Null Logic allows portions of a style parse string to be ignored if the tags they contain are blank. This is useful to avoid unsightly commas or line breaks when an entry field is left blank.
To use this feature, enclose any piece of text in a style parse string in braces ("{" and "}"). When the text is exported, the enclosed text and insert tags will export just as normal, unless the enclosed insert tags point to a blank value. In that case, all the text and insert tags within the braces will be ignored and not exported. (Note that braces can not be nested.)
Example
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Suppose the style string for source citations reads something like this: "[ARTICLENAME]", [ORGANIZATION], [PUBLICATION] If a value has been assigned to the fields referenced by the three insert tags, this will export something like: "The Affirmative is Wrong", Society of Experts, Expert Review However, if there is no Organization specified, this will export: "The Affirmative is Wrong", , Expert Review Notice that there is an extra comma which was intended to come after the organization, but since the organization is blank, it's just left hanging there. This looks unsightly and distracting, and difficult to read in the round. However, null logic comes to the rescue. We can solve this by inserting braces around the organization and it's associated comma, like this: "[ARTICLENAME]", {[ORGANIZATION], }[PUBLICATION] which would instead export: "The Affirmative is Wrong", Expert Review Problem solved. (If the Organization field had not been blank, it would have exported normally like the original example.) |