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ICT:Documentation:Template Asset Presentation

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Explanation of Presentation Section in Template:Asset

This page documents the purpose and meaning of the presentation lines at the bottom of Template:Asset.

These lines are sometimes perceived as "mystery lines". They are NOT magic, NOT required for Cargo, and NOT required for Page Forms.

They exist only to control how an Asset page looks when viewed by humans.

Big Picture

Template:Asset has two distinct roles:

  1. Data role
    • Declares the Cargo schema
    • Stores Asset data using #cargo_store
  2. Presentation role
    • Renders a readable Asset page

This document explains ONLY the presentation role.

The presentation section does NOT affect:

  • saving
  • Cargo storage
  • Page Forms
  • automation
  • JavaScript
  • Lua

It only affects what users see when they open an Asset page.

The Presentation Section

The following lines appear at the bottom of Template:Asset: 

== {{{Label|}}} ==
{{DISPLAYTITLE:{{{Label}}}}}

{{#if:{{{File|}}}|'''File:''' [[{{{File}}}]]}}

{{#if:{{{OriginalFilename|}}}|'''Original filename:''' {{{OriginalFilename}}}}}

{{#if:{{{Parent|}}}|'''Parent asset:''' [[{{{Parent}}}]]}}

'''Description:'''
{{{Description|}}}

'''Notes:'''
{{{Notes|}}}

Each line is explained below.

Section Heading Using the Label

== {{{Label|}}} ==

What it does:

  • Creates a section heading
  • The heading text is the value of the Label field
  • If Label is empty, nothing is shown

Why it exists:

  • Makes the Asset page readable
  • Shows the identifier clearly inside the page body

If removed:

  • The page still works
  • The page becomes visually empty and confusing

Display Title Override

{{DISPLAYTITLE:{{{Label}}}}}

What it does:

  • Changes the title shown to users
  • The actual page name remains unchanged
  • Example:
 * Page name: Asset:CH03-BER-0007
 * Displayed title: CH03-BER-0007

Why it exists:

  • Removes namespace noise
  • Makes Asset pages look like archival records

If removed:

  • The page title will show the full namespace
  • Functionality is unaffected

Conditional Display of File

{{#if:{{{File|}}}|'''File:''' [[{{{File}}}]]}}

What it does:

  • Checks whether the File field is non-empty
  • If yes, shows a clickable file link
  • If no, shows nothing

Why it exists:

  • Prevents empty labels from appearing
  • Allows draft or incomplete Assets to render cleanly

If removed:

  • The file still exists
  • The file link is no longer visible on the Asset page

Conditional Display of Original Filename

{{#if:{{{OriginalFilename|}}}|'''Original filename:''' {{{OriginalFilename}}}}}

What it does:

  • Displays the original filename selected on the user's computer
  • Only shown if the field is filled

Why it exists:

  • Provides provenance information
  • Reassures users after upload
  • Supports archival traceability

If removed:

  • The value is still stored in Cargo
  • Users cannot see provenance on the page

Conditional Display of Parent Asset

{{#if:{{{Parent|}}}|'''Parent asset:''' [[{{{Parent}}}]]}}

What it does:

  • Displays a clickable link to the parent Asset
  • Only shown if a parent exists

Why it exists:

  • Makes derivation relationships visible
  • Supports navigation between original and derived Assets

If removed:

  • The relationship still exists
  • It becomes invisible unless queried via Cargo

Description Field

'''Description:'''
{{{Description|}}}

What it does:

  • Always shows the label "Description:"
  • Shows the content if present

Why it exists:

  • Description is expected for every Asset
  • Even when empty, it signals what should be written there

If removed:

  • Asset pages become harder to understand
  • Narrative context is lost

Notes Field

'''Notes:'''
{{{Notes|}}}

What it does:

  • Displays free-form notes
  • Intended for technical or archival remarks

Why it exists:

  • Separates descriptive text from technical commentary

Important Reminder

Everything in this presentation section uses basic MediaWiki features only:

  • {{{ }}} – template parameters
  • – conditional display
  • [[ ]] – links
  • – bold text
  • == == – headings

There is:

  • no Cargo logic here
  • no Page Forms logic
  • no JavaScript
  • no Lua

Mental Model to Keep

You can safely remember:

  • Top of Template:Asset = data structure
  • Bottom of Template:Asset = page layout

The presentation section can be changed, rewritten, or redesigned without affecting data integrity.

Status

This explanation is stable documentation.

It exists to support long-term understanding and memory retention.

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