WAS v8.5 > Set up the application serving environment > Administer application servers > Configure WebSphere variables
WebSphere variables
WebSphere variables are name and value pairs used to provide settings for any of the string data type attributes used to configure the product. After a variable is defined, the symbolic name specified for that variable can be specified in the Value field of any other configuration field for the product that accepts a string value.
WebSphere variables can be used to configure:
- WebSphere Application Server path names, such as JAVA_HOME, and APP_INSTALL_ROOT
- A path value for the extendedDocumentRoot JSP or file serving attribute. This capability enables you to add an application to each node in a clustered environment without modifying the ibm-web-ext.xmi
file for that application on each node.
For IBM extension and binding files, the .xmi or .xml file name extension is different depending on whether you are using a pre-Java EE 5 application or module or a Java EE 5 or later application or module. An IBM extension or binding file is named ibm-*-ext.xmi or ibm-*-bnd.xmi where * is the type of extension or binding file such as app, application, ejb-jar, or web. The following conditions apply:
- For apps and modules that use a Java EE version prior to version 5, the file extension must be .xmi.
- For apps and modules that use Java EE 5 or later, the file extension must be .xml. If .xmi files are included with the application or module, the product ignores the .xmi files.
However, a Java EE 5 or later module can exist within an application that includes pre-Java EE 5 files and uses the .xmi file name extension.
The ibm-webservices-ext.xmi, ibm-webservices-bnd.xmi, ibm-webservicesclient-bnd.xmi, ibm-webservicesclient-ext.xmi, and ibm-portlet-ext.xmi files continue to use the .xmi file extensions. sptcfg
- For apps and modules that use a Java EE version prior to version 5, the file extension must be .xmi.
- Certain cell-wide customization values
When a variable is defined, it is given a scope. The scope is the range of locations within the product network where the variable is applicable.
- A variable with a node-level scope is available only on the node and the servers on that node. If a node-level variable has the same name as a cell-wide variable, the node-level variable value takes precedence.
- A server variable is available only on the one server process. A server variable takes precedence over a variable with the same name defined at a higher level.
The value of a configuration attribute can contain references to one or more variables. The syntax for such an attribute is the name of the variable, enclosed in either a pair of curly braces { } or a pair of parenthesis ( ). In either case, the variable is proceeded by the dollar sign.
A string configuration attribute value can consist of:
- String literals, including the null value and an empty string
- Variable references that each includes one or more levels of indirection
- Nested variable references.
- Any combination of non-null and non-empty string literals, variable references, and nested variable references.
For Microsoft Windows operating systems, the specified file paths are prefixed wth /Program Files.
| Configuration attribute consists of: | Configuration attribute value | Variable name | Second variable value | Third variable value | Fourth variable value | Expanded configuration attribute value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| String literal | /IBM/WebSphere/AppServer | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | /IBM/WebSphere/AppServer |
| Variable reference | $(WAS_ INSTALL_ ROOT) | WAS_ INSTALL_ ROOT | /IBM/WebSphere/AppServer | N/A | N/A | /IBM/WebSphere/AppServer |
| Variable reference with a string literal | $(USER_ INSTALL_ ROOT)/temp | USER_ INSTALL_ ROOT | N/A | N/A | /IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/profiles/AppSrv01 | /IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/profiles/AppSrv01/temp |
| Indirect variable reference with a string literal | $(WAS_ INSTALL_ ROOT)/lib | WAS_ INSTALL_ ROOT | $(MY_INSTALL_ ROOT) | MY_INSTALL_ ROOT | N/A | N/A |
| Nested variable references with string literal (Example 1) | $(${INSTALL_ TYPE}_ INSTALL_ ROOT)/lib | INSTALL_ TYPE | USER | USER_INSTALL_ ROOT | /IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/profiles/AppSrv01 | /IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/profiles/AppSrv01/lib |
| Nested variable references with string literal (Example 2) | $(${INSTALL_ TYPE}_ INSTALL_ ROOT)/lib | INSTALL_ TYPE | WAS | WAS_INSTALL_ ROOT | /IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/AppServer | /IBM/WebSphere/AppServer/AppServer/lib |
During the configuration process, whenever a variable is encountered as the value for a configuration attribute, a variable expansion is performed on that variable. A variable expansion is the process of recursively replacing variable references with variable values until only a string literal remains as the value for the configuration attribute. If the expansion process encounters a variable not properly defined, the expansion of that variable stops and a VariableExpansionException exception is issued. WAS v8.5 configuration process continues. However, processing errors might occur because the value for this configuration attribute is not properly established.
The variable expansion syntax provided in Versions 6.0.x, and 6.1.x, of the product, includes a variant that consists of a dollar sign, and a single letter variable name without any surrounding braces or parenthesis. This syntax is not supported in v8.5 or higher. All WebSphere variables references must be surrounded by matching parenthesis or braces, even if it is a single letter. That syntax required escaping of dollar signs to avoid ambiguity.
| Input value | Value after expansion |
|---|---|
| $ | $ |
| $$ | $ |
| $$$ | $$ |
| $$$$ | $$ |
| $$$$$ | $$$ |
Related
Configure the IBM Toolbox for Java