Displaying the profile name instead of a username
When content is created on a site, it is usually attributed to the user who created it. This is in the form of a link which highlights the username and links it to the author's profile page. However, quite frequently, the username tends to be cryptic or even unprofessional and the need arises for a custom field where the user can enter his own name without the restrictions of a Drupal username.
Custom user fields are usually handled using the profile module. This recipe will detail the steps needed to replace the username with this custom name all across the site.
Getting ready
Ensure that the Profile, Devel, and Theme developer modules are all installed and enabled. We will also be using the myzen theme created in the previous chapter, as our example theme in this recipe.
How to do it...
First up, let's create a profile field named Real name to store the user's actual name as opposed to a username.
With the profile module enabled, visit
admin...