EPLAN Placeholder Properties Reference
A comprehensive reference guide to the standard report and form structure of an EPLAN Electric P8 project, including form types, purposes, examples, and applicable standards.
EPLAN Electric P8 — Placeholder Text Properties Reference
Software: EPLAN Electric P8 Topic: Placeholder text dialog — Properties, Elements, and Categories Level: Beginner Overview
What is a Placeholder Text?
A placeholder text is a dynamic text element placed on a form (.f??) or schematic page that automatically fills in with real project or device data when EPLAN generates a report.
Instead of typing a fixed value like "Siemens", you place a placeholder that reads the manufacturer property from the database — so the correct value appears automatically for every row or every project.
You configure placeholders through the Properties (placeholder text) dialog.
The Properties Dialog
When you double-click a placeholder text element on a form canvas, the Properties (placeholder text) dialog opens. It has two tabs: Placement and Format.
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┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Properties (placeholder text) │
├──────────────┬───────────────────────────────┤
│ Placement │ Format │
└──────────────┴───────────────────────────────┘
Placement Tab
The Placement tab defines what data the placeholder displays and where it comes from.
Input Type — Three Options
| Option | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Property | Displays a single property value from the project database (most common) |
| Properties formatted / calculated | Combines or calculates multiple properties (e.g., concatenate two fields, or compute a value) |
| Action | Triggers a special EPLAN function (e.g., insert page break, increment counter) |
For most use cases, Property is the correct choice.
Data Source Field
The Data source field defines which object the property is read from.
| Data Source | Meaning |
|---|---|
Header object | Data comes from the report header — project-level or page-level properties (same on every page) |
Data object | Data comes from the repeating data records — one value per device, terminal, cable, or part |
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Header object → Project name, date, revision, page number
Data object → Device tag, article number, description, cable type
Element Tree
The Element panel (in the Placeholder texts browser on the right) shows the hierarchy of available data objects:
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├── Header object
│ ├── Part (header object)
│ └── Part reference (header object)
└── Data object
├── Part
├── Part reference
└── Record
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Header object | Project or page-level data — applies once to the whole page |
| Part (header object) | Part data referenced in the page header context |
| Part reference (header object) | Part reference data in header context |
| Data object | The repeating record — one instance per row in a table report |
| Part | Part-level properties for the data row (e.g., article number, manufacturer) |
| Part reference | Part reference properties for the data row (e.g., quantity, mounting location) |
| Record | The base data record — device tag, description, connections |
Rule of thumb: Use
Header objectfor title block placeholders. UseData objectfor table row placeholders.
Summation Options
When the data source is a numeric property, the Summation section controls how values are handled across multiple rows:
| Option | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Do not add up | Each row shows its own value independently |
| Add up in row | Accumulates the value across rows (e.g., total quantity) |
| Add up property in one row | Checkbox — sums the property within a single combined row |
Additional checkboxes:
| Checkbox | Effect |
|---|---|
| Replace identical text | If the same value appears in consecutive rows, only show it once (suppresses repetition) |
| Display all connections | Shows every connection associated with the device, even if it spans multiple rows |
The Placeholder Texts Browser
Clicking the ... button next to the property field opens the Placeholder texts browser — a searchable library of every available property in EPLAN.
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┌─────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────┐
│ Element (tree) │ Category (filter list) │
├─────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│ Header object │ All categories │
│ Part (header object) │ Archive data │
│ Part reference │ Cable data │
│ Data object │ Category │
│ Part │ Certification │
│ Part reference │ Connection │
│ Record │ Customer │
│ │ Data │
│ │ Data for reports │
│ │ Devices │
│ │ Documents │
│ │ Editing │
│ │ End customer │
│ │ Formats │
│ │ Function data │
│ │ General │
│ │ Macro │
│ │ Messages │
│ │ Mounting data │
│ │ Parts │
│ │ PLC data │
│ │ Pre-planning 1–8 │
│ │ Prices │
└─────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
Property Categories
Categories are used to filter the property list so you can quickly find the placeholder you need. Each category groups related properties together.
