@wpfanboy I have thought about this and what happens currently is by design. The reason is that BuddyPress itself sets the display_name when people update their BP name field. It also tries to set the WP first_name and last_name fields. So, it seems to me that there is some confusion in the BP implementation.
I guess this comes down to use-cases. What I mean is that when someone registers on a BP-enabled site, they don’t, by default, have the option to distinguish between their user name and their display name. Do you consider the BP name field to be the equivalent of WP’s display_name? An what about sites where the desired behaviour is for the user’s real name to be displayed?
I’m happy to offer different implementations for different use-cases. Perhaps you can help me think this through?
Cheers, Christian
Christian, thanks for the open response. I’ll try to explain what I have in mind for my site.
We don’t have an open community with BP, but members would be added by an admin as WP users. However, users should then be able to edit their (BP) profile. I would like to add more fields, so I could have the members directory online as BP profiles.
So, I need first name, last name, but would also like to offer users the ability to set the name to be used in their comments and forum articels – the display name. So, that way, yes, I would consider the BP name as the WP display name.
Does this make sense to you?
Best regards,
Thomas
I understand what you’re after, but that sounds to me like a different plugin. This plugin is intended to enforce the use of real first and last names throughout the BP network.
What you want, it seems, is a plugin that prevents BuddyPress from syncing the name field to the WordPress first_name and last_name fields, but retains its sync to the WP display_name field – whilst ensuring that the XProfile first_name and last_name fields do sync to WP’s first_name and last_name fields.
So, there are two options: either a different plugin for your use case (along with clearer documentation of this plugin’s usage) or some admin options in this plugin that try and tease out the use case that’s desired.
My inclination would be for a separate plugin. Admin options aren’t hard to write, but they can be hard to find. Much easier to enable a plugin and simply have it do what it does.
A separate plugin would be fine with as well. I just don’t understand why there are WP and BP profiles anyway.
Ok, if I get a project through that requires such a thing, I’ll publish it.
