# Indirect Property Referencing **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Created:** [February 17, 2014, 8:35pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/indirect-property-referencing/8017 "2014-02-17T20:35:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pphillips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@pphillips](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pphillips)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 8:35pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/indirect-property-referencing/8017/1 "2014-02-17T20:35:41Z")
I think this topic has been mentioned before in some context, but it would be nice if there was an expression language property() function much like the tag() function to allow indirect referencing of a property using a string/property/tag concatenation of the property name. Especially with the use of nested UDT’s and Templates, this would sometimes come in handy. ---
**Author:** ![nmudge](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/nmudge/32/3394_2.png) [@nmudge](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/nmudge)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2014, 8:45pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/indirect-property-referencing/8017/2 "2014-02-17T20:45:55Z")
+1 ---
**Author:** ![mazeyrat](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/mazeyrat/32/10955_2.png) [@mazeyrat](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/mazeyrat)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 7:42am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/indirect-property-referencing/8017/3 "2014-02-18T07:42:33Z")
+1 for this features, improving udt property access would be welcome ! ---
**Author:** ![Javachon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac8455/32.png) [@Javachon](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Javachon)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2014, 6:18pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/indirect-property-referencing/8017/4 "2014-02-18T18:18:02Z")
+1 ---
**Author:** ![Mayon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Mayon](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Mayon)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 6:38am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/indirect-property-referencing/8017/5 "2014-04-02T06:38:52Z")
+1 ---
**Author:** ![Colby.Clegg](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/colby.clegg/32/3282_2.png) [@Colby.Clegg](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Colby.Clegg)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 4:32pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/indirect-property-referencing/8017/6 "2014-04-02T16:32:56Z")
The thing about UDT parameters is that we could easily allow access to them, but they would have to be read-only. I know some people have dreams of being able to change them dynamically, but this just isn’t going to work any time soon. And to be clear, UDT parameters are what you’re talking about here, right? Because regular tag properties can be referenced by adding them on to the tag name, like “Tag.OPCItemPath”. Regards, ---
**Author:** ![nmudge](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/nmudge/32/3394_2.png) [@nmudge](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/nmudge)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/indirect-property-referencing/8017/7 "2014-04-02T17:40:37Z")
pphillips, Are you talking about referencing properties of Vision Components? or tags? I thought you talking about a property() function for accessing a property of a component. It takes a string path to the component and its property. ---
**Author:** ![pphillips](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@pphillips](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pphillips)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 9:51pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/indirect-property-referencing/8017/8 "2014-04-14T21:51:07Z")
My apologies for the slow response - nearly missed this - been in a major start-up. What I’m refering to is in the expression language there is a tag() function that allows concatenation of a string to reference a tag value indirectly: `tag("Tanks/Tank" + {Root Container.TankNum})` However, it would also be helpful to indirectly reference a property binding (say a Custom Property bound to a UDT) in a similar fashion: `property("Root Container.Tanks::Tank." + {Root Container.TankNum})`Does this make sense? ---
**Author:** ![nmudge](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/nmudge/32/3394_2.png) [@nmudge](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/nmudge)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2014, 9:57pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/indirect-property-referencing/8017/9 "2014-04-14T21:57:15Z")
Yes, it makes sense. Thanks for the clarification. That’s what I voted for. ---
**Author:** ![iamthebull](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@iamthebull](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/iamthebull)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2014, 10:26pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/indirect-property-referencing/8017/10 "2014-04-18T22:26:42Z")
I vote for exposing UDT parameters for use in expressions/scripting, even if they are read-only. ---
**Author:** ![mazeyrat](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/mazeyrat/32/10955_2.png) [@mazeyrat](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/mazeyrat)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2014, 6:52am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/indirect-property-referencing/8017/11 "2014-04-19T06:52:17Z")
+1 ---
**Author:** ![witman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d2c977/32.png) [@witman](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/witman)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/indirect-property-referencing/8017/12 "2014-04-30T19:30:35Z")
+1 This would definitely be useful in nested UDTs and Templates ---
**Author:** ![witman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d2c977/32.png) [@witman](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/witman)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2014, 7:43am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/indirect-property-referencing/8017/13 "2014-05-01T07:43:16Z")
Indirect Vision Component Property referencing is the one I am missing regularly. It can be accomplished with a read-only workaround as detailed in [this post](http://www.inductiveautomation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=70&t=12233), but a read-write binding would be ideal. ---
**Author:** ![bill.diblasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8baadc/32.png) [@bill.diblasi](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/bill.diblasi)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2018, 6:23pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/indirect-property-referencing/8017/14 "2018-06-12T18:23:47Z")
bump! Has anything changed with regard to indirect referencing of component custom properties? ---
**Author:** ![dybarker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@dybarker](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/dybarker)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2020, 11:52pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/indirect-property-referencing/8017/15 "2020-09-24T23:52:43Z")
+1