What is the purpose of DISPLAY NAME vs DESCRIPTION?

[elco]

I would have thought that display name would have been like help text you see if you hover over some field or like placeholder text when you don’t have a value in field. But it replaces the Headering text.

The order of precedence seems to be:

1. NAME (which can be different than column header in the sheet)
2. DESCRIPTION
3. DISPLAY NAME

But they all replace the same “place” so why do we need 3?

[scott_robinson]

I think that description shows up on Forms and Display Name shows on Tables ?

[Steve]

How to change text above button in view Questions

In a form, the text above an input field comes from the first of these sources that has a value: The column’s Description property. The column’s Display name property. The column’s name itself. [image]

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The column’s Description, if not blank, is displayed–instead of the column’s Display name or the column name itself–above the column input field in a form view. A form view is the only location the Description value is ever displayed. See also:

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Ah, the reason @Aleksi succeeded where you did not is that he used the Description property where you used Display Name. The Description property is intended for longer, possibly multi-line text (like yours), whereas Display Name is for a shorter single line of text.

[kiptoo]

Replacing the column Name and/or Display Name with the description value seems counterproductive to me. In the forms, the description should be displayed *along* with either the Name or Display name to help the user understand what the input field is about... 

[Solveregroup]

I have to agree, all other services i have come in contact with works like that (sharepoint for one)
Right now this is seldom useful. 
I would love to see that description is changed like you say kiptoo

[ryleymcc]

Agreed. I would like to add a info button beside the forum question which show the description.

[AleksiAlkio]

When you use the description field, you have the "power" to show what ever you need. If you need to show the normal value, just add it as well. Something like..
"DATE - please use date in the past".