Substitution variables act as global placeholders for information that changes regularly. Substitution variables are especially useful for developing and reporting on rolling forecasts. When you select substitution variables as members on the form, their values are based on dynamically generated information. For example, you could set the current month member to the substitution variable CurMnth so that when the month changes, you need not update the month value manually in the form or the report script.
When you open or calculate values on forms, the Planning application replaces substitution variables with values assigned to them.
You create and assign values to substitution variables within Planning. These substitution variables are then available in Planning when you select members for a form. For instructions on creating and assigning values to substitution variables using Planning, see Working with Substitution Variables.
Substitution variables must be appropriate for the context in forms. For example, you could select a substitution variable named CurrQtr with a value of Qtr2 as a member of the Time Period dimension. It is not valid to select a substitution variable named CurrYr for the Year dimension if its value is Feb. You can set substitution variables at the application or database level.
The same substitution variable can exist on multiple levels; Planning uses the first one it finds as it searches in this order:
Database
Application
You can select from substitution variables if they are enabled for runtime prompts in business rules, and their values match a member set in the runtime prompt for a business rule.
Planning checks the validity of substitution variables when they are used (for example, when the form is opened). It does not check when you design forms, so you should test substitution variables by saving and opening forms.
If you migrated an application that uses Global variables, you can view, but not edit, them in Planning.
To specify substitution variables in forms:
Create the form (see Creating Simple Forms).
In Member Selection, select substitution variables the same way you select members, using the right, left, and double arrows to move substitution variables to and from Selected Members.
When selected, a substitution variable is preceded by an ampersand (&). For example:
&CurrentScenario