<p>There isn’t, and yeah, the collapsed Matrix block preview text is just created with some Javascript that checks the fields and their inputs within each block.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-10-28T09:28:53.840Z
2014-10-28T09:28:53.840Z
Brandon Kelly
<p>I've found the need lately for a way to represent complex fieldtypes like Matrix, Entries, etc as strings. e.g. in the following plugins:</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="https://github.com/boboldehampsink/auditlog" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/boboldehampsink/auditlog</a></li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/boboldehampsink/export" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/boboldehampsink/export</a></li>
</ul>

<p>Currently, it seems like you have to more or less account for every fieldtype and do some special processing.</p>

<p>I'm wondering if there is a method that every fieldtype can use (<code>__toString</code> or other) to do this kind of thing in a unified manner.</p>

<p>I was looking at how Craft does the Matrix "preview" for collapsed rows, but I think that's just all JS.</p>

<plugin-development><matrix><fieldtypes><string>
Is there a prescribed way to to represent complex field types as strings?
# Is there a prescribed way to to represent complex field types as strings?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-10-24)

I've found the need lately for a way to represent complex fieldtypes like Matrix, Entries, etc as strings. e.g. in the following plugins:

* <https://github.com/boboldehampsink/auditlog>
* <https://github.com/boboldehampsink/export>

Currently, it seems like you have to more or less account for every fieldtype and do some special processing.

I'm wondering if there is a method that every fieldtype can use (`__toString` or other) to do this kind of thing in a unified manner.

I was looking at how Craft does the Matrix "preview" for collapsed rows, but I think that's just all JS.

**Tags:** plugin-development, matrix, fieldtypes, string

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-10-28. Score: 0 | Accepted answer

There isn’t, and yeah, the collapsed Matrix block preview text is just created with some Javascript that checks the fields and their inputs within each block.


---

