right parameter names to pre-populate the names fields?

This is probably a bit overkill... but here is a solution that will let you retrieve any piece of user meta without having to create tons of bulky functions.

Steps to Install

1. Paste the following code into your functions.php:
   (old method) http://pastie.org/1470060
   (updated for WP 3.3) http://pastie.org/3174147
2. Specify your dynamic population parameters on your name field like so: http://grab.by/8qjd
3. Done!

Now, if you'd like to get any other piece of user meta, all you need to know is the property it is stored in within the $current_user object. There are a lot, but here is a list of the common ones:

first_name
last_name
user_login
user_pass
user_nicename
user_email
user_url
user_registered
user_status
display_name
nickname
description
aim
yim
jabber

So to get any of these properties to auto-populate a field, just:

1. Add a new dynamic population parameter to the field you want to populate.
2. Add a new filter in your functions.php like this:
   add_filter('gform_field_value_user_lastname', create_function("", '$value = populate_usermeta(\'last_name\'); return $value;' ));
3. And lastly, update that line to reflect your new population parameter and the user meta property you want to populate the field with. In the example below, I want to get the user description.
   

   add_filter('gform_field_value_user_description', create_function("", '$value = populate_usermeta(\'description\'); return $value;' ));

Hope that makes sense!

I am new here so please bear with me. I modified my wp-includes\functions.php file as indicated above but received the following error when refreshing my website:

Fatal error: Call to undefined function add_filter() in /home/content/81/7305981/html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 4

I am using WP 3.04

Thanks in advance!

OK, I must be stupid. I am editing the correct functions.php file now in my atahualpa theme and have set the form fields to populate but nothing happens. I have read the instructions and edited the form a hundred times to make sure I'm doing it correctly, but I just can't get it to work. I even tried a different field (email) to see if it would work, but no dice. Here is the code I'm putting at the top of my functions.php file:

'<?php

// populate the field with "user_firstname" as the population parameter with the "first_name" of the current user
add_filter('gform_field_value_user_firstname', create_function("", '$value = populate_usermeta(\'first_name\'); return $value;' ));

// populate the field with "user_lastname" as the population parameter with the "last_name" of the current user
add_filter('gform_field_value_user_lastname', create_function("", '$value = populate_usermeta(\'last_name\'); return $value;' ));

// populate the field with "user_email" as the population parameter with the "user_email" of the current user
add_filter('gform_field_value_user_email', create_function("", '$value = populate_usermeta(\'user_email\'); return $value;' ));

// this function is called by both filters and returns the requested user meta of the current user
function populate_usermeta($meta_key){
global $current_user;
get_currentuserinfo();

foreach($current_user as $key => $value){
if($key == $meta_key)
return $value;
}

return '';
}

?>'

I'm also using Register Plus Redux if that makes a difference. It's a free plugin which allows you to add additional fields to the registration. BTW, I LOVE this plugin. It is making short work out of what I thought would be an impossible job.

Hello,

I too am using this method (I also use Register Plus Redux plugin) & it seems to work...nearly!

Additional fields (order_id / phone) created using Register Plus Redux are working fine - Gravity forms are dynamically populating the fields, but the "normal" Wordpress ones are not (first_name / last_name / user_url / user_email).

Would appreciate any assistance!

/* populate the field with "user_firstname" as the population parameter with the "first_name" of the current user */
add_filter('gform_field_value_user_firstname', create_function("", '$value = populate_usermeta(\'first_name\'); return $value;' ));

/* populate the field with "user_lastname" as the population parameter with the "last_name" of the current user */
add_filter('gform_field_value_user_lastname', create_function("", '$value = populate_usermeta(\'last_name\'); return $value;' ));

/* populate the field with "phone" as the population parameter with the "phone" of the current user */
add_filter('gform_field_value_phone', create_function("", '$value = populate_usermeta(\'phone\'); return $value;' ));

/* populate the field with "order_id" as the population parameter with the "order_id" of the current user */
add_filter('gform_field_value_order_id', create_function("", '$value = populate_usermeta(\'order_id\'); return $value;' ));

/* populate the field with "email" as the population parameter with the "user_email" of the current user */
add_filter('gform_field_value_email', create_function("", '$value = populate_usermeta(\'user_email\'); return $value;' ));

/* populate the field with "business_website" as the population parameter with the "user_url" of the current user */
add_filter('gform_field_value_business_website', create_function("", '$value = populate_usermeta(\'user_url\'); return $value;' ));

/* this function is called by both filters and returns the requested user meta of the current user */
function populate_usermeta($meta_key){
    global $current_user;
    get_currentuserinfo();

    foreach($current_user as $key => $value){
        if($key == $meta_key)
            return $value;
    }

    return '';
}

Hi David,

many thanks - I am a muppet! Reading your post & referring back to my code it all makes sense now (I was using "first_name")

Many Thanks!