---
title: Plugin Message
slug: legacy-docs/plugin-message
docTags: 
createdAt: 2025-03-11T06:56:07.599Z
---

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This page / section pertains to **BrightAuthor Classic**, our legacy app. **BrightSign Author **is our latest app for managing content and players.

Development of BrightAuthor Classic has largely ceased and the app will eventually be deprecated and replaced with BrightSign Author.
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::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/511c8QBH-VHiwWnyzIwUb/dnELueAN120g3yoM9gqvJ_plugin-message-event-icon.png" size="20" width="112" height="95" position="center" showCaption="false"}

The Plugin Message event specifies the action that occurs when a message is received from a [custom script plugin](docId\:H7xzkMyFTqfz2G2z4jqMr) that is attached to the presentation. See the [Plugins & Parsers](docId\:uWsz22b8BpJF6DQq_ioq2) page for more information on creating custom scripts that send plugin messages.

- **Plugin name**: Use the dropdown menu to determine which plugin the event can receive messages from. You can also use the \<\*> wildcard to match some or all of the plugin message string (i.e. entering "\<\*>" in this field will match all plugin messages, while entering "mycommand\_\<\*>" will match any plugin message that begins with "mycommand\_").
- **Plugin message**: Enter the message string that will trigger the event.

# Modify User Variables

You can use the Plugin Message event to modify the values of User Variables. To enable these options, click the **Advanced** tab:

- **Assign input to variable?**: Check this box to assign the content of the plugin message to a User Variable.
  - **Input specifies variable**: The plugin message string will dynamically specify which User Variable to modify. The plugin message string must be sent in the form of \<variable name> : \<variable value>.
  - **Specify fixed variable**: The plugin string will modify a fixed User Variable. Use the dropdown list to choose which User Variable the plugin message will modify. The plugin message string must be sent in the form of \<variable value>.

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You can use the **Input specifies variable** option to modify more than one User Variable with a single event. Use the following string: \<variable name> : \<variable value> !! \<variable name> : \<variable value>
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- **Assign wildcard to variable?**: Check this box to specify the value of a User Variable using the \<any> wildcard. Select the User Variable to modify using the dropdown menu to the right. The **Plugin Message** field must contain the  \<any> wildcard, either by itself or with additional text (e.g. "message\_\<any>").

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It is possible to check both **Assign input to variable** and **Input specifies variable** boxes for more complex functionality. For example, you can use **Specify fixed variable** to assign the entire message string to one variable, while at the same time using **Assign wildcard to variable** to assign a subset of that string to another variable.
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