[xwiki-users] problem displaying empty list as property in class sheet velocity script

I am having a velocity script problem with a class sheet when I try to display an empty list on an object. My goal is for the class sheet to render class properties that start with a "_" as hot-links, and those that don't to just be rendered as text. The class sheet is for "PersonClass", and looks like this: {{velocity}} #set ($obj = $doc.getObject('XWiki.PersonClass')) #set($class = $obj.xWikiClass) #foreach($prop in $class.properties) ; $prop.prettyName #set ($propName = $prop.getName()) #set ($propVal = $obj.get($propName) ) #if ($propName.startsWith("_")) : $propVal (why does this one not show?) : [[$propVal>>$propVal]] (but this one does show?) #else : $doc.display($prop.getName()) #end #end {{/velocity}} The PersonClass has two properties: (1) name (a string) (2) _knows (a DatabaseList with multiple select and XWiki Class Name of XWiki.PersonClass) I create an object using this class, with "name" set to "C S Lewis" and with no selection for the _knows field (empty list). The problem is, the velocity line: : $propVal (why does this one not show?) works properly... not displaying anything for property _knows (empty list), but the line: : [[$propVal>>$propVal]] (but this one does show?) which is the line I really want to use in the class sheet, because it creates the hot links, shows the value from the previous property as a hot link. I.e. it looks like this: name C S Lewis _knows (why does this one not show?) C S Lewis (but this one does show?) Not what I wanted. Why does it do this? How can I get empty lists to show no page links, but lists with one or more items to display them as a bunch of hot links? Thanks, -Mark