---
title:     Front Matter
id:        frontmatter
blurb:     Front matter controls features such as navigation, and can be used
           to control page sort order.
layout:    template-logo-medium
navigator: true
---

# <%= current_page.data.title %>

<%= current_page.data.blurb %>

Using some of these new front matter keys will make implementing automatic
navigation features much, much easier for you. This is a description of the
keys.

`blurb`

  : Specifying a blurb for your pages make tables of content more interesting,
    as they can automatically include a brief summary about that particular
    page. Suitably written blurbs can even be included in their own pages,
    such as the opening paragraph if this page.
    
    Note that if you want HTML features in your blurbs, then they must be
    written in HTML. Middleman doesn’t process front matter, and so markdown
    can’t be used.
    {:.note}

`navigate`

  : When used with group `index.html` pages, it indicates that its legitimate
    children should implement a page navigator (previous and next page controls)
    if they are eligible.
    
    The default is `false`.
    
    As done in this sample documentation project’s templates, a check using
    the [resource](resources) `current_page.navigator_eligible?` will determine
    that the group is enabled via `navigate` and then add the navigation control
    to eligible pages.

`navigator`

  : When used in any of your pages, it indicates that a page navigator (previous
    and next page controls) should be implemented if the page is eligible. 
    
    The default is `true`; this means you only have to use this key to exclude
    an otherwise legitimate page.

    As done in this sample documentation project’s templates, a check using
    the [resource](resources) `current_page.navigator_eligible?` will determine
    that the group is enabled via `navigate` and then add the navigation control
    to eligible pages.

`order`

  : Use this key to specify the order that the page appears in the various
    helpers and partials. This key is required for any `index.html` (except for
    the root item), and optional if you prefer to number your pages using
    [filename prefixes](directory_organization).
    
    All pages eligible for automatic navigation must have an order set via one
    method or another. Pages without an order are still included, of course,
    and you can link to them as usual.
    
    Sort order is any integer, and sort order does not have to be consecutive.
    Sometimes it’s helpful to leave large gaps in order to simplify future
    insertions. (You can use `current_page.page_sequence` to generate page
    numbers.)