# Can't use variable in draw()
**URL:** https://discourse.processing.org/t/cant-use-variable-in-draw/1619
**Category:** Coding Questions
**Created:** [July 9, 2018, 12:58pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/cant-use-variable-in-draw/1619 "2018-07-09T12:58:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Daniel](https://discourse.processing.org/u/Daniel)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2018, 12:58pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/cant-use-variable-in-draw/1619/1 "2018-07-09T12:58:15Z")
Hi Folks,
I’m learning processing and I can’t see the forest for the trees…
Why can’t I use the variable “temp” in draw():
String temp;
public void setup() {
cp5.addButton(“plz0”)
.setValue(0)
.setPosition(100,100)
.setSize(200,19)
;
}
public void plz0(int theValue) {
String temp = str(theValue);
}
public void draw() {
println(temp);
}
println() is only sysing “null”.
Thanks for helping!
Daniel
---
### Author:  [@MxFxM](https://discourse.processing.org/u/MxFxM)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2018, 1:02pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/cant-use-variable-in-draw/1619/2 "2018-07-09T13:02:08Z")
> [@Daniel](#):
>
> String temp = str(theValue);
If you use “String” here you create a local variable.
Just use
```auto
temp = str(theValue);
```
Done.
Max
---
### Author:  [@Daniel](https://discourse.processing.org/u/Daniel)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2018, 1:12pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/cant-use-variable-in-draw/1619/3 "2018-07-09T13:12:50Z")
Praise the lord…
Thanks!
---
### Author:  [@mat650](https://discourse.processing.org/u/mat650)
#### Post date: [July 9, 2018, 2:24pm UTC](https://discourse.processing.org/t/cant-use-variable-in-draw/1619/4 "2018-07-09T14:24:10Z")
You are declaring the variable temp of type String twice: at the beginning of your code as global variable and a second time as local variable in the method plz0() . To assign a value to the global variable temp just remove the type in the method plz0():
```auto
public void plz0(int theVaue){
temp = temp + theValue;
}
```
In this case the argument of the method plz0() is of type int to assign it to a variable of type String you can use concatenation.
You need to cal the method in setup an assign a value as parameter. At this point the variable is initialized and you can print its value in draw().