# Adding assets to a log, 2.x **URL:** \ **Category:** Using farmOS\ **Tags:** feature-request\ **Created:** [March 21, 2022, 5:50pm UTC](https://farmos.discourse.group/t/adding-assets-to-a-log-2-x/1182 "2022-03-21T17:50:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BOTLFarm](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/farmos.discourse.group/botlfarm/32/74_2.png) [@BOTLFarm](https://farmos.discourse.group/u/BOTLFarm)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 5:50pm UTC](https://farmos.discourse.group/t/adding-assets-to-a-log-2-x/1182/1 "2022-03-21T17:50:28Z")
I’m getting a bit more into 2.x and noticing a consistency issue with how assets are added to logs. For example adding a birth log. The `mother` asset is added with just a search box. There is no way to filter or see a list of all possible assets to add. It just shows a list as you start typing of potential options to select. Directly under that the `children` asset brings up a popup with filtering abilities and displays a list to select from. I do like the speed at which just the simple search bar adds if I know the asset name, but with a large list of assets I don’t find this always helpful and am often finding myself opening another window to search for the proper name of the asset I’m looking for, then going back to the log to enter the correct asset name. Were these design choices to selecting assets differently though farmOS? Additionally I’m having issues with the simple search box not working on mobile. I’m using chrome on android and using the same example above, when selecting a `mother` for a birth log I start typing and I don’t get a suggested list like I do on desktop. I have to know the exact asset name and type it out or I get an error when submitting the log. Thoughts on if this is working as intended, or this is a bug? ---
**Author:** ![BOTLFarm](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/farmos.discourse.group/botlfarm/32/74_2.png) [@BOTLFarm](https://farmos.discourse.group/u/BOTLFarm)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2022, 7:38pm UTC](https://farmos.discourse.group/t/adding-assets-to-a-log-2-x/1182/2 "2022-03-21T19:38:37Z")
On that same note when selecting an asset where you get the full popup to filter, the filter options in 1.x used to include location and group filtering. This really helped to narrow down what asset I was looking for. ---
**Author:** ![mstenta](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/farmos.discourse.group/mstenta/32/4_2.png) [@mstenta](https://farmos.discourse.group/u/mstenta)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2022, 11:12pm UTC](https://farmos.discourse.group/t/adding-assets-to-a-log-2-x/1182/3 "2022-03-22T23:12:27Z")
> The `mother` asset is added with just a search box. > Directly under that the `children` asset brings up a popup with filtering abilities and displays a list to select from. > Were these design choices to selecting assets differently though farmOS? Good question @BOTLFarm - it was more of a “default” design choice than an “intentional” one - and certainly one we can iterate on! Jotting down some related history/considerations… The `mother` field is added to `birth` logs here: [https://github.com/farmOS/farmOS/blob/8a562d673e59e8fd405bc2bcc40a257e649ff4d5/modules/log/birth/src/Plugin/Log/LogType/Birth.php#L34](https://github.com/farmOS/farmOS/blob/8a562d673e59e8fd405bc2bcc40a257e649ff4d5/modules/log/birth/src/Plugin/Log/LogType/Birth.php#L34) It uses the `FarmFieldFactory` class/service to build an `entity_reference` field definition. This service sketches up some default configuration for the field definition, based on the type. For `entity_reference` fields, the default “widget” (form element) is `entity_autocomplete` which is the “search box” you’re referring to. Here is where that happens: [https://github.com/farmOS/farmOS/blob/8a562d673e59e8fd405bc2bcc40a257e649ff4d5/modules/core/field/src/FarmFieldFactory.php#L279](https://github.com/farmOS/farmOS/blob/8a562d673e59e8fd405bc2bcc40a257e649ff4d5/modules/core/field/src/FarmFieldFactory.php#L279) So in other words: by default, entity reference fields are rendered as autocomplete search fields. As for the “Children” field on `birth` logs… this is _actually_ the same `asset` entity reference field as all other log types - we just change the label of it from “Assets” to “Children” on Birth logs (idea being: _birth_ is what’s happening to the