| Category | What It Contains |
|---|---|
| All categories | Shows every available property (unfiltered) |
| Archive data | Document archiving and revision metadata |
| Cable data | Cable properties — type, length, diameter, cross-section, voltage level, shielding |
| Category | Device classification and category assignments |
| Certification | Compliance data — ATEX identifier, CE marking, VDE, UL category/file numbers |
| Connection | Wire/conductor properties — color, cross-section, potential, signal name |
| Customer | Customer-specific project fields |
| Data | General data fields for devices and parts |
| Data for reports | Properties specifically intended for use in generated reports |
| Devices | Core device properties — tag, description, function text, type |
| Documents | Document references linked to devices or parts |
| Editing | Internal EPLAN editing metadata (created by, modified date) |
| End customer | End-customer specific project information |
| Formats | Number and text format settings |
| Function data | Function-level properties and assignments |
| General | General-purpose project and page properties |
| Macro | Properties linked to macro objects and schematic macros |
| Messages | Check-run messages and validation flags |
| Mounting data | Physical mounting properties — clip height, mounting rail, position |
| Parts | Parts management data — article number, order number, manufacturer, stock |
| PLC data | PLC-specific properties — address, signal name, card, channel, slot |
| Pre-planning 1–8 | Properties for pre-planning objects across 8 planning levels |
| Prices | Cost and pricing data from parts management |
Cable Data Properties (Example List)
When the Cable data category is selected, the property list includes:
| Property | Description |
|---|---|
| Blower available | Whether a blower is associated with the cable |
| CO2 emission | Environmental data field |
| Cable data | General cable data reference |
| Cable diameter | Physical outer diameter of the cable |
| Cable entry available | Whether a cable entry fitting is defined |
| Cable entry into device | Entry point designation on the device |
| Cable jacket: Color | Outer jacket colour |
| Cable length, max. | Maximum permitted cable length |
| Cable length, routed | Actual routed length from routing engine |
| Cable outer diameter | Outer diameter value |
| Cable outer diameter, max. | Maximum outer diameter tolerance |
| Cable outer diameter, min. | Minimum outer diameter tolerance |
| Cable reel | Reel or drum reference |
| Cable reel available | Whether reel data is assigned |
| Cable: Cross-section | Conductor cross-sectional area (mm²) |
| Cable: Voltage level | Rated voltage of the cable |
| Cables included | Number of individual cables in a bundle |
| Calibration approval | Calibration certification status |
| Capacitive load | Electrical capacitive load value |
| Center mismatch | Physical alignment offset |
| Certification: ATEX identifier | ATEX explosion protection classification |
| Certification: CE | CE conformity marking |
| Certification: General | General certification notes |
| Certification: UL Category Control Number | UL listing category number |
| Certification: UL File Number | UL file reference number |
| Certification: VDE | VDE standard compliance |
| Characteristic curve | Performance/characteristic curve reference |
| Circuit type | Electrical circuit classification |
| Climate class | Environmental climate class rating |
| Clip-on height | Physical clip height for mounting |
| Closing pressure | Mechanical closing pressure value |
Property ID Numbers
Every property in EPLAN has an internal ID number shown in the description panel at the bottom of the browser (e.g., <20501> Suppl. field: Text).
These IDs are used when referencing properties in scripts, macros, or API integrations.
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Example:
<20501> Suppl. field: Text
→ Supplementary field for part reference data.
→ Serves as a free additional property field.
→ Outputs the value of "Supplementary field text" (ID 20915) per part reference.
When building custom forms, note the ID of the property you need — it ensures you are referencing the exact correct field, especially when multiple similarly-named properties exist.
Step-by-Step: Inserting a Placeholder on a Form
- Open a form file via Utilities → Forms → Open
- Select Insert → Text (or use the text tool) on the form canvas
- In the text properties dialog, switch the type to Placeholder text
- Click the
...button next to the property field — the Placeholder texts browser opens - Select the appropriate Element (Header object or Data object)
- Use the Category filter to narrow down the property list
- Select the property you need from the list
- Click OK — the placeholder code is inserted into the text element
- Position the text element on the form canvas
- Save the form and regenerate reports to verify the output
Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | Result | Fix |
|---|---|---|
Using a Data object property in the title block | Blank or repeated value | Use Header object properties in the title block |
Using a Header object property inside the row template | Same value on every row | Use Data object properties in the row area |
| Placing placeholder outside the row area | Property not repeated per record | Move the text element inside the defined row area |
| Wrong category selected | Can’t find the right property | Try All categories then search by keyword |
Summary
| Concept | Description |
|---|---|
| Placeholder text | Dynamic text element that auto-fills with project/device data |
| Property | The most common input type — reads a single data field |
| Header object | Source for page-level or project-level data |
| Data object | Source for repeating row data (devices, cables, terminals) |
| Category | Filter group used to find properties in the browser |
| Property ID | Internal EPLAN number uniquely identifying each property |
| Summation | Controls how numeric values accumulate across rows |
Related Files
| File | Description |
|---|---|
eplan_p8_project_structure.json | Full metadata for all 16 project report folders |
README.md | General project structure reference |
README_Interactive_vs_AutoGenerated.md | Interactive vs. auto-generated page types |
README_Form_Components.md | Form file anatomy and placeholder syntax overview |
README_Placeholder_Properties.md | This file |
EPLAN Electric P8 — Engineering Reference Documentation