openedx / openedx/XBlock

Why does XBlock define a `name` field?

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Dominant language
Python
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470
Forks
231
Avg merge
1d 1h
Merged PRs (30d)
6

Description

Ever since the early days, the XBlock base class has defined a name field:

https://github.com/openedx/XBlock/blob/9d9c1c953b5fca658b806c058bbfaa88b72b9e8a/xblock/core.py#L683

This is different than the display_name field which edx-platform expects.

Is this used anywhere? Can we delete it?

Related... can we elevate display_name up to the XBlock base class without breaking backwards compatibility?

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start in xblock/core.py around line 683 and trace references to the name and display_name fields, including the edx-platform expectation noted in the issue. Search the repository for both fields and review any compatibility implications. Done means documenting their usage and establishing whether removal or promotion can proceed without breaking existing XBlocks.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
python
Domain
backend
Issue type
Refactor
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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