Latest revision as of 11:09, 17 February 2026

Final Configuration for the Place Entity

Document revision: 2026-02-17 by Mngr

The aim is to create an interface without MediaWiki clutter and well protected to avoid confusing users with unnecessary elements on the page. The Cargo template follows what has been decided in the DBML. It is the implementation of one entity "Place".

This entity has a special feature: filling in the address will automatically fill in the coordinates and, in the dashboard, provide a link to OpenStreetMap. In order to realize this, JavaScript is used.

As the system uses de facto Dark mode, special care is taken to avoid default MediaWiki or Page Forms error messages that render as white boxes. Using the Vector-2022 skin, modifying Common.css proved unreliable; therefore, JavaScript-based solutions were preferred.

This configuration deliberately favors explicit behavior and robustness over visual polish or implicit framework behavior, in order to ensure long-term maintainability.

Cargo Table:

Template:Place

<noinclude>
Place data template
</noinclude>

{{#cargo_declare:
 |_table=Places
 |Code=Page
 |Parent=Page
 |Label=String
 |Type=String
 |Address=String
 |Latitude=Float
 |Longitude=Float
 |Notes=Text
}}

{{#cargo_store:
 |Code={{FULLPAGENAME}}
 |Parent={{{Parent|}}}
 |Label={{{Label|}}}
 |Type={{{Type|}}}
 |Address={{{Address|}}}
 |Latitude={{{Latitude|}}}
 |Longitude={{{Longitude|}}}
 |Notes={{{Notes|}}}
}}

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

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

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

{{#if:{{{Latitude}}}{{{Longitude}}}| 
'''Map:'''  
[https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat={{{Latitude}}}&mlon={{{Longitude}}} View on OpenStreetMap]
}}

Once the template is created, the Cargo table must be created manually. If modifications are made to the table structure, the table must be recreated and the temporary table swapped via the Cargo administration interface.

The field Code stores the full page name (including namespace) to ensure unambiguous identification and safe use as a foreign key across entities.

Important conventions: - Field names start with a capital letter - Code is the page name and acts as the technical identifier - Label is the human-readable name and is mandatory for all entities - Dashboards generate and manage pages in a dedicated namespace (Place) - The field name Label must not be renamed, as it is relied upon by shared JavaScript validation logic

Special lines at the bottom of the template:

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

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

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

{{#if:{{{Latitude}}}{{{Longitude}}}| 
'''Map:'''  
[https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat={{{Latitude}}}&mlon={{{Longitude}}} View on OpenStreetMap]
}}

These lines ensure that the human-readable name (Label) is consistently used as the visible page title, while the actual page name remains the stable technical identifier (Code).

This decoupling allows renaming the label without breaking Cargo relations, dashboards, or foreign keys.

The last block conditionally displays a link to OpenStreetMap only when valid geographic coordinates are present, avoiding broken or misleading links.

Coordinates are normally filled automatically via JavaScript based on the Address field.

Page Form:

Form:Place

<noinclude>
Form for creating and editing Place pages.
</noinclude>

{{{info
|no summary
|no preview
|no minor edit
|no watch
|no footer
}}}
''Fields marked with (*) are required.''

{{{for template|Place}}}

{| class="formtable"

! Code
| {{PAGENAME}}
|-

! Name (*)
| {{{field|Label}}}
|-

! Parent place
| {{{field|Parent
 |input type=combobox
 |values from namespace=Place
 |placeholder=Top level (no parent)
}}}
|-

! Type
| {{{field|Type
 |input type=dropdown
 |values=Continent,Country,Region,Province,City,Neighborhood,Street
}}}
|-

! Address
| {{{field|Address}}}
|-

! Latitude
| {{{field|Latitude}}}
|-

! Longitude
| {{{field|Longitude}}}
|-

! Notes
| {{{field|Notes|input type=textarea}}}

|}

{{{standard input|save}}}

{{{end template}}}

The first section avoids MediaWiki edit clutter.

{{{info
|no summary
|no preview
|no minor edit
|no watch
|no footer
}}}

The field Label (displayed to the user as “Name”) is mandatory for all entities. This requirement is not implemented using the Page Forms |mandatory option, as this produces unusable white error boxes in the dark Vector-2022 environment.

Instead: - the requirement is communicated via text and (*) - enforcement is handled via JavaScript at save time

Dashboard page

Dashboard:Place

= 🗺️ Costa Sano Research PLACE Dashboard =

📖 [[Dashboard:Place/Help|Need Help?]]

{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Code !! Title !! Type !! Parent !! Map
{{#cargo_query:
 tables=Places
 |fields=_pageName,_pageTitle,Label,Type,Parent,Latitude,Longitude
 |where=_pageNamespace=3006
 |order by=_pageTitle
 |format=template
 |template=PlaceRow
 |named args=yes
 |cache=no
}}
|}

Choose your place code corresponding to above table and respecting the naming conventions.  
Take maximum 6 capital letters for the code.

{{#forminput:
 form=Place
 |namespace=Place
 |button text=➕ New place
 |returnto=Dashboard:Place
}}

<div style="text-align:right; font-size:90%;">
Last updated: {{CURRENTDAY}} {{CURRENTMONTHNAME}} {{CURRENTYEAR}} – {{CURRENTTIME}} UTC
</div>

IMPORTANT: Dashboard tables are positional. The number and order of: - table headers - Cargo query fields - row template cells MUST match exactly.

Only the first column (Code) is clickable and leads to the edit form. All other columns are displayed as plain text to prevent navigation to record pages.

Row transclusion Template

Template:PlaceRow

<includeonly>
|-
| {{#formlink:
   form=Place
   |target={{{_pageName}}}
   |link text={{{_pageTitle}}}
   |returnto=Dashboard:Place
 }}
| {{{Label}}}
| {{{Type}}}
| {{#if:{{{Parent|}}}|{{#titleparts:{{{Parent}}}|1}}|—}}
| {{#if:{{{Latitude}}}{{{Longitude}}}|
   [https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat={{{Latitude}}}&mlon={{{Longitude}}} 🗺️]
 | — }}
</includeonly>

Parent values are displayed as plain text (not links) to prevent users from navigating directly to record pages. All record editing is performed via forms accessed from the dashboard.

Javascript

Multiple JavaScript functions are used to: - auto-purge dashboards - fill coordinates based on address input - provide OpenStreetMap links - enforce mandatory fields at save time

MediaWiki:Common.js

[unchanged JavaScript content]

All entity templates must define a Label field, which is treated as mandatory by the shared JavaScript logic.

All Place pages are stored in the Place namespace with the page name acting as the Code.

Example:

{{Place
|Label=Brussels
|Parent=EURO
|Type=City
|Address=Brussel
|Latitude=50.8467372
|Longitude=4.3524930
|Notes=Nihil
}}

Such pages are configuration pages and must be accessed via the dashboard, not directly.

References: