What is going on with variables?

[harisont]

Variables seem not to be working, at least online.

This might be because they are so extremely computationally inefficient and some timeout is reached, or for more mysterious reasons.

Available options are:

• actually figuring out what is happening and solving the problem
• disabling this language extension in (online) STUnD and updating the documentation + paper accordingly (this is in all seriousness, as I am afraid certain queries with variables will definitely make the STUnD server die a horrible death. They are cool but need be handled with great care)
• reimplementing variables from scratch in a less stupid more efficient way, or with even more restrictions