<blockquote>
  <p>When editing the field, I have tried setting the 'Placeholder Text' as {title}, but this does not work - it displays "{title}"!</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Yeah, those placeholder text fields aren't dynamically parsed as Twig templates like others (Entry URL Format, etc.).</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>I don't want to create a new custom type of field as it seems a little heavy handed for this use case.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Unfortunately that's all that is coming to mind for me for this use-case.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-07T13:34:58.513Z
Thanks Brad. Is it possible to create such a field that still stores the data exactly as it would if it was a regular text field? i.e. so if I switched it from my custom field back into a 'regular' text field, I wouldn't loose all my values in the DB?
ianp
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-07T19:50:00.070Z
Assuming the custom field uses the same type and size datatype in the database, the conversion should happen automatically.
Brad Bell
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-03-01T20:21:19.780Z
2017-03-01T20:21:19.780Z
Brad Bell
<p>I have a plain text field that encourages content editors to write a more detailed description of a piece of content.</p>

<p>However, on the front-end the template will use the post title by default if this is not supplied.</p>

<p>I would like the placeholder text for this optional plain text field to represent the reality of this in the Dashboard - i.e. to display the title field as the placeholder if the field has not otherwise been used.</p>

<p>When editing the field, I have tried setting the 'Placeholder Text' as <code>{title}</code>, but this does not work - it displays "{title}"!</p>

<p>Is this possible? I don't want to create a new custom type of field as it seems a little heavy handed for this use case.</p>

<fieldtypes><dashboard>
Dynamic placeholder text in 'Plain text' field type
# Dynamic placeholder text in 'Plain text' field type

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-03-01)

I have a plain text field that encourages content editors to write a more detailed description of a piece of content.

However, on the front-end the template will use the post title by default if this is not supplied.

I would like the placeholder text for this optional plain text field to represent the reality of this in the Dashboard - i.e. to display the title field as the placeholder if the field has not otherwise been used.

When editing the field, I have tried setting the 'Placeholder Text' as `{title}`, but this does not work - it displays "{title}"!

Is this possible? I don't want to create a new custom type of field as it seems a little heavy handed for this use case.

**Tags:** fieldtypes, dashboard

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-03-01. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

> When editing the field, I have tried setting the 'Placeholder Text' as {title}, but this does not work - it displays "{title}"!

Yeah, those placeholder text fields aren't dynamically parsed as Twig templates like others (Entry URL Format, etc.).

> I don't want to create a new custom type of field as it seems a little heavy handed for this use case.

Unfortunately that's all that is coming to mind for me for this use-case.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks Brad. Is it possible to create such a field that still stores the data exactly as it would if it was a regular text field? i.e. so if I switched it from my custom field back into a 'regular' text field, I wouldn't loose all my values in the DB?  
> **username_1**: Assuming the custom field uses the same type and size datatype in the database, the conversion should happen automatically.  

---

