# Non-existent variable ''

**URL:** <https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/non-existent-variable/26522>\
**Category:** ChoiceScript Help\
**Created:** [May 10, 2017, 1:23pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/non-existent-variable/26522 "2017-05-10T13:23:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Carlos.R](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/carlos.r/32/75837_2.png) [@Carlos.R](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Carlos.R)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 1:23pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/non-existent-variable/26522/1 "2017-05-10T13:23:52Z")

</div>

Has anyone run across this error before?:

**Non-existent variable ''**

I don’t have any variables that are named " (quote marks)

Actually, the game won’t let you create the variable " because it wants you to start variables with a letter.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CJW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/cjw/32/111787_2.png) [@CJW](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/CJW)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 1:57pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/non-existent-variable/26522/2 "2017-05-10T13:57:03Z")

</div>

Please include the problematic code in your post.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Carlos.R](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/carlos.r/32/75837_2.png) [@Carlos.R](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/Carlos.R)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 2:22pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/non-existent-variable/26522/3 "2017-05-10T14:22:09Z")

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> [@CJW](#):
>
> Please include the problematic code in your post.

I fixed it. 👍

Problematic code:

```choicescript
*if (s1c != "")
 *set {s1c} +1

```

While the above works in game, Quicktest does not like `""` variables.  
What I mean by that is the variable s1c is defined in startup.txt like this:

```choicescript
*create s1c ""

```

So when Quicktest went to {s1c}, it could not find a variable, hence the **Non-existent variable ‘’** error  
I resolved this by creating s1c differently, and by adding an otherwise unnecessary variable:

```choicescript
*create s1c "z"
*create z 0

```

It passes Quicktest now, and gameplay is unaffected by the extra variable.  
The final code is:

```choicescript
*if (s1c != "z")
 *set {s1c} +1

```

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CJW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/choiceofgames/user_avatar/forum.choiceofgames.com/cjw/32/111787_2.png) [@CJW](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/u/CJW)\
**Post date:** [May 10, 2017, 2:25pm UTC](https://forum.choiceofgames.com/t/non-existent-variable/26522/4 "2017-05-10T14:25:24Z")

</div>

What is wrong with just doing \*set sc1 + 1? There is no need for an indirect reference via {} here.