how to add a global variable to a dashboard

[RickGenesis]

I have a standard dashboard that I want to reuse 20 - 50 times for different applications (there will be some added customization per application). The search's/macros are standardized and I pass in the name of the application as a parameter. I want to be able to set a variable (application name) that these searches etc will then get passed and display the required charts/tables. This is to simplify the creation of the dashboards for each application. We can just copy the base dashboard, edit the global variable, add a couple of application specific charts/tables to the bottom of the dashboard and Bobs your auntie. I could use a drop-down and hide it but this seems a little inelegant, any other options?
FYI I'm using advanced XML and Sideview.

[sideview · Accepted solution]

Sounds like a job for the ValueSetter module. Put one of these up at the top of the view:

<module name="ValueSetter">
  <param name="name">application</param>
  <param name="value">AcmeWidgetMonitor</param>

and Bob is thus your auntie.

As it happens the latest release (2.4.8) has among its improvements a new documentation and examples page for the ValueSetter module. Check it out. Most of the times ValueSetter comes in handy aren't quite this simple, but these are the breaks.

http://sideviewapps.com/apps/sideview-utils

[RickGenesis]

perfect, Bobetta's loving her new outfit

[pal4life]

I am getting the validation error for this one in the dashboard source as module not allowed here. Where exactly should this be placed?

Thanks.