[[!template id=plugin name=ymlfront author="[[rubykat]]"]]
[[!tag type/meta]]
[[!toc]]
## NAME

IkiWiki::Plugin::ymlfront - add YAML-format data to a page

## SYNOPSIS

    # activate the plugin
    add_plugins => [qw{goodstuff ymlfront ....}],

## DESCRIPTION

This plugin provides a way of adding arbitrary meta-data (data fields) to any
page by prefixing the page with a YAML-format document.  This also provides
the [[ikiwiki/directive/ymlfront]] directive, which enables one to put
YAML-formatted data inside a standard IkiWiki [[ikiwiki/directive]].

This is a way to create per-page structured data, where each page is
treated like a record, and the structured data are fields in that record.  This
can include the meta-data for that page, such as the page title.

This plugin is meant to be used in conjunction with the [[field]] plugin.

## DETAILS

If one is not using the ymlfront directive, the YAML-format data in a page
must be placed at the start of the page and delimited by lines containing
precisely three dashes.  The "normal" content of the page then follows.

For example:

    ---
    title: Foo does not work
    Urgency: High
    Status: Assigned
    AssignedTo: Fred Nurk
    Version: 1.2.3
    ---
    When running on the Sprongle system, the Foo function returns incorrect data.

What will normally be displayed is everything following the second line of dashes.
That will be htmlized using the page-type of the page-file.

### Accessing the Data

There are a few ways to access the given YAML data.

* [[getfield]] plugin

  The **getfield** plugin can display the data as individual variable values.

  For example:

    	---
    	title: Foo does not work
    	Urgency: High
    	Status: Assigned
    	AssignedTo: Fred Nurk
    	Version: 1.2.3
    	---
    	# {{$title}}

    	**Urgency:** {{$Urgency}}\\
    	**Status:** {{$Status}}\\
    	**Assigned To:** {{$AssignedTo}}\\
    	**Version:** {{$Version}}

    When running on the Sprongle system, the Foo function returns incorrect data.

* [[ftemplate]] plugin

  The **ftemplate** plugin is like the [[plugins/template]] plugin, but it is also aware of [[field]] values.

  For example:

    	---
    	title: Foo does not work
    	Urgency: High
    	Status: Assigned
    	AssignedTo: Fred Nurk
    	Version: 1.2.3
    	---
    	\[[!ftemplate id="bug_display_template"]]

    	When running on the Sprongle system, the Foo function returns incorrect data.

* [[report]] plugin

  The **report** plugin is like the [[ftemplate]] plugin, but it reports on multiple pages, rather than just the current page.

* write your own plugin

  In conjunction with the [[field]] plugin, you can write your own plugin to access the data.

## PREREQUISITES

    IkiWiki
    IkiWiki::Plugin::field
    YAML::Any

## DOWNLOAD

* browse at GitHub: <http://github.com/rubykat/ikiplugins/blob/master/IkiWiki/Plugin/ymlfront.pm>
* git repo at git://github.com/rubykat/ikiplugins.git