How to perform math operations on variables?
Right now it's not possible to perform any math operations with variables. Feel free to message us via Intercom to tell us why do you need that feature. It will help us prioritize that accordingly.
How do I delete/update the value of a variable in a user session?
It's not possible to clear (delete) the value of a variable explicitly, but if you just set it once again, it will remove the old value.
When does a variable expire?
A lifetime of a variable is one user session. So when the user opens the skill next time - the variable will be empty.
Can I save variable value for multiple sessions?
No, right now a lifetime of a variable is one user session. We are planning to add persistent variables later on (Q3 2019).
How is that related to slots?
Amazon's "intent slots" are a part of our "variables" concept which includes two types of variables: "Amazon" and "Internal." Read more about them in details here.
I don't see the Amazon data type I want in the drop-down, what should I do?
We're trying to keep the list of Amazon data types updated so most probably the data type you want to use is not supported for your skill's language. If you're sure that it's supported on Amazon's side - feel free to message our support, we'd love to take a look and add it to the list.
I want to do some actions based on the value of a variable, how do I do that?
This feature is called "Conditions." It'll allow you to go to different parts of the skills and perform different actions based on the value of a variable. We're working on this feature right now and expect it to be released in Q3 2019.
How can I set up a "one-shot request" with variables? E.g. "Alexa, ask My Skill to send to ?
Nothing specific, just put the second part "send <message> to <player>" as a user reply. Try adding more commands to it if it's not working.
How to delete a variable?
Click on the trash icon on the right side of the variables table list.
How do edit a variable?
Click on the row with a corresponding variable in the table list.