Variables you create in resources on the Local Variables tab of a resource editor are local to the resource for which you create them. For example, if you create a local variable in a query to get an active list value, that variable is available only to that query and not in other queries, rules, or filters. Queries themselves are available for use in trends, reports, and query viewers, but the local variables used to build them are not.
You can create global variables on field groups that are available across resources. The general information provided in this reference topic on variables, variable fields, and functions applies to both local and global variables. The main difference is that global variables are available across resources whereas local variables are not.
To create a local variable, click the Variables tab in a resource (for example, Active Channels, Filters, Queries, Rules), name it, select a function, and provide arguments as needed.
To create a global variable, navigate to Field Sets, click the Fields & Global Variables tab, and use the Global Variables editor to select a function and parameters (as described in Global Variables).
Both local and global variables give you access to the same functions. Available functions are described in Variable Definition Fields.