---
title: Meta Information Reference
---
# Meta Information Reference

Following is a list of all the meta information items that are used in one way or another by an
extension, be it a source handler, a tag or any other extension. Each meta information description
follows the same pattern:

* First the type of the value and an example value are listed.
* Then the paths for which this item is valid are listed.
* And at last follows a detailed description.


{:miref: .meta-information-ref}

### author

{:miref}
* String: `Thomas Leitner`
* Any

Sets the author of the path. This information is used, for example, by Webgen::SourceHandler::Feed.

### author\_url

{:miref}
* String: `http://webgen.rubyforge.org`
* Any where `author` is also set

Sets the homepage of the author of the path. This information is used, for example, by
Webgen::SourceHandler::Feed and normally only when `author` is also set.

### blocks

{:miref}
* Hash of Hashes: `\{default: {pipeline:textile}, 1: {name: content, pipeline:maruku,erb,tags}}`
* Files in Webgen Page Format

Specifies the default names and additional options for the blocks. The special key `default` is used
to set default options for all blocks. Specific options for (or the name of) a block can be set by
using the block index as key (numbering starts from one).

### change\_freq

{:miref}
* String: `hourly`
* Any

Sets the change frequency of the page. This information is used, for example, by the sitemap source
handler. You can use the following values for this key: `hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly,
never`.

### created\_at

{:miref}
* Time: `2008-08-14 10:25:34 +02:00`
* Any

Sets the time when the path was created. This information cannot automatically be derived for paths
provided by Webgen::Source::FileSystem, so this has to be set manually.

> Note that the value needs to be a valid [YAML timestamp](http://yaml.org/type/timestamp.html) and
> needs to include the time part.
{.information}

### draft

{:miref}
* Boolean: `true`
* Any

If this meta information is set on a path, no node will be created from it. This is useful to add
content to a website which should only be used later on.

### fragments\_in\_menu

{:miref}
* Boolean: `false`
* Page files

Specifies if the fragment nodes of the page file should be in the menu.

### index\_path

{:miref}
* String: `myindex.html`
* Directories

Sets the directory index path for the directory overriding the default value.

### in\_menu

{:miref}
* Boolean: `true`
* Any

Specifies if the path should appear in menus.

### kind

{:miref}
* String: `page`
* Any

Specifies the kind of the path. Some source handlers define a default value for this meta
information for nodes created by them.

### lang

{:miref}
* String: `de`
* Page files

Sets the language for the path. Has to be a valid ISO-639-1/2 character code for the language. This
meta information needs to be set before a node gets created.

### link\_attrs

{:miref}
* Hash: `\{title: Hallo, class: extra}`
* Any

Specifies additional attribute-value pairs (in form of a Hash) that should be added to a link to the
path.

### modified\_at

{:miref}
* Time: `2008-08-14 10:25:34 +02:00`
* Any

Sets the time when the path was last modified. This information is automatically set for paths
provided by Webgen::Source::FileSystem (the file modification is used) but can be overridden by
setting it manually. If not set to a valid time, the time when webgen is executed is used for this
meta information.

> Note that the value needs to be a valid [YAML timestamp](http://yaml.org/type/timestamp.html) and
> needs to include the time part.
{.information}

### no\_output

{:miref}
* Boolean: `true`
* Any

Specifies whether an output path for the node should be written or not. This differs from `draft`
that a node for the path gets created nonetheless.

### omit\_index\_path

{:miref}
* Boolean: `false`
* Index paths

Controls whether the index path should appear in a breadcrumb trail despite the setting of the
`tag.breadcrumbtrail.omit_index_path` option.

### output\_path\_style

{:miref}
* Array: `[:parent, :cnbase, [., :lang], .html]`
* Any

Sets a custom output path style for the specified path. The basename is substituted for the value
`:cnbase` and the language for the value `:lang`. Strings are used verbatim. If `:lang` is specified
in a sub-array, the whole sub-array is omitted, if the configuration option
`sourcehandler.default_lang_in_output_path` is false. For more and detailed information, have look
at the [output path creation section]({relocatable: manual.html#source-output}) of the manual!

> This meta information has to be set BEFORE a node gets created. Setting this value is therefore
> only useful, for example, in the `paths` block of a meta information backing file.
{.important}

### priority

{:miref}
* Float: `0.5`
* Any

Specifies the priority of this file in respect to all the other files of the website. This
information is used, for example, by the sitemap source handler.

### routed\_title

{:miref}
* String: `Image Directory`
* Any

Only used if set on a directory index path; specifies the title of the directory for which it is the
index path. If this meta information is not specified, the title of the directory will be used
instead.

### sort\_info

{:miref}
* Integer or String: `15`
* Any

Sets the sort information for the path. Any String or Integer value can be used here. When two nodes
are compared using this information and both have Integers, then an Integer comparision is
done. Otherwise a String comparision is done.

Setting a String value is useful, for example, for specifying dates as sort information.

### template

{:miref}
* String or null: `my.template` or `~`
* Page/Template files

Sets the template for the page/template file overriding the default value. If set to null
(i.e. `~`), no template is used for the page/template file!

### title

{:miref}
* String: `New Title`
* Any

Sets the title for the path.