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Places, Groups, Departments, and Channels

Updated: Andrew Tat Edited:

This article documents the Localist Liquid template variables for Places, Groups/Departments, Channel Pages, Components, and Featured Sections. These objects represent the organizational and structural layer of Localist — where events happen (Places), who organizes them (Groups/Departments), and how they’re displayed (Channels and Components).

Overview

Localist’s data model includes several interconnected object types that define the organizational structure of an event calendar:

  • Place — A physical or virtual location where events occur
  • Group/Department — An organization entity that hosts or manages events
  • Channel Page — A customizable page that displays events and other content
  • Component — A display element within a channel page (event lists, filters, calendars)
  • Featured Section — A curated collection of events displayed on a channel

The Place Object

A Place represents a location where events can occur. Places store address information, contact details, geographical coordinates, and classification data.

Identity

Variable Type Description
name String Display name of the place (alias: visible_name)
url String URL path for the place page
description String Full HTML description of the place
photo Photo Associated photo object
is_business Boolean Whether the place is classified as a business

Location

Variable Type Description
address String Street address
city String City name
latitude Float Geographic latitude coordinate
longitude Float Geographic longitude coordinate
directions String Directions to the place
parking String Parking information
distance Float Distance from a reference point (when applicable)

Contact

Variable Type Description
phone String Phone number
hours String Operating hours
website String URL to the place’s website
facebook_url String URL to Facebook page
has_food_service Boolean Whether the place offers food service

Classification

Variable Type Description
place_types String Comma-separated place type classification (alias: business_type)
types Array Array of place type objects
tags Array Array of tag strings
keywords Array Array of keyword strings
custom_fields Custom Fields Dynamic collection of custom field values

Mapping

Variable Type Description
campusbird_id String Integration ID for CampusBird map systems
has_campusbird_map Boolean Whether this place has a CampusBird map
has_c3d_map_override Boolean Whether Concept3D map override is enabled

Permissions

Variable Type Description
can_edit Boolean Whether the current user can edit this place
has_details? Boolean Whether the place has available details

Social

Variable Type Description
foursquare_tips Array Array of tips from Foursquare integration

Example: Accessing Place Data

{% if event.place %}
  <div class="location">
    <h3>{{ event.place.name }}</h3>
    <p>{{ event.place.address }}, {{ event.place.city }}</p>
    <p>Phone: {{ event.place.phone }}</p>
    {% if event.place.latitude and event.place.longitude %}
      <a href="https://maps.google.com/?q={{ event.place.latitude }},{{ event.place.longitude }}">
        View on Map
      </a>
    {% endif %}
  </div>
{% endif %}

The Group/Department Object

Groups and Departments represent organizational entities within Localist. Both use the same object structure; the distinction is typically organizational (departments are hierarchical units within institutions; groups are independent organizations).

Core

Variable Type Description
name String Display name of the group or department
description String Full HTML description
description_text String Plain text version of the description
urlname String URL-friendly slug for the group/department
visible_name String Alternate display name
url String URL path for the group/department page
photo Photo Associated photo object
is_group Boolean Whether this is a group (vs. department)
is_department Boolean Whether this is a department (vs. group)

Social/Web

Variable Type Description
twitter_name String Twitter handle
facebook_url String Facebook page URL
homepage String Homepage URL
website String Website URL

Organization

Variable Type Description
school String Associated school or institution
campus String Associated campus or division
group_types Array Array of group type classifications
types Array Array of type objects
custom_fields Custom Fields Dynamic collection of custom field values
approve_requests Boolean Whether membership requests require approval

URLs

Variable Type Description
calendar_url String URL to the group’s calendar page
edit_description_url String URL to edit group description (if permitted)
add_request_url String URL to request membership
feed_link String URL to RSS feed of group events

Permissions

Variable Type Description
current_user_is_officer Boolean Whether the current user is an officer of the group
can_manage_group Boolean Whether the current user can manage this group

Example: Accessing Group/Department Data

<div class="group-info">
  <h2>{{ group.name }}</h2>
  <p>{{ group.description }}</p>

  {% if group.twitter_name %}
    <a href="https://twitter.com/{{ group.twitter_name }}">Follow on Twitter</a>
  {% endif %}

  {% if group.is_department %}
    <span class="badge">Department</span>
  {% else %}
    <span class="badge">Group</span>
  {% endif %}

  {% if group.can_manage_group %}
    <a href="{{ group.edit_description_url }}">Edit Description</a>
  {% endif %}
</div>

The Channel Page Object

A Channel Page is a customizable landing page within Localist that displays components, events, and other content. Developers can theme the entire channel page layout, content area, and styling.

