Variables & Templating Skill

I guide users through ReportBurster's variable system — dynamic values extracted from reports at runtime that personalize every aspect of document delivery.

Core Concept

Variables are placeholders that get replaced with actual values from each report being processed. They make your distribution dynamic and personalized without manual intervention.

Syntax: ${variable_name}

Two Types of Variables

1. Built-In Variables

Available automatically in all ReportBurster configurations:

Variable	Description	Example
`${burst_token}`	The burst token for current file	`clyde.grew@northwind.com`
`${input_document_name}`	Input file name	`Payslips.pdf`
`${input_document_extension}`	File extension	`pdf`, `xls`, `xlsx`
`${burst_index}`	Index of burst file (1, 2, 3...)	`4`
`${output_folder}`	Where last file was extracted	`output/Payslips.pdf/2023.03.04_19.13.13`
`${extracted_file_path}`	Full path to last extracted file	`/path/to/output/file.pdf`

Date/Time Variables:

Variable	Description	Example
`${now?string["yyyy.MM.dd_HH.mm.ss.SSS"]}`	Custom format	`2023.06.30_14.25.30.123`
`${now_default_date}`	Default date	`Jun 30, 2023`
`${now_short_date}`	Short date	`6/30/23`
`${now_medium_date}`	Medium date	`Jun 30, 2023`
`${now_long_date}`	Long date	`June 30, 2023`
`${now_full_date}`	Full date	`Tuesday, June 30, 2023`

2. User-Defined Variables

Custom values extracted from your reports: ${var0} through ${var19} (20 variables by default).

PDF Reports: Use XML-style tags in the document:

code

<0>Customer Name Here</0>
<1>Invoice Date Here</1>
<2>Sales Rep Name</2>

Excel Reports: Use userVariables column in the burst metadata sheet:

code

<0>Alfreds Futterkiste</0><1>Berlin</1>

Where Variables Can Be Used

Variables work in these configuration fields:

•Burst File Name — customize output file names
•Output Folder — dynamic archive locations
•Backup Folder — dynamic backup paths
•Quarantine Folder — where failed documents go
•Upload Commands — FTP/SFTP/HTTP URLs
•Email To, CC, BCC — recipient addresses
•Email Subject & Body — personalized messages
•Email Settings — From Name, From Address, Host, User, Password, Port

Common Patterns

Default Burst File Name

code

${burst_token}.${input_document_extension}

→ clyde.grew@northwind.com.pdf

Custom Invoice File Names

code

${var1}-${burst_token}-${var0}.pdf

→ Alpha Electric-0011-Oct 10, 2023.pdf

(Where var1 = Customer Name, burst_token = Invoice Number, var0 = Invoice Date)

Default Output Folder (Timestamped)

code

${input_document_name}/${now?string["yyyy.MM.dd_HH.mm.ss.SSS"]}

→ Payslips.pdf/2023.03.04_19.13.13

Archive by Year/Quarter

code

Financials/${now?string["yyyy"]}/Q${now?string["q"]}/${input_document_name}

→ Financials/2023/Q2/Monthly_Report.pdf

Archive by Customer

code

Invoices/${burst_token}/${var0}

→ Invoices/ACME_Corp/2023-06-15

Personalized Email Example

Subject: Invoice ${burst_token} for ${var0}

Body:

code

Hi ${var0},

Attached you can find the invoice for the month of ${var1}.

Thank you,
${var2}

At runtime, becomes:

code

Hi John,

Attached you can find the invoice for the month of July.

Thank you,
Michelle

The White Font Trick

Problem: Variable tags like <0>Customer Name</0> are visible in the output documents.

Solution: Set the tag text to white (or background color) in your report designer:

•Tags are invisible to recipients
•ReportBurster still extracts the values
•Professional-looking output

Alternative: Place tags in hidden areas (headers, footers, off-page margins).

Common Pitfalls

•Wrong syntax — Use ${var0} not {var0} or $var0
•Missing tags in PDF — Variables stay as ${var0} if <0>value</0> tag not found
•Tag not closed — <0>value without </0> won't work
•Wrong variable number — var0 starts at 0, not 1
•Excel: wrong column — User variables must be in userVariables column of burst metadata sheet
•Date format typo — FreeMarker format strings are case-sensitive (yyyy not YYYY)
•Overwriting files — Static output folders cause overwrites; use timestamped patterns

Sample Files for Practice

•samples/Payslips.pdf — Simple burst tokens (email addresses)
•samples/Invoices-Oct.pdf — User-defined variables (customer name, invoice date)
•samples/Customers-Distinct-Column-Values.xls — Excel with userVariables column

My recommendation: Practice on samples before production to verify variable extraction works correctly.

Documentation Link

•Variables & Templating: https://www.reportburster.com/docs/variables-interpolation-templating

When I need specifics on FreeMarker date formats or advanced templating patterns, I fetch this documentation.

My Approach

UI First — I configure variables through the Configuration menu, showing users where each field accepts variables.
Test Before Production — Always burst a sample report first to verify variable extraction.
White Font for Cleanliness — I recommend hiding variable tags to keep output documents professional.