Movable Type exposes a number of different template tags called container tags that loop over a set of objects. This allows designers to display for example the last 10 entries on a blog, or to display each of the comments associated with an entry.

As Movable Type iterates or loops over a list of objects in this fashion it maintains a number of meta variables for you, allowing you to test if the current item is an odd or even item in the list for example. Listed below are all the meta variables Movable Type maintains:

Note: Each of these variables is preceded and followed by two (2) underscores.

• __even__ - returns true if the current item in the list is even
• __odd__ - returns true if the current item in the list is odd
• __first__ - returns true if the current item in the list if the first item in the list
• __last__ - returns true if the current item in the list if the last item in the list
• __counter__ - returns the index of the current item in the list

Example

<mt:Entries lastn="10">
  <mt:if name="__first__"><ul></mt:if>
  <li class="entry <mt:if name="__even__">even<mt:else>odd</mt:if>">
    <mt:var name="__counter__">. <mt:EntryTitle>
  </li>
  <mt:if name="__last__"></ul></mt:if>
</mt:Entries>

Related

• <mt:Entries>
• <mt:Pages>
• <mt:Authors>
• <mt:Blogs>
• <mt:Categories>
• etc... and all other block/loop tag in movable type