Description
Applies an alias function to a field value, returning the transformed output. Alias functions are AA's field transformation pipeline — they format, filter, or convert field values before display.
Syntax: {alias:field_id:alias_function:parameters}
The field_id is a dot-padded 16-character field identifier (e.g. publish_date....). The alias_function is one of AA's built-in alias functions (f_d for date formatting, f_c for conditional output, f_h for HTML, etc.). Additional parameters depend on the alias function used.
Common alias functions:
- f_d — format a date/timestamp: {alias:publish_date....:f_d:j.n.Y}
- f_c — conditional output (show text only if field is set): {alias:field_id:f_c:text}
- f_h — HTML-safe output (escapes HTML entities)
- f_t — trim whitespace
- f_s — URL-safe (seoname) transformation
Alias functions can be nested: {alias:switch.........1:f_c:text:{alias:publish_date....:f_d:j.n.Y}}
Note: In most modern AA usage, field aliases defined in the Slice Admin (alias1–alias3) are preferred over using {alias:} directly, as they centralize the transformation logic. Use {alias:} when dynamic or inline alias application is needed.
Implementation: part of AA's alias/field processing layer in stringexpand.php.
Status: Active — not deprecated.