Module:Format link/doc explained

This module, migrated from origins in, provides functionality for formatting links for display, including that powering the template.

It can pretty-format section links with the section symbol ("§") and appropriate whitespace, it automatically escapes category and file names with the colon trick, and includes functionality for italicizing the page or section name, and for detecting and categorizing results that produce red links.

Use from wikitext

The functions in this module cannot be used directly from #invoke, and must be used through templates instead. Please see for documentation on usage of that template.

Use from other Lua modules

To load this module from another Lua module, use the following code:

local mFormatLink = require('Module:Format link')

You can then use the functions as documented below.

_formatLink

mFormatLink._formatLink

Formats link as a wikilink. Categories and files are automatically escaped with the colon trick, and links to sections are automatically formatted as page § section, rather than the MediaWiki default of page#section.

Several options modify the output:

If the display value is present, then it will be used as a display value. Any manual piping (using the <nowiki>{{!}}</nowiki> magic word or similar) present in link will be overridden by the display value if present.
If the target value is present, then it will override link as a target, but the result will still be displayed using either the value from display, or the result of formatting link.
If italicizePage is true, then the page portion of the link is italicized if present.
If italicizeSection is true, then the section portion of the link is italicized if present.
If categorizeMissing is a non-empty string, then that value is used as a category name, and that category will be applied if the resulting target of the link (no matter whether through link or through target) doesn't exist.

Examples:

mFormatLink._formatLink → [[:Foo#Bar|Foo §&nbsp;Bar]] →

mFormatLink._formatLink → [[:Baz|Qux]] →

mFormatLink._formatLink → [[:Foo|Baz]] →

mFormatLink._formatLink → [[:Example#Foo|§&nbsp;Foo]] →

mFormatLink._formatLink → [[:The Lord of the Rings#Plot|''The Lord of the Rings'' §&nbsp;Plot]] →

mFormatLink._formatLink → [[:Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012#Disini v. Secretary of Justice|Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 §&nbsp;''Disini v. Secretary of Justice'']] →

mFormatLink._formatLink → [[:Nonexistent page]][[Category:Example]] →

mFormatLink._formatLink → [[:Existing]] →

formatPages

mFormatLink.formatPages(options, pages)

This derived function is useful for lists that format many links. It formats an array of pages using the _formatLink function, and returns the result as an array. Options in the options table are applied, and use the same names as the options for _formatLink.

Example