Define which YAML file storing variables to use in _quarto.yml

[ToryDeng]

Description

Is it possible to specify which YAML file to use in the _quarto.yml, allowing me to switch between different sets of variables? After going through the documentation, it appears that I can only create one YAML file, namely _variables.yml, to store variables. However, I want to use multiple YAML files to keep things organized and clear. For example, I'd like to create 2 YAML files, each for a laboratory, like _variables_Lab_A.yml and _variables_Lab_B.yml:

# _variables_Lab_A.yml
address: 
email: 

# _variables_Lab_B.yml
address: 
email: 

and the _quarto.yml:

variable: 
  default: Lab_A

Then I can write a sentence like this in qmd files: Our email is {{< var email >}}. When rendering the doc for Lab_B, I just need to change the _quarto.yml without modifying the content in qmd files. Otherwise if I put all variables in the _variables.yml:

# _variables.yml
Lab_A:
  address:
  email:
Lab_B:
  address:
  email:

The content will be Our email is {{< var Lab_A.email >}} and I have to modify it when I want to render doc for Lab_B.

A workaround is to use two profiles _quarto-Lab_A.yml and _quarto-Lab_B.yml, and use the when-profile option to switch between variable sets:

::: {.content-visible when-profile="Lab_A"}
Our email is {{< var Lab_A.email >}}.
:::

::: {.content-visible when-profile="Lab_B"}
Our email is {{< var Lab_B.email >}}.
:::

The _quarto.yml is

profile: 
  default: Lab_A

But this is a little redundant. Maybe I can define variables in the two profiles but I think variables should be in _variable_*.yml, not metadata files (sorry I act as if I have a bit of OCD, but this is a part of who I am 😂).

[mcanouil]

_variables.yml is not conditional on profiles.
_variables.yml is not the same thing as _quarto.yml, i.e., the variable shortcode don't access _quarto.yml but the meta shortcode does. _quarto.yml stores metadata.

If you want variables to depend on profiles, then the conditional content approach is the good and only one for now at least.

See:

• _variables.yml does not support profiles #5954

[ToryDeng]

Wow, it's great to hear that you've already been working on this enhancement. Many thanks, and I'm looking forward to it!