Variable Type Description
title String Page title displayed in browser and header
urlname String URL-friendly slug for the channel
is_visible Boolean Whether the channel is publicly visible
enabled Boolean Whether the channel is enabled
cover_photo Photo Photo object for the page header/background
columns Array Array of column definitions for the page layout
lock_navigation_to_channel? Boolean Whether navigation is restricted to this channel
custom_css String Custom CSS rules applied to the page
header_name String Custom name for the page header
has_map_component Boolean Whether a map component is present on the page
left_grid_width Integer Width (in columns) of the left content area
right_grid_width Integer Width (in columns) of the right content area
left_grid_class String CSS class for left content area
right_grid_class String CSS class for right content area
can_edit Boolean Whether the current user can edit this channel

Example: Accessing Channel Page Data

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
  <head>
    <title>{{ channel_page.title }}</title>
    {% if channel_page.custom_css %}
      <style>{{ channel_page.custom_css }}</style>
    {% endif %}
  </head>
  <body>
    <div class="channel-page">
      {% if channel_page.cover_photo %}
        <div class="hero" style="background-image: url('{{ channel_page.cover_photo.hero }}');">
          <h1>{{ channel_page.header_name }}</h1>
        </div>
      {% endif %}

      <div class="grid-container">
        <div class="grid-left {% if channel_page.left_grid_class %}{{ channel_page.left_grid_class }}{% endif %}" 
             style="width: calc({{ channel_page.left_grid_width }} * 100% / 12);">
          <!-- Left column content here -->
        </div>

        <div class="grid-right {% if channel_page.right_grid_class %}{{ channel_page.right_grid_class }}{% endif %}"
             style="width: calc({{ channel_page.right_grid_width }} * 100% / 12);">
          <!-- Right column content here -->
        </div>
      </div>
    </div>
  </body>
</html>

Components

Components are display elements that render on channel pages. The base Component type has common properties, but specialized subclasses add additional attributes for specific display modes.

Base Component Properties

All components share the following properties:

Variable Type Description
title String Display name of the component
type String Component type (e.g., event_list, filter_list, month_calendar)
visible Boolean Whether the component is visible on the page

Event List Component

Event List Components display a list of events, sorted and filtered according to configuration. They add the following properties to the base component:

Variable Type Description
days Integer Number of days ahead to include in the list
num Integer Maximum number of events to display
sort String Sort order for events (e.g., start_time, name)
include_in_default Boolean Whether to include in default/home layout
show_calendar_link Boolean Whether to display a link to the full calendar
start DateTime Start date/time for the event range
events Array Array of Event objects to display
hide_tab Boolean Whether to hide the component tab
header_text String Custom header text for the component
size String Display size (e.g., small, medium, large)

Example: Rendering an Event List Component

{% if component.type == 'event_list' %}
  <div class="event-list-component" data-component-id="{{ component.id }}">
    <h3>{{ component.header_text }}</h3>

    <ul class="event-list">
      {% for event in component.events limit: component.num %}
        <li>
          <div class="event-item">
            <p class="event-date">{{ event.starts_at | date: "%b %d, %Y" }}</p>
            <h4><a href="{{ event.url }}">{{ event.name }}</a></h4>
            {% if event.place %}
              <p class="event-location">{{ event.place.name }}</p>
            {% endif %}
          </div>
        </li>
      {% endfor %}
    </ul>

    {% if component.show_calendar_link %}
      <a href="#calendar" class="view-calendar-link">View Full Calendar</a>
    {% endif %}
  </div>
{% endif %}

Filter List Component

Filter List Components allow users to filter events by category, group, place, or other criteria. They add the following property to the base component:

Variable Type Description
show_date_picker Boolean Whether to display a date picker for filtering

Example: Rendering a Filter List Component

{% if component.type == 'filter_list' %}
  <div class="filter-list-component" data-component-id="{{ component.id }}">
    <h3>{{ component.title }}</h3>

