I created the repeated fields for the building repeated fields example of processwire.
in _main.php I executed directlyforeach($page->buildings as $building) { echo "<h2>{$building->title}</h2><p>"; echo "Height: {$building->feet_high} feet, "; echo "Floors: {$building->num_floors}, "; echo "Year built: {$building->year_built} </p>";} This works without placeholder variables in _init.php, and hence no template placeholder population. Not sure how the can be in placeholders. So for the delayed output strategy it appears some output can/must not have placeholder variables?