Feature Request: Default values for Plain Text and Rich Text fields

[robmcfadden]

When creating a new Plain Text or Rich Text field, it would be helpful to be able to optionally enter a default value. This could then be parsed for element variables as an object template.

Use case:

We have a client with over a thousand entries in a section and a couple fields that follow the same formula, with only the {title} being dynamic. The alternative is creating a Global or putting the default value right in the template.

@timkelty was talking about potentially making a plugin for this, but thought it might be a good candidate for a core addition.

[timkelty]

Ended up making this for a client (right now just Craft 2): https://github.com/timkelty/craft2-defaulttext

[benface]

@brandonkelly Would you accept a PR for this?

[brandonkelly]

@timkelty works here now so maybe we can just get him to PR it :)

[brandonkelly]

We just released Craft 3.7.29 which provides a solution for this: It’s now possible to bulk-set individual element attributes/custom field values via resave/* commands (see #10356). So for example, after creating a new Plain Text field, you could set a default value on all the entries in a foo section like so:

php craft resave/entries --section foo --set myPlainTextField --to "default value" --if-empty

[KarlBishop]

I'm not sure if this fully addresses the feature request...?

My reading of it at least is that it would be desirable to have a default value for when new Entries are created.

Using resave/entries only applies a default value to existing Entries, so CP users still have to manually enter the default value for each new Entry.

[KarlBishop]

Happy to add this as a separate Feature Request...?

[KarlBishop]

Also, I was wondering: when using resave/entries, how can I escape { and } in a raw value?

E.g. I want to do this:

php craft resave/entries --section foo --set myPlainTextField --to "=default value with {braces}" --if-empty

But the output is: "default value with "

[i-just]

If you want the output to be literally “default value with {braces}”, then you can try this:

php craft resave/entries --section foo --set myPlainTextField --to "fn(\$entry) => \"default value with {braces}\"" --if-empty

[KarlBishop]

If you want the output to be literally “default value with {braces}”, then you can try this:

php craft resave/entries --section foo --set myPlainTextField --to "fn(\$entry) => \"default value with {braces}\"" --if-empty

Thanks, that worked a treat!