    <form class="filter-form">
      {% if component.show_date_picker %}
        <div class="filter-group">
          <label>Start Date:</label>
          <input type="date" name="start_date">
        </div>
      {% endif %}

      <div class="filter-group">
        <label>Filter by Category:</label>
        <select name="filter">
          <option value="">All Categories</option>
          <!-- Filter options populated by JavaScript -->
        </select>
      </div>

      <button type="submit">Apply Filters</button>
    </form>
  </div>
{% endif %}

Month Calendar Component

Month Calendar Components display events in a traditional calendar grid. They add the following properties to the base component:

Variable Type Description
events_per_day Integer Maximum number of events to show per day cell
include_in_default Boolean Whether to include in default/home layout
sort String Sort order for events within each day

Example: Rendering a Month Calendar Component

{% if component.type == 'month_calendar' %}
  <div class="month-calendar-component" data-component-id="{{ component.id }}">
    <h3>{{ component.title }}</h3>

    <table class="calendar-grid">
      <thead>
        <tr>
          <th>Sun</th>
          <th>Mon</th>
          <th>Tue</th>
          <th>Wed</th>
          <th>Thu</th>
          <th>Fri</th>
          <th>Sat</th>
        </tr>
      </thead>
      <tbody>
        <!-- Calendar cells rendered by JavaScript or server logic -->
        <!-- Each cell can display up to component.events_per_day events -->
      </tbody>
    </table>
  </div>
{% endif %}

The Featured Section Object

Featured Sections are curated groups of events displayed on a channel page. They allow administrators to highlight specific events in a dedicated section.

Variable Type Description
name String Display name of the featured section
is_visible Boolean Whether the section is publicly visible
link_name String Text label for the section link
id String Unique identifier for the section
events Array of EventInstance Array of events in this section

Example: Rendering a Featured Section

{% if featured_section and featured_section.is_visible %}
  <section class="featured-section" id="featured-{{ featured_section.id }}">
    <h2>{{ featured_section.name }}</h2>

    <div class="featured-events">
      {% for event in featured_section.events %}
        <article class="featured-event">
          <div class="event-image">
            {% if event.photo %}
              <img src="{{ event.photo.featured }}" alt="{{ event.name }}">
            {% endif %}
          </div>

          <div class="event-content">
            <h3><a href="{{ event.url }}">{{ event.name }}</a></h3>
            <p class="event-date">{{ event.starts_at | date: "%A, %B %d, %Y" }}</p>
            {% if event.place %}
              <p class="event-location">{{ event.place.name }}</p>
            {% endif %}
            <p class="event-description">{{ event.description | truncate: 150 }}</p>
          </div>
        </article>
      {% endfor %}
    </div>
  </section>
{% endif %}

Common Patterns and Usage

Iterating Over Collections

Groups, departments, and places are often accessed as collections on the channel page or other contexts:

<!-- Iterate over selected groups -->
{% for group in channel_page.selected_groups %}
  <a href="{{ group.url }}" class="group-link">{{ group.name }}</a>
{% endfor %}

<!-- Iterate over departments -->
{% for dept in site.departments %}
  <h3>{{ dept.name }}</h3>
  <p>{{ dept.description_text }}</p>
{% endfor %}

Conditional Display Based on Permissions

{% if place.can_edit %}
  <a href="{{ place.edit_url }}" class="edit-btn">Edit Place</a>
{% endif %}

{% if group.can_manage_group %}
  <div class="admin-panel">
    <!-- Group management UI -->
  </div>
{% endif %}

Accessing Custom Fields

All objects that support custom fields (Place, Group/Department, Event) expose them through the custom_fields accessor:

<!-- Access a custom field by key -->
<p>{{ place.custom_fields.capacity }}</p>

<!-- Check if a custom field exists before displaying -->
{% if group.custom_fields.meeting_room %}
  <p>Meeting Room: {{ group.custom_fields.meeting_room }}</p>
{% endif %}

Related Articles

This article is part of an 8-part series on Localist developer theming:

  1. Introduction to Localist Developer Theming
  2. Site Configuration and Global Objects
  3. Events, Instances, and Related Objects
  4. Places, Groups, Departments, and Channels
  5. Custom Liquid Tags Reference
  6. Custom Liquid Filters Reference
  7. Template Variable Reference
  8. Forms and User Management

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