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June 21, 2023

Allow assigning String variables to Text props in component instances

  • June 21, 2023
  • 56 replies
  • 13651 views

The new variables feature is great! But I’m asking you to add an ability to assign String variables to Text props of component instances.

My use case
I have a generic component “header” in my company’s design system that can be used with any text. I insert the instance as a part of my specific design frame for iOS. A UX Writer edits the header text. Then, I create a frame for the same screen for Android, Desktop and Mobile Web. In total, I have 4 screens with the same header.

Now if the UX writer decides to change the text inside the header instance, they have to copy paste it 4 times. I’d like to solve the sync problem and the need to maintain consistency manually. I wanna make a String variable “screen-1-header” for example, and bind it with the Text property of the “header” instance. BUT as far as I see, Figma doesn’t allow it at the moment, which is sad. I can assign a variable to a text layer that is not a part of a component, but I don’t like the idea of detaching instances from master components.

Please expand the variable feature to text props in instances. It’ll burst my teams workflow.


UPD: although the assigning works on text layers within a component, it doesn’t work if the text layer is connected to a text prop.

56 replies

Luongnd
Active Member
August 15, 2023

Hi, which part of this does it mention they plan to do it in the future?
Is it this one:

  1. Support for additional properties
  • Additional property fields: Soon, you’ll be able to apply variables to stroke width, effect colors, layer opacities, and more.
  • Additional component property types: Currently, you can only assign variables to variant properties. We’re working to support additional component property types.
Rodrigo_Degani
New Member
August 15, 2023

Hello,
It doesn’t state it unmistakably, but to me it looks likely looking at the Additional component property types bullet point.

September 8, 2023

I discovered today this problem and I almost cried. I tried to put a String Variable in a old text component and I didn’t found the option, and this would save me a lot of time.

Please give suport for that!

Thiago_Rebello
September 8, 2023

Please fix it, same problem here.

Tascha
Active Member
September 18, 2023

Bump. Same issue here. Pretty please add this feature! 🥺

MaxZuman
September 21, 2023

So do I understand correctly — if I want to switch my potentially huuuge design system to use string-vars on my buttons (to make multi-language setup or smthn) — I need to DELETE all text properties in components and then assign all the vars I want to all the children? (in one small step for a mankind loosing aaaall the texts assigned to the properties of aaaaaal children?)

MaxZuman
September 21, 2023

Or should I walk the frames, detaching all the children from main components, saving all the siigned texts to the text-properties and then assigning them to clones of original components without text-properties and then assigning vars to them?

Looks like a nice pair of crutches

Luongnd
Active Member
September 22, 2023

Yes, that’s what stopped me from using variables for now. All the text value in instances that have these text props will reset.

I wonder if there’s any news on this so far.

Hans_Humblet
September 29, 2023

For me this makes using string variable impossible in a lot of cases 😦

Edward5
October 2, 2023

Same here :S we need that! :S