Some of the content described in this article is available in meshIQ Manage versions 12.1 and later.
For a quick overview of what's new or changed, visit the meshIQ Highlights page for a version-by-version breakdown.  

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Version 12.x and Later
Version 11.3 and Earlier

Version 12.x and Later

Set attribute filter criteria dynamically using variable values. Instead of using a hardcoded value that may need to be updated over time, you can set up a variable value in your attribute filter. Then set the variable value as needed, by clicking a Variable button on the user interface.

To Use Variables in an Attribute Filter:

1. When configuring the attribute filter, select Variable under Value Type.
   For attributes whose values come from a predefined list (such as Node Type), the Variable option is not available.
   
2. Click the Edit Variable button to open the Manage Variables dialog. Enter the name of a new variable, or select an existing variable to use for this attribute filter.
   
3. Click Save. The name you entered is displayed in the Value column.
   
4. Click Save to save the new attribute filter.

Apply a Variable When Filtering a Widget

When viewing a widget on a dashboard, ensure that the attribute filter containing the variable has been applied to the widget and that the widget’s Attribute filtering checkbox is selected.

Click the Variable button located in the top-right corner of the perspective to enter the required value in the Manage Variables dialog.  

Click Save to apply the variable.

The widget updates and displays results based on the value you provided for the variable.

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Version 11.3 and Earlier

Set attribute filter criteria dynamically using variable values. Instead of using a hardcoded value that may need to be updated over time, you can set up a variable value in your attribute filter. Then set the variable value as needed, by clicking a Variable button on the user interface.

To use variables in an Attribute Filter:

1. When setting up the attribute filter, choose Variable under Value Type. For attributes such as Node Type, whose possible values are items in a list, this option is unavailable.
   
    
2. Click to manage the variable. Enter the name of a new variable, or choose an existing variable to use for this attribute filter.
   
3. Click OK. The name you entered is displayed in the Value column.
   
    
4. Click OK to save the new attribute filter.

Apply a variable when filtering a viewlet

1. When viewing the channel viewlet on a dashboard, make sure that the attribute filter with the variable has been applied to the viewlet and that the viewlet's Active attribute filtering checkbox is selected.
2. On the main interface, click the Variable button to set the criteria that the attribute filter will look for. In the example created earlier in this article, the variable is for text.
   In versions 11.1 and earlier
   
   In version 11.2 
   
3. Enter the text in the Modify Variables dialog.
   
4. Click Save to apply the variable.
   Versions 11.1 and earlier
   
   Version 11.2