Why missing fields are hidden (not filled with “unknown”)
When a headcount, a capacity, or a certificate has no checkable public evidence, the block is left off the page. It is not filled in.
- ›No checkable public evidence means the block is not rendered.
- ›The page does not fill the gap with the word “unknown”, a dash used as a value, or a zero.
- ›A hidden block means no public checkable evidence is on the page yet. It is not a ban.
- ›An unsourced scale figure is not estimated. If two scale statements disagree, they are not rewritten as one capacity or one line count.
- ›The word “certified” does not stand in for a certificate number. That gate is a separate page.
The block is omitted
A full grid looks tidy. A tidy grid that contains a figure nobody can check is a different object from a page that leaves the block off. The display rule chooses the second.
Headcount, capacity, and a certificate are the usual gaps. The block stays off until there is evidence a reader can check. The page does not print the word “unknown” in the cell, does not use a dash as a value, and does not write a zero to keep the row looking complete.
What is not used to fill a gap
Each row is a display decision. None of these cells is a figure for a named mill.
| Gap | Not published | What the page does |
|---|---|---|
| Headcount or capacity with no source | An estimated figure, a stand-in word, a dash, or a zero | The scale block is not rendered |
| Two scale statements that do not agree | One blended capacity, or one line count | No single value. The statements can stay side by side, or the block stays off. |
| Certificate text with no number | The word “certified” used as a filler | The certificate block is not rendered |
| Identity, address, or founded year with no public source | A guessed line | That block is not rendered |
Certificate gaps and scale gaps are common. A missing field is the usual state of a public row. This table names no mill and gives no share of rows.
What puts a block back
A certificate block comes back with the full chain: holder, issuing body, number, scope, expiry, and the day a public source was checked. A scale block comes back with a source name and a checked date. If two scale statements disagree, show both with those dates, or show neither. Do not print one capacity or one line count.
Identity, address, and founded year come back from a public source a reader can check. The founded year stays on its own line, separate from a marketplace signup year. What a blank means to a buyer, as a signal rather than a place in an order, is a different page. This page is only the rule: hide the block, do not fill it.
Frequently asked questions
Does an empty block mean the company has no scale?
No. It means a sourced headcount or capacity is not on the page. A guessed figure is not published in the gap, and the cell is not filled with a stand-in word, a dash, or a zero.
Can two different scale lines be written as one number?
No. They stay side by side, each with its source and checked date, or the block stays off. They are not merged into one capacity or one line count.
Why not print “certified” so the certificate row is not empty?
A name with no number is not a hold-cert claim. The certificate block stays off. Filling it would publish a claim the chain does not support.
This guide is written from public standards and industry-common knowledge, not supplier claims. Confirm system series, test reports, prices and certifications directly with the supplier via RFQ.
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