[Mediawiki-l] How can I test the page title to see if this is the first call of a template or a later inclusion

[The Gadget Doctor]

I'll try to ask this in as simple a way as I can.

I have a template which I call, in which I set the title of a page. The page
name built up from elements in the template call.

For each call to this template I have an individual page that has one and
only one call to the template on it. It is this page that is named according
to the rules of the template.

Those template call pages are then transcluded on other pages.

I would like (within the template) to test if it is the first call or a
subsequent transclusion. All forms of <includeonly> <noinclude> etc don't
seem to work.

I should be able to test because I know the elements that I'm passing that
originally gave me the name of the page, but various character translations
(":" apostrophes and various other bits of punctuation) cause havoc.

There must be a simpler way: if you saw my #if statements you'd cry.

Is there any way with page-id's or some other off the wall method??? I'm
sure this is a solved problem!!!!

Page -> call to template -> template

GD