diff --git a/src/frontend/ftesopt.c b/src/frontend/ftesopt.c
index fee3db61a..19bbd82ea 100644
--- a/src/frontend/ftesopt.c
+++ b/src/frontend/ftesopt.c
@@ -59,22 +59,19 @@ getFTEstat(struct FTEparm *p, FTESTATistics *stat, struct variable *next)
         v = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
         v->va_name = copy(p->description);
         v->va_next = next;
-        v->va_type = CP_NUM;
-        v->va_num = stat->FTESTATdeckNumLines;
+        var_set_num(v, stat->FTESTATdeckNumLines);
         return v;
     case FTEOPT_NLT:
         v = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
         v->va_name = copy(p->description);
         v->va_next = next;
-        v->va_type = CP_REAL;
-        v->va_real = stat->FTESTATnetLoadTime;
+        var_set_real(v, stat->FTESTATnetLoadTime);
         return v;
     case FTEOPT_NPT:
         v = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
         v->va_name = copy(p->description);
         v->va_next = next;
-        v->va_type = CP_REAL;
-        v->va_real = stat->FTESTATnetParseTime;
+        var_set_real(v, stat->FTESTATnetParseTime);
         return v;
     default:
         return NULL;
diff --git a/src/frontend/options.c b/src/frontend/options.c
index 70d7d6994..b91930849 100644
--- a/src/frontend/options.c
+++ b/src/frontend/options.c
@@ -55,8 +55,7 @@ cp_enqvar(char *word)
             vv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
             vv->va_name = copy(word);
             vv->va_next = NULL;
-            vv->va_type = CP_REAL;
-            vv->va_real = value;
+            var_set_real(vv, value);
         } else {
             struct variable *list = NULL;
             int i;
@@ -68,15 +67,13 @@ cp_enqvar(char *word)
                 tv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
                 tv->va_name = NULL;
                 tv->va_next = list;
-                tv->va_type = CP_REAL;
-                tv->va_real = value;
+                var_set_real(tv, value);
                 list = tv;
             }
             vv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
             vv->va_name = copy(word);
             vv->va_next = NULL;
-            vv->va_type = CP_LIST;
-            vv->va_vlist = list;
+            var_set_vlist(vv, list);
         }
 
         if (d->v_link2)
@@ -94,26 +91,22 @@ cp_enqvar(char *word)
             vv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
             vv->va_name = copy(word);
             vv->va_next = NULL;
-            vv->va_type = CP_STRING;
-            vv->va_string = copy(plot_cur->pl_name);
+            var_set_string(vv, copy(plot_cur->pl_name));
         } else if (eq(word, "curplottitle")) {
             vv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
             vv->va_name = copy(word);
             vv->va_next = NULL;
-            vv->va_type = CP_STRING;
-            vv->va_string = copy(plot_cur->pl_title);
+            var_set_string(vv, copy(plot_cur->pl_title));
         } else if (eq(word, "curplotdate")) {
             vv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
             vv->va_name = copy(word);
             vv->va_next = NULL;
-            vv->va_type = CP_STRING;
-            vv->va_string = copy(plot_cur->pl_date);
+            var_set_string(vv, copy(plot_cur->pl_date));
         } else if (eq(word, "curplot")) {
             vv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
             vv->va_name = copy(word);
             vv->va_next = NULL;
-            vv->va_type = CP_STRING;
-            vv->va_string = copy(plot_cur->pl_typename);
+            var_set_string(vv, copy(plot_cur->pl_typename));
         } else if (eq(word, "plots")) {
             struct variable *list = NULL;
             struct plot *pl;
@@ -122,15 +115,13 @@ cp_enqvar(char *word)
                 tv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
                 tv->va_name = NULL;
                 tv->va_next = list;
-                tv->va_type = CP_STRING;
-                tv->va_string = copy(pl->pl_typename);
+                var_set_string(tv, copy(pl->pl_typename));
                 list = tv;
             }
             vv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
             vv->va_name = copy(word);
             vv->va_next = NULL;
-            vv->va_type = CP_LIST;
-            vv->va_vlist = list;
+            var_set_vlist(vv, list);
         }
         if (vv)
             return (vv);
diff --git a/src/frontend/spiceif.c b/src/frontend/spiceif.c
index 2e7cf837a..c48ac6481 100644
--- a/src/frontend/spiceif.c
+++ b/src/frontend/spiceif.c
@@ -967,30 +967,26 @@ parmtovar(IFvalue *pv, IFparm *opt)
         vv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
         vv->va_name = copy(opt->description);
         vv->va_next = NULL;
-        vv->va_type = CP_NUM;
-        vv->va_num = pv->iValue;
+        var_set_num(vv, pv->iValue);
         return vv;
     case IF_REAL:
     case IF_COMPLEX:
         vv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
         vv->va_name = copy(opt->description);
         vv->va_next = NULL;
-        vv->va_type = CP_REAL;
-        vv->va_real = pv->rValue;
+        var_set_real(vv, pv->rValue);
         return vv;
     case IF_STRING:
         vv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
         vv->va_name = copy(opt->description);
         vv->va_next = NULL;
-        vv->va_type = CP_STRING;
-        vv->va_string = pv->sValue;
+        var_set_string(vv, pv->sValue);
         return vv;
     case IF_FLAG:
         vv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
         vv->va_name = copy(opt->description);
         vv->va_next = NULL;
-        vv->va_type = CP_BOOL;
-        vv->va_bool = pv->iValue ? TRUE : FALSE;
+        var_set_bool(vv, pv->iValue ? TRUE : FALSE);
         return vv;
     case IF_REALVEC: {
         struct variable *list = NULL;
@@ -1000,15 +996,13 @@ parmtovar(IFvalue *pv, IFparm *opt)
             nv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
             nv->va_name = NULL;
             nv->va_next = list;
-            nv->va_type = CP_REAL;
-            nv->va_real = pv->v.vec.rVec[i];
+            var_set_real(nv, pv->v.vec.rVec[i]);
             list = nv;
         }
         vv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
         vv->va_name = copy(opt->description);
         vv->va_next = NULL;
-        vv->va_type = CP_LIST;
-        vv->va_vlist = list;
+        var_set_vlist(vv, list);
         return vv;
         /* It is a linked list where the first node is a variable
          * pointing to the different values of the variables.
diff --git a/src/frontend/variable.c b/src/frontend/variable.c
index 95af485ba..7735b5027 100644
--- a/src/frontend/variable.c
+++ b/src/frontend/variable.c
@@ -121,29 +121,24 @@ cp_vset(char *varname, enum cp_types type, void *value)
             tfree(copyvarname);
             return;
         } else {
-            v->va_type = CP_BOOL;
-            v->va_bool = TRUE;
+            var_set_bool(v, TRUE);
         }
         break;
 
