ICT:Automatic IDs

Description: Documentation for generating and querying automatic IDs using Page Forms and Cargo, including Protected Namespace management.

Automatic ID Generation & Namespace Control

This page documents the workflow for creating unique, automatic IDs and ensuring pages are saved within a specific Protected Namespace using Page Forms and Cargo.

1. Template Logic (Automatic ID Generation)

The best practice is to construct your ID inside the storage template. This allows you to combine multiple attributes and system values (like timestamps) before storing them in Cargo.

Example Cargo Store

In your data template's <includeonly> section:

{{#cargo_store:
_table = Projects
|ProjectID = {{{Category|}}}-{{{Year|}}}-{{#time:U}}
|Category = {{{Category|}}}
|Year = {{{Year|}}}
}}

2. Form Definition (Namespace & Page Naming)

By defining the `page name` formula in the form, you can force all new pages into a specific namespace and ensure the URL itself acts as a unique identifier.

Forcing a Protected Namespace

In the <info> tag, prefix your formula with the name of your protected namespace.

{{{info|page name=Archive:<Projects[Category]>-<Projects[Year]>-<unique number;start=001>}}}

Validation for Uniqueness

To prevent manual ID collisions, use the `unique` parameter on a hidden field:

{{{field|ProjectID|unique|input type=text|hidden}}}

3. Querying Protected Data

When querying pages in a specific namespace, Cargo's `_pageName` will include the namespace prefix (e.g., `Archive:Project-101`).

Query Example

{{#cargo_query:
|tables = Projects
|fields = _pageName=ID, Category
|where = _pageNamespace = 102
|format = table
}}

Comparison: Page Forms vs. Page Schemas

| Feature | Page Schemas | Manual Page Forms | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **Namespace Control** | Limited / Hardcoded | Full (Dynamic via `page name`) | | **Custom ID Logic** | Difficult to customize | Unlimited (via ParserFunctions) |