Wrong variables are applied and used for references

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In some files of our users we seem to be applying the wrong variables as well as using the wrong variables when getting references for variables to create.

Upon further investigation, this seems to have to do with "zombie variables".

What are zombie variables?

Basically, Zombie variables are variables that should no longer exist! Some figma files have them. If you look at this screenshot below, it shows 0 existing variable collections. However, querying for existing variables inside that file using Figma's Plugin API, Figma gives us 747 existing variables!

This makes it especially hard to debug because if you load those same tokens in a new file everything will work as expected.

Before we use those local variables as possible reference / apply candidates, we need to ensure the variable collection of those variables still exists - which in many cases, doesnt.