Fieldwithuser

Fieldwithuser is a generic term used in software design to describe a data field that stores a reference to a user. It can be implemented as a foreign key to a users table in relational databases, or as a nested user object in document stores. The primary purpose is to record who created, owns, or is assigned to a given item. Common use cases include content items in a content management system, issues in an issue tracker, tasks in a project management tool, and records in a customer relationship management system.

In data modeling terms, a fieldwithuser typically stores a user identifier, such as a numeric ID or a unique username. Some implementations also store a small amount of denormalized user metadata (for example, the display name or avatar URL) to reduce the need for additional lookups. The field is often indexed to speed up querying by user and to support audit or activity-tracking features.

User interfaces for fieldwithuser commonly present a picker or autocomplete control that lets administrators select a user, with the option to view or edit the associated user details. In display contexts, the field may render as the user’s name, avatar, or profile link, depending on permissions and UI conventions.

Considerations for fieldwithuser include access control, privacy, and data integrity. Permissions should govern who can view or modify the user reference, and systems should avoid leaking sensitive user information through this field. Related concepts include created_by, updated_by, owner, assignee, and audit trails.

See also: User, Foreign key, Entity reference, Audit trail, Access control.