Is there any way I can define a variable in LaTeX?

Question

In LaTeX, how can I define a string variable whose content is used instead of the variable in the compiled PDF?

Let's say I'm writing a tech doc on a software and I want to define the package name in the preamble or somewhere so that if its name changes, I don't have to replace it in a lot of places but only in one place.

Answer 1

add the following to you preamble:

\newcommand{\newCommandName}{text to insert} 

Then you can just use \newCommandName{} in the text

For more info on \newcommand, see e.g. wikibooks

Example:

\documentclass{article} \newcommand\x{30} \begin{document} \x \end{document} 

Output:

30 

Answer 2

Use \def command:

\def \variable {Something that's better to use as a variable} 

Be aware that \def overrides preexisting macros without any warnings and therefore can cause various subtle errors. To overcome this either use namespaced variables like my_var or fall back to \newcommand, \renewcommand commands instead.