_user)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 1:16am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/appending-to-variable-changes-s/2837/5 "2007-06-01T01:16:32Z")
Any update on this? I'm unable to work around. I can't just put enough %s in to escape them, because I'm doing the append in an action list that gets called several times, so I'd need a different number of %s each time though. Any word on when a new build will be available? Thanks,   Keith ---
**Author:** ![angus](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@angus](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/angus)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 1:27am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/appending-to-variable-changes-s/2837/6 "2007-06-01T01:27:42Z")
Hi Keith, Sorry, I forgot to let you know that the test build was out. The fix should be in this download: [https://www.finalbuilder.com/downloads/finalbuilder/550/FB550\_251.exe](https://www.finalbuilder.com/downloads/finalbuilder/550/FB550_251.exe) - Angus ---
**Author:** ![deleted\_user](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/user_avatar/www.finalbuilder.com/deleted_user/32/937_2.png) [@deleted\_user](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/deleted_user)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2007, 1:31am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/appending-to-variable-changes-s/2837/7 "2007-06-01T01:31:58Z")
Ok, I'll give it a try. Thanks,   Keith