Enter System Variables on the Command Line
System variables are settings that control how certain commands work.
They can turn on or turn off modes such as Snap, Grid, or Ortho. They can set default scales for hatch patterns. They can store information about the current drawing and about program configuration. Sometimes you use a system variable in order to change a setting. At other times you use a system variable to display the current status.
For example, the GRIDMODE system variable turns the dot grid display on and off when you change the value. In this case, the GRIDMODE system variable is functionally equivalent to the GRID command. DATE is a read-only system variable that stores the current date. You can display this value, but you cannot change it.
You can examine or change a system variable's setting transparently, that is, while using another command; however, new values may not take effect until the interrupted command ends.
