# Select/Add variable

**URL:** <https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/select-add-variable/7481>\
**Category:** Discussion\
**Created:** [April 25, 2024, 1:51pm UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/select-add-variable/7481 "2024-04-25T13:51:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bernd.maierhofer](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/8edcca/32.png) [@bernd.maierhofer](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/bernd.maierhofer)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2024, 1:51pm UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/select-add-variable/7481/1 "2024-04-25T13:51:01Z")

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Maybe I am missing something. Is there any way to immediately create a variable, when I have to select one in one of the action dialogs? Shift-F2 only works, when no dialog is open. And INS does nothing in the drop down of the variables.

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**Author:** ![Vincent](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/user_avatar/www.finalbuilder.com/vincent/32/938_2.png) [@Vincent](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/Vincent)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 4:22am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/select-add-variable/7481/2 "2024-04-26T04:22:20Z")

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On text fields, you can press F3 to add new variables but it doesn’t work on drop down lists. I just pushed a fix for that, however we are still working on how to reload the list of variables when that happens in a generic manner (given there are over 600 forms where this may be needed).

Also currently, if you add a new variable via F3, but then then cancel the action dialog, the project is not marked as modified and the new variable will be lost if you don’t save the project. This will be fixed in the next update.

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**Author:** ![bernd.maierhofer](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/8edcca/32.png) [@bernd.maierhofer](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/bernd.maierhofer)\
**Post date:** [April 26, 2024, 3:07pm UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/select-add-variable/7481/3 "2024-04-26T15:07:55Z")

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Thanks for your answer and the prompt fix.

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**Author:** ![Vincent](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/user_avatar/www.finalbuilder.com/vincent/32/938_2.png) [@Vincent](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/u/Vincent)\
**Post date:** [May 9, 2024, 7:45am UTC](https://www.finalbuilder.com/forums/t/select-add-variable/7481/4 "2024-05-09T07:45:55Z")

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A new updated to FinalBuilder was just released that improves adding variables on most action property dialogs - pressing F3 should work anywhere on the dialog.

If a variable dropdown list is focused when F3 is pressed, then if a new variable is added, then the dropdown list will select that new variable.

There are still a few places where it doesn’t update - that will be fixed in a future update.