> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://botpress-pb-update-api.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Use variables in code

If you need more flexibility in how you handle information in Botpress Studio, you can use variables in code (for example, in an [Execute Code](/studio/concepts/cards/execute-code) Card).

<Tip>
  Variables in code follow the pattern `variabletype.variablename`.
</Tip>

Here are a few examples of how you might use variables in code:

## Assign a value to a variable

This is typically how you'd initialize a variable or change its value.

```javascript theme={null}
workflow.orderNumber = 12345
conversation.cartTotal = 59.99
user.lastName = 'Smith'
bot.version = '1.2.3'
env.databaseURL = 'https://example.com/db'
```

## Use variables in conditional statements

This checks the value of a variable and executes code accordingly.

```javascript theme={null}
if (user.firstName === 'John') {
  console.log('Hello John!')
} else {
  console.log('Welcome, user!')
}
```

## Use variables in functions

Here, you might pass a variable as a function argument or use it inside a function.

```javascript theme={null}
function greetUser(firstName) {
  console.log('Hello, ' + firstName + '!')
}

greetUser(user.firstName)
```

## Combine variables

You might want to combine or concatenate variables.

```javascript theme={null}
var fullName = user.firstName + ' ' + user.lastName

// or

var welcomeMessage = 'Hello, ' + user.firstName + ' ' + user.lastName + '!'
```

## Check variable types

Botpress might throw an error if types don't match. To avoid this, you can use type checking before assigning values.

```javascript theme={null}
if (typeof workflow.userAcctId === 'number') {
  workflow.userAcctId = 67890
} else {
  console.error('Invalid type for userAcctId!')
}
```

## Use variables with external APIs

If your bot interacts with external services, you might use an environment variable to store an API key:

````javascript theme={null}
const apiKey = env.API_KEY
const apiUrl = env.API_URL

const config = {
  headers: {
    Authorization: `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
  },
}

const response = await axios.get(apiUrl, config)
const data = response.data

// Process the data as needed
// ...

// Example: Log the response data
console.log(data)
```                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
````