allow switching schema field names when renaming fields

daos/record.go

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase/models"
 	"github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase/models/schema"
 	"github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase/tools/list"
+	"github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase/tools/security"
 	"github.com/pocketbase/pocketbase/tools/types"
 )
 
@@ -329,23 +330,44 @@ func (dao *Dao) SyncRecordTableSchema(newCollection *models.Collection, oldColle
 		}
 
 		// check for new or renamed columns
+		toRename := map[string]string{}
 		for _, field := range newSchema.Fields() {
 			oldField := oldSchema.GetFieldById(field.Id)
+			// Note:
+			// We are using a temporary column name when adding or renaming columns
+			// to ensure that there are no name collisions in case there is
+			// names switch/reuse of existing columns (eg. name, title -> title, name).
+			// This way we are always doing 1 more rename operation but it provides better dev experience.
+
 			if oldField == nil {
+				tempName := field.Name + security.RandomString(5)
+				toRename[tempName] = field.Name
+
 				// add
-				_, err := txDao.DB().AddColumn(newTableName, field.Name, field.ColDefinition()).Execute()
+				_, err := txDao.DB().AddColumn(newTableName, tempName, field.ColDefinition()).Execute()
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
 			} else if oldField.Name != field.Name {
+				tempName := field.Name + security.RandomString(5)
+				toRename[tempName] = field.Name
+
 				// rename
-				_, err := txDao.DB().RenameColumn(newTableName, oldField.Name, field.Name).Execute()
+				_, err := txDao.DB().RenameColumn(newTableName, oldField.Name, tempName).Execute()
 				if err != nil {
 					return err
 				}
 			}
 		}
 
+		// set the actual columns name
+		for tempName, actualName := range toRename {
+			_, err := txDao.DB().RenameColumn(newTableName, tempName, actualName).Execute()
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+
 		return nil
 	})
 }

forms/collection_upsert.go

@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ func (form *CollectionUpsert) Validate() error {
 			&form.Schema,
 			validation.By(form.ensureNoSystemFieldsChange),
 			validation.By(form.ensureNoFieldsTypeChange),
-			validation.By(form.ensureNoFieldsNameReuse),
 		),
 		validation.Field(&form.ListRule, validation.By(form.checkRule)),
 		validation.Field(&form.ViewRule, validation.By(form.checkRule)),
@@ -154,20 +153,6 @@ func (form *CollectionUpsert) ensureNoSystemFieldsChange(value any) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (form *CollectionUpsert) ensureNoFieldsNameReuse(value any) error {
-	v, _ := value.(schema.Schema)
-
-	for _, field := range v.Fields() {
-		oldField := form.collection.Schema.GetFieldByName(field.Name)
-
-		if oldField != nil && oldField.Id != field.Id {
-			return validation.NewError("validation_field_old_field_exist", "Cannot use existing schema field names when renaming fields.")
-		}
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
-
 func (form *CollectionUpsert) checkRule(value any) error {
 	v, _ := value.(*string)
 

forms/collection_upsert_test.go

@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ func TestCollectionUpsertSubmit(t *testing.T) {
 			}`,
 			[]string{"schema"},
 		},
-		// update failure - rename fields to existing field names (aka. reusing field names)
+		// update success - rename fields to existing field names (aka. reusing field names)
 		{
 			"test_new",
 			`{
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ func TestCollectionUpsertSubmit(t *testing.T) {
 					{"id":"b123456","name":"test1","type":"email"}
 				]
 			}`,
-			[]string{"schema"},
+			[]string{},
 		},
 		// update failure - existing name
 		{