Naming Variables

Variable and function names that you create must meet the following naming rules.

Note: In the unlikely event that you create a variable with the same name as one used for statistical analysis or by the Finance Solver, an error condition could occur. If you begin entering a variable name that is already in use in the current problem, the software shows the entry in bold to let you know.

• Variable names must be in one of the forms xxx or xxx.yyy. The xxx part can have 1 to 16 characters. The yyy part, if used, can have 1 to 15 characters. If you use the xxx.yyy form, both xxx and yyy are required; you cannot start or end a variable name with a period “.”.
• Characters can consist of letters, digits, and the underscore character (_). Letters can be U.S. or Greek letters (but not P or p), accented letters, and international letters.
• Do not use c or n from the symbol palette to construct a variable name such as c1 or n12. These may appear to be letters, but they are treated internally as special symbols.
• You can use uppercase or lowercase letters. The names AB22, Ab22, aB22, and ab22 all refer to the same variable.
• You cannot use a digit as the first character of xxx or yyy.
• You can use digits 0 through 9, U.S. letters, a - z, Latin and Greek letters (but not p) as subscripts (for example, a2, qa, or h2o). To enter a subscript while typing a variable name, select in the Math Templates or on the formatting toolbar.
• Do not use spaces.
• If you want a variable to be treated as a complex number, use an underscore as the last character of the name.
• CAS: If you want a variable to be treated as a type of unit (such as _m or _ft), use an underscore as the first character of the name. You cannot use subsequent underscores in the name.
• You cannot use an underscore as the first character of the name.
• You cannot use a preassigned variable, function, or command name, such as Ans, min, or tan.

Note: For more information about TI-Nspire™ functions, see the Reference Guide.

• Library documents and library objects are subject to additional naming restrictions. For more information, see Libraries.

Here are some examples:

Variable names

Valid?

Myvar, my.var

Yes

My var, list 1

No. Contains a space.

a, b, b12, b12, c, d

Yes. Note that variables b12 and b12 are distinct.

Log, Ans

No. Preassigned to a system function or variable.

Log1, list1.a, list1.b

Yes

3rdTotal, list1.1

No. xxx or yyy starts with a digit.