Inserting a parameter

Inserting a parameter is a common activity throughout BMC Server Automation. To insert a parameter, enter the name of the property delimited with two question marks.

For example, you could enter ??TARGET.WINDIR?? or ??TARGET.STAGING_DIR??.

A single string can contain multiple parameters such as:

??TARGET.ROOT_DIR??/??TARGET.APP_DIR??/??TARGET.VERSION??

The Property Dictionary supports hierarchical property structures. Parameters referring to hierarchical properties separate the levels of the hierarchy with a dot. For example, a parameter such as ??TARGET.DEPLOYPATH?? refers to the DEPLOYPATH property, which has a parent property of TARGET. (In this example, TARGET is analogous to the Server built-in property class, because a target for a Deploy Job is a server.)

In a situation in which you can enter a parameter, BMC Server Automation provides a tool that lists all contents of the Property Dictionary that are related to your current context. From that list you can select a property and a parameter is generated at your cursor position.

To insert a parameter

1. Access a situation in BMC Server Automation where you can use parameters.
2. Position your cursor in the spot where you want to insert a parameter.
3. Do one of the following:
   • Type the parameter delimited by pairs of question marks.
   • Click Select Property . A list of properties appears. Use the list to do one of the following:
     • Select a property from the list.
     • Display a subordinate list of properties by clicking the right arrow that appears next to some properties. From this subordinate list, you can select a property. To return to the parent list, click the left arrow next to the property at the top of the list.