# Concatenate two fields for display only purposes **URL:** \ **Category:** Ask for Help\ **Tags:** layout\ **Created:** [March 5, 2024, 8:42pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/concatenate-two-fields-for-display-only-purposes/71438 "2024-03-05T20:42:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tglider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b3f665/32.png) [@tglider](https://community.glideapps.com/u/tglider)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 8:42pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/concatenate-two-fields-for-display-only-purposes/71438/1 "2024-03-05T20:42:57Z")
I have been using GlideApps for a while now and consider myself an advanced user. I find it fustrating to have to create a new column all the time for display purposes. For example, if there are two fields, “total” and the value is “10” and “company” and the value is “xyz”, and i want to display in the layout the following “The total for company XYZ is 10” i am forced to use a template column and merge everything into a new field simply to display it in layout. If this were javascript or something code related I would be able to quickly concatenate variables on the display layer without have to add new columns in the database. Anyone know of a work around? I wish we could just use + sign in the text fields and concatenate fields quickly on the fly for display only purposes. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Gabriele](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/joe_gabriele/32/57595_2.png) [@Joe\_Gabriele](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Joe_Gabriele)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 9:00pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/concatenate-two-fields-for-display-only-purposes/71438/2 "2024-03-05T21:00:29Z")
Just curious, why is using a template column so much more work than writing code, esp on a no code platform? ---
**Author:** ![tglider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b3f665/32.png) [@tglider](https://community.glideapps.com/u/tglider)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 9:27pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/concatenate-two-fields-for-display-only-purposes/71438/3 "2024-03-05T21:27:57Z")
Fair question, but looking to optimize and keep things simple. Instead I am doing the following: 1. complicating my tables by moving presentation layer into the database 2. duplicating columns across multiple tables or building new relationships and doing new lookups simply for formatting purposes 3. spending extra time when making edits or changes locate the code, then locate the columns, then make template edits, then go back to the layout and verify if it looks ok. I think i could go on but this was enough for me to ask the community if they know something i perhaps don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Gabriele](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/joe_gabriele/32/57595_2.png) [@Joe\_Gabriele](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Joe_Gabriele)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 9:46pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/concatenate-two-fields-for-display-only-purposes/71438/4 "2024-03-05T21:46:29Z")
Unfortunately I do not, I only use Templates or some of the experimental columns. For example Pluralize Text is easier than creating a template. There is a Javascript column, have you tried playing around with that? Ofc its another column though… ---
**Author:** ![gvalero](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/gvalero/32/1037_2.png) [@gvalero](https://community.glideapps.com/u/gvalero)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 9:54pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/concatenate-two-fields-for-display-only-purposes/71438/5 "2024-03-05T21:54:36Z")
> [@tglider](#): > > Anyone know of a work around? I wish we could just use + sign in the text fields and concatenate fields quickly on the fly for display only purposes. I agree 100% I have worked with software with similar functions and this saves a lot of time in development and avoids loading more data. Something like this would be great: ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/a/e/aea7a0f474bcb287f8994767ba806bace0f24eed.png) The equals sign (=) at the beginning of the line will indicate that we are going to use dynamic values from already created columns. Saludos! ---
**Author:** ![tglider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b3f665/32.png) [@tglider](https://community.glideapps.com/u/tglider)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2024, 9:58pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/concatenate-two-fields-for-display-only-purposes/71438/6 "2024-03-05T21:58:37Z")
Exactly what i was thinking. Gvalero, putting you in charge of product at Glideapps 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![gvalero](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/gvalero/32/1037_2.png) [@gvalero](https://community.glideapps.com/u/gvalero)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 11:10am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/concatenate-two-fields-for-display-only-purposes/71438/7 "2024-08-08T11:10:12Z")
Good news, Now we can create this using the improved Text component, there is no need to build unnecessary template columns to show an info that uses several columns at the same time. Further info about **Inline Templates for Text Component** here: [Text | Glide Docs](https://www.glideapps.com/docs/text-component) @NoCodeAndy the missing detail to be perfect might be the ability to create/use basic math operations on some mentioning numeric columns in the text box (my original idea shown above). Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![NoCodeAndy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/nocodeandy/32/62530_2.png) [@NoCodeAndy](https://community.glideapps.com/u/NoCodeAndy)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2024, 7:27pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/concatenate-two-fields-for-display-only-purposes/71438/8 "2024-09-05T19:27:06Z")
> [@gvalero](#): > > the missing detail to be perfect might be the ability to create/use basic math operations on some mentioning numeric columns in the text box (my original idea shown above). I’ll note it for the product team. 🙂 Edit: Actually, @gvalero, you can create a new thread in #Feature Requests – that way others can vote and respond to the suggestion. 👍 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/system/32/53398_2.png) [@system](https://community.glideapps.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2024, 7:27pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/concatenate-two-fields-for-display-only-purposes/71438/9 "2024-09-12T19:27:19Z")
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