[Resolved] Conversion of fields

[Author]

Posts

[andrewB-7]

Hi there,

Is it possible to convert an existing Types custom WYSIWYG fields into a multiline text field, without losing all of the content in previously submitted posts?

We want to stop people having front end formatting abilities.

Many thanks for your time,
Andrew.

[Nigel]

Hi Andrew

If you simply delete the custom field from Toolset > Post Fields while editing the post field group it will remove the custom field without removing the existing data.

However, you won't be able to re-use the same slug for the new field, so the data will effectively be hidden.

On the page Toolset > Post Fields you should note at the bottom there is a button "Post Field Control".

That gives you the option to delete a field which enables you to re-use the slug, but it deletes all the post meta, too.

There is an option to stop using Types to manage a custom field which won't delete the data, but that still won't let you use the same slug.

This is a roundabout way of my saying it's not possible.

The only way you could get this to work would be to stop managing the field with Types, run a script to rename the key of the field in question in wp_postmeta so that the same slug became available when you make a new field of the required type, and then run another script to rename the key back to its original value.

However, I can't recommend that because there may be problems with the content. A WYSIWYG field allows HTML elements that a multiline field does not, for example.

[andrewB-7]

Thanks Nigel, I really appreciate the thorough response.

Very best wishes,
Andrew.