# Passing a "local variable" from template to another "ExecuteAsTemplate"

**URL:** <https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/passing-a-local-variable-from-template-to-another-executeastemplate/54598>\
**Category:** support\
**Created:** [May 1, 2025, 10:49pm UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/passing-a-local-variable-from-template-to-another-executeastemplate/54598 "2025-05-01T22:49:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gleicher](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.gohugo.io/gleicher/32/11543_2.png) [@gleicher](https://discourse.gohugo.io/u/gleicher)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 10:49pm UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/passing-a-local-variable-from-template-to-another-executeastemplate/54598/1 "2025-05-01T22:49:07Z")

</div>

I have a template (a shortcode) that loads another template as a resource. I am using `ExecuteAsTemplate` to load the resource and use template processing on it.

In the first (shortcode) template, I have some “local variables”. Is there a way for me to see these in the executed template?

For example… here is a simple shortcode:

```auto
{{/* put run a script that is an asset */}}
{{- $div := "div1" -}}
{{- $text := "This is some text" -}}
{{- $script := resources.GetMatch "globalasset.js" -}}
{{- $exec := resources.ExecuteAsTemplate "foo.js" . $script -}}
<script src="{{ $exec.RelPermalink }}" type="module" defer></script>

```

and here is the template file it loads…

```auto
let div = document.getElementById("{{- $div -}}");
div.innerHTML += "From globalasset.js - {{ $name }} <br>";

```

what I’d like to have happen is that the $div in the 2nd template refers to the $div in the first. This is a violation of lexical scoping, so it isn’t surprising that I need to do something different.

A problem here is that I don’t fully understand the concept of the context.

Thank you!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![davidsneighbour](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.gohugo.io/davidsneighbour/32/24507_2.png) [@davidsneighbour](https://discourse.gohugo.io/u/davidsneighbour)\
**Post date:** [May 1, 2025, 11:04pm UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/passing-a-local-variable-from-template-to-another-executeastemplate/54598/2 "2025-05-01T23:04:11Z")

</div>

The context can be your individual context (add a dict, add the page object, whatever). By adding the dot you are adding either the current page or whatever loop you are in (the context changes with `with` and `range`).

You can always use `page` itself to add the context of the current page (on list pages it’s the list page, not the page you might be ranging through). Or create your own dictionary:

```auto
{{ $context := dict "bla" "falsel" }}
{{- $exec := resources.ExecuteAsTemplate "foo.js" $context $script -}}

```

would result in foo.js having `.bla` set to “fasel”.  
If you want to add the page context additionally:

```auto
{{ $context := dict "bla" "falsel" "page" . }}

```

Then `.page` would contain the page context, for instance `.page.Title`, etc.

Is that what you need?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![gleicher](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/discourse.gohugo.io/gleicher/32/11543_2.png) [@gleicher](https://discourse.gohugo.io/u/gleicher)\
**Post date:** [May 2, 2025, 1:38am UTC](https://discourse.gohugo.io/t/passing-a-local-variable-from-template-to-another-executeastemplate/54598/3 "2025-05-02T01:38:46Z")

</div>

That is EXACTLY what I needed. Perfect. Awesome!

I had to do `"page" .Page` (rather than `page .`) - but it does what I intended!

Now I just need to figure out how to use this!

(it took me a minute to realize for every invocation of this, I need to generate a different name for the target object - but that’s a good thing, since it gives me control)