Customizable Display Names for Relationship Fields

[kodermax]

Summary

Add the ability to define custom display names for relationship fields in Payload CMS by combining multiple fields, instead of relying solely on the useAsTitle property.

Problem

Currently, the useAsTitle property in Payload CMS allows only a single field to be used as the display name for relationship fields in the admin UI. This limitation can be restrictive when users need a more descriptive or context-specific title that combines data from multiple fields (e.g., combining firstName and lastName for a user, or title and date for an event). This results in less intuitive selection experiences in the admin interface.

Proposed Solution

Introduce a new configuration option for relationship fields, such as displayFields, that allows users to specify a combination of fields to generate a custom display name. This could be implemented as:

A displayFields array to list fields to combine (e.g., ['firstName', 'lastName']).
An optional format function or template string to define how the fields are combined (e.g., '{{firstName}} {{lastName}}' or a function returning a formatted string).
Fallback to useAsTitle if displayFields is not specified, ensuring backward compatibility.

Example Configuration

{
  name: 'author',
  type: 'relationship',
  relationTo: 'users',
  displayFields: ['firstName', 'lastName'], // Combine these fields
  format: ({ firstName, lastName }) => `${firstName} ${lastName}` // Optional custom formatting
}

Example Output

In the admin UI, instead of showing only the useAsTitle field (e.g., "John"), the relationship field dropdown could display "John Doe" by combining firstName and lastName.
Benefits

Improved UX: More descriptive display names make it easier for editors to identify related records.
Flexibility: Users can tailor the display to their specific needs without modifying the schema structure.
Consistency: Aligns with common CMS patterns where relationship fields can show combined field values.

Use Cases

Displaying full names (firstName + lastName) for user relationships.
Combining title and date for events or posts (e.g., "Annual Meeting - 2025-05-28").
Creating unique identifiers by combining fields like sku and productName for products.

Backward Compatibility

Ensure the new displayFields and format options are optional, defaulting to the existing useAsTitle behavior if not specified.
Additional Notes

Consider performance implications when fetching and formatting data for large collections.
Provide validation to ensure displayFields references valid fields in the related collection.
Allow localization support for the format function to handle different languages or formatting conventions.

This feature would significantly enhance the flexibility and usability of relationship fields in Payload CMS, making it easier for users to work with related data in a more meaningful way.