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.