Do not replace every blank with zero
Zero can be a real value. An absent key, an empty string and a deliberately empty list may mean different things. Define these states in the field contract. If a report period is required, missing it should stop release. If a section is optional, an approved no-items message may be clearer than a blank rectangle.
Choose field-specific behavior
For Example Studio, a missing report ID holds the file; an empty items list displays No work items in this period; an absent optional note hides the note heading and its reserved space. These are proposed editorial rules, not default behavior attributed to a merchant. Implement and test them in your actual template route.
Inspect the whole page after hiding content
Removing text can leave an orphan heading, an awkward gap or a footer beside the wrong section. Compare both present and absent variants. If a table is empty, decide whether its header should remain. Do not allow the template to invent a narrative explanation for why a value is missing.
Leave unresolved facts unresolved
A report generator arranges provided information. It should not guess a client name or infer a status because a field is convenient to populate. Send the record back to its owner with the missing field identified. Track corrections in the source so the next run does not require the same manual patch.
Worked missing-state table
Consider three inputs: items omitted; items set to an empty list; items containing one row whose status is absent. The first violates the proposed required-array contract. The second can show the approved no-items state. The third requires a field-specific decision, such as hold for the source owner. Do not repair all three by printing No activity. They represent different information, even if the first visual output looks similar.
Sources used for this page
These records support the facts and comparisons above. Merchant-controlled records are labelled so you can separate product claims from independent evidence.
- CraftMyPDF: documented template workflow — Merchant documentation · craftmypdf.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-30