### Author:  [@nav\_dhillon](https://forum.opentap.io/u/nav_dhillon)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2022, 10:57pm UTC](https://forum.opentap.io/t/accessing-componentsettings-variable-directly-from-step-settings/779/1 "2022-07-14T22:57:17Z")
Is it possible to access a ComponentSettings variable via Step settings (without having to code out a step)?
For example, if I set an existing ComponentSettings variable to an an absolute path and in a TestStep, I would like to access the absolute path in the step settings and use it to run a shell script which needs an absolute base path. I’m looking to change the path in one place and use it across multiple steps.
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### Author:  [@brennen\_direnzo](https://forum.opentap.io/u/brennen_direnzo)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2022, 1:49pm UTC](https://forum.opentap.io/t/accessing-componentsettings-variable-directly-from-step-settings/779/2 "2022-07-15T13:49:04Z")
This should be possible. All Steps have access to the ComponentSettings. Does this example help with what you are trying to do?
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### Author:  [@nav\_dhillon](https://forum.opentap.io/u/nav_dhillon)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2022, 11:12pm UTC](https://forum.opentap.io/t/accessing-componentsettings-variable-directly-from-step-settings/779/3 "2022-07-15T23:12:42Z")
Thanks @brennen_direnzo . I was hoping to find a way to use ComponentSettings _directly_ in Step settings (e.g in the GUI) and not have to go into code. That way I can reuse something like SSH plugin → SSH Command Step and only have to write code for ComponentSettings
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### Author:  [@brennen\_direnzo](https://forum.opentap.io/u/brennen_direnzo)
#### Post date: [July 15, 2022, 11:42pm UTC](https://forum.opentap.io/t/accessing-componentsettings-variable-directly-from-step-settings/779/4 "2022-07-15T23:42:23Z")
Ah ok I get it. That is not possible with ComponentSettings today, but you could have a Parent Step that creates an Output and then use that to pass to other Step Settings. Or leverage Parameterizing Settings and merge them into a Setting at the Test Plan Level.
@rolf_madsen I wonder if we could expand the the Input/Output system to support ComponentSettings.
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### Author:  [@rolf\_madsen](https://forum.opentap.io/u/rolf_madsen)
#### Post date: [July 18, 2022, 8:08am UTC](https://forum.opentap.io/t/accessing-componentsettings-variable-directly-from-step-settings/779/5 "2022-07-18T08:08:55Z")
I guess we could support creating an Output from a ComponentSetting, but I’d rather make a test step that could read any property and then take that as an output.
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### Author:  [@nav\_dhillon](https://forum.opentap.io/u/nav_dhillon)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2022, 5:19pm UTC](https://forum.opentap.io/t/accessing-componentsettings-variable-directly-from-step-settings/779/6 "2022-08-01T17:19:57Z")
@rolf_madsen : Could you elaborate on what you mean by: _making a test step to read a property and take that as an output?_
An example of my use case is:
I have a hierarchical directory structure with files in different directories (multiple config files in one directory, etc). I want to specify paths to those directories in my test step settings and append the filenames to those paths. So something like {MyBasePath1}/MyConfigFile1.txt would work great where MyBasePath1 could be specified in a ComponentSetting
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### Author:  [@rolf\_madsen](https://forum.opentap.io/u/rolf_madsen)
#### Post date: [August 1, 2022, 8:05pm UTC](https://forum.opentap.io/t/accessing-componentsettings-variable-directly-from-step-settings/779/7 "2022-08-01T20:05:07Z")
I was thinking something like this:
```cs
public class CombinePathStep : TestStep
{
[Browsable(true)]
public string String1 => MySettings.Current.BastPath1;
public string String2{get;set} = "...";
[Output]
public string CombinedString => Path.Combine(String1, String2);
}
```
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### Author:  [@nav\_dhillon](https://forum.opentap.io/u/nav_dhillon)
#### Post date: [August 5, 2022, 3:00am UTC](https://forum.opentap.io/t/accessing-componentsettings-variable-directly-from-step-settings/779/8 "2022-08-05T03:00:37Z")
Thanks, @rolf_madsen . I’ll try to use this