     case CP_NUM:
-        v->va_type = CP_NUM;
-        v->va_num = * (int *) value;
+        var_set_num(v, * (int *) value);
         break;
 
     case CP_REAL:
-        v->va_type = CP_REAL;
-        v->va_real = * (double *) value;
+        var_set_real(v, * (double *) value);
         break;
 
     case CP_STRING:
-        v->va_type = CP_STRING;
-        v->va_string = copy((char*) value);
+        var_set_string(v, copy((char*) value));
         break;
 
     case CP_LIST:
-        v->va_type = CP_LIST;
-        v->va_vlist = (struct variable *) value;
+        var_set_vlist(v, (struct variable *) value);
         break;
 
     default:
@@ -288,8 +283,7 @@ cp_setparse(wordlist *wl)
             vv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
             vv->va_name = copy(name);
             vv->va_next = vars;
-            vv->va_type = CP_BOOL;
-            vv->va_bool = TRUE;
+            var_set_bool(vv, TRUE);
             vars = vv;
             tfree(name);        /*DG: cp_unquote Memory leak*/
             continue;
@@ -355,11 +349,9 @@ cp_setparse(wordlist *wl)
                 copyval = ss = cp_unquote(wl->wl_word);
                 td = ft_numparse(&ss, FALSE);
                 if (td) {
-                    vv->va_type = CP_REAL;
-                    vv->va_real = *td;
+                    var_set_real(vv, *td);
                 } else {
-                    vv->va_type = CP_STRING;
-                    vv->va_string = copy(ss);
+                    var_set_string(vv, copy(ss));
                 }
                 tfree(copyval); /*DG: must free ss any way to avoid cp_unquote memory leak*/
                 if (listv) {
@@ -381,8 +373,7 @@ cp_setparse(wordlist *wl)
             vv = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
             vv->va_name = copy(name);
             vv->va_next = vars;
-            vv->va_type = CP_LIST;
-            vv->va_vlist = listv;
+            var_set_vlist(vv, listv);
             vars = vv;
 
             wl = wl->wl_next;
@@ -397,11 +388,9 @@ cp_setparse(wordlist *wl)
         vars = vv;
         if (td) {
             /*** We should try to get CP_NUM's... */
-            vv->va_type = CP_REAL;
-            vv->va_real = *td;
+            var_set_real(vv, *td);
         } else {
-            vv->va_type = CP_STRING;
-            vv->va_string = copy(val);
+            var_set_string(vv, copy(val));
         }
         tfree(copyval); /*DG: must free ss any way to avoid cp_unquote memory leak */
         tfree(name);  /* va: cp_unquote memory leak: free name for every loop */
@@ -468,8 +457,7 @@ cp_remvar(char *varname)
         v = TMALLOC(struct variable, 1);
         v->va_name = copy(varname);
         v->va_next = NULL;
-        v->va_type = CP_NUM;
-        v->va_num = 0;
+        var_set_num(v, 0);
         found = FALSE;
     }