children). This `asset` field is added to _all_ log types (as a base field) here: [https://github.com/farmOS/farmOS/blob/8a562d673e59e8fd405bc2bcc40a257e649ff4d5/modules/core/log/modules/asset/farm\_log\_asset.module#L32](https://github.com/farmOS/farmOS/blob/8a562d673e59e8fd405bc2bcc40a257e649ff4d5/modules/core/log/modules/asset/farm_log_asset.module#L32) And by the same logic, by default, _that_ field would have the same autocomplete search widget. But… we override it to use the “Entity Browser” widget here: [https://github.com/farmOS/farmOS/blob/8a562d673e59e8fd405bc2bcc40a257e649ff4d5/modules/core/ui/views/farm\_ui\_views.module#L185](https://github.com/farmOS/farmOS/blob/8a562d673e59e8fd405bc2bcc40a257e649ff4d5/modules/core/ui/views/farm_ui_views.module#L185) The reason that happens in the `farm_ui_views` module is, well, because `farm_ui_views` is the module that provides the `farm_asset` View, which is what we see in the Entity Browser. So… loooong story short… we could probably make _all_ `entity_reference` fields (including “Mother” on Birth logs) use the Entity Browser by default, instead of the autocomplete search widget. Or… make it an option that modules can decide between, via `FarmFieldFactory`. If we made Entity Browser the default, we would want to review all the fields that would be affected by that (probably in both farmOS core and known contrib modules) to see if that would adversely affect any of them. One that comes to mind: the “Location” reference field on Logs (for referencing location Assets) currently displays as an autocomplete search. Should that also change to Entity Browser? ---
**Author:** ![mstenta](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/farmos.discourse.group/mstenta/32/4_2.png) [@mstenta](https://farmos.discourse.group/u/mstenta)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2022, 11:16pm UTC](https://farmos.discourse.group/t/adding-assets-to-a-log-2-x/1182/4 "2022-03-22T23:16:04Z")
> [@BOTLFarm](#): > > the filter options in 1.x used to include location and group filtering. This is something we should open feature requests for in the drupal.org/project/farm issue queue. (Side-note: maybe we need a “v1 parity” tag for drupal.org/project/farm issues to highlight them.) ---
**Author:** ![BOTLFarm](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/farmos.discourse.group/botlfarm/32/74_2.png) [@BOTLFarm](https://farmos.discourse.group/u/BOTLFarm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2022, 3:46pm UTC](https://farmos.discourse.group/t/adding-assets-to-a-log-2-x/1182/5 "2022-03-24T15:46:16Z")
> [@mstenta](#): > > One that comes to mind: the “Location” reference field on Logs (for referencing location Assets) currently displays as an autocomplete search. Should that also change to Entity Browser? I think the Entity Browser is the more thorough way of finding all assets weather it is land, animal, plant, sensor, etc. However it is an additional 3 mouse clicks for someone who knows the asset name off the bat, so I see the downside to switching all the autocomplete fields to Entity Browsers. This is just potentially extra work every time someone creates a log. Maybe there is a hydride version that starts with auto complete, but if you don’t know what your looking for you can open the Entity Browser? > [@mstenta](#): > > This is something we should open feature requests for in the [Client Challenge](http://drupal.org/project/farm) issue queue Would you like me to open this issue? ---
**Author:** ![mstenta](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/farmos.discourse.group/mstenta/32/4_2.png) [@mstenta](https://farmos.discourse.group/u/mstenta)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2022, 4:00pm UTC](https://farmos.discourse.group/t/adding-assets-to-a-log-2-x/1182/6 "2022-03-24T16:00:30Z")
> [@BOTLFarm](#): > > Maybe there is a hydride version that starts with auto complete, but if you don’t know what your looking for you can open the Entity Browser? This is something I’ve wanted to see (as a general Drupal module) for a long time! A “widget switcher”! Basically: allow a default widget to be configured as the first choice, but allow a user to swap it out for another if they wanted to. That would be the best of all worlds I think! And it would make a great general-purpose Drupal contrib module - wouldn’t need to be farmOS specific! > Would you like me to open this issue? If you have a chance, please do! Thanks @BOTLFarm!