From 1410180aed188cc2b20530b7cd354cc9760198e4 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: Kristina Durivage <kristina.durivage@grafana.com>
Date: Sun, 28 Sep 2025 17:32:37 -0500
Subject: [PATCH] Do not populate new RefIDs every time, show other validation
 errors

---
 .../PanelDataTransformationsTab.tsx           |  9 +------
 .../TransformationOperationRowHeader.tsx      | 26 +++++++++++--------
 2 files changed, 16 insertions(+), 19 deletions(-)

diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/panel-edit/PanelDataPane/PanelDataTransformationsTab.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/panel-edit/PanelDataPane/PanelDataTransformationsTab.tsx
index f60b0d15442..27f434da0a9 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/panel-edit/PanelDataPane/PanelDataTransformationsTab.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard-scene/panel-edit/PanelDataPane/PanelDataTransformationsTab.tsx
@@ -2,14 +2,7 @@ import { css } from '@emotion/css';
 import { DragDropContext, DropResult, Droppable } from '@hello-pangea/dnd';
 import { useState } from 'react';
 
-import {
-  DataTransformerConfig,
-  getTransformationLegacyRefId,
-  getNextRefId,
-  GrafanaTheme2,
-  PanelData,
-  refIDDependentIDs,
-} from '@grafana/data';
+import { DataTransformerConfig, GrafanaTheme2, PanelData } from '@grafana/data';
 import { selectors } from '@grafana/e2e-selectors';
 import { Trans, t } from '@grafana/i18n';
 import {
diff --git a/public/app/features/dashboard/components/TransformationsEditor/TransformationOperationRowHeader.tsx b/public/app/features/dashboard/components/TransformationsEditor/TransformationOperationRowHeader.tsx
index 70ec7f7b374..c6fc3b82e18 100644
--- a/public/app/features/dashboard/components/TransformationsEditor/TransformationOperationRowHeader.tsx
+++ b/public/app/features/dashboard/components/TransformationsEditor/TransformationOperationRowHeader.tsx
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { useToggle } from 'react-use';
 
 import { GrafanaTheme2, DataTransformerConfig } from '@grafana/data';
 import { t } from '@grafana/i18n';
-import { Icon, Input, useStyles2 } from '@grafana/ui';
+import { FieldValidationMessage, Icon, Input, useStyles2 } from '@grafana/ui';
 
 export interface Props {
   index: number;
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export const TransformationOperationRowHeader = (props: Props) => {
 
   const styles = useStyles2(getStyles);
   const [isRefIdEditing, toggleIsRefIdEditing] = useToggle(false);
-  const [isEdited, setIsEdited] = useState(false);
+  const [isStaticRefId, setIsStaticRefId] = useState(transformation.refId !== undefined);
   const [validationError, setValidationError] = useState<string | null>(null);
 
   const onEndEditRefId = (newRefId: string) => {
@@ -35,24 +35,27 @@ export const TransformationOperationRowHeader = (props: Props) => {
     }
 
     if (transformation.refId !== trimmedNewRefId && trimmedNewRefId !== '') {
-      setIsEdited(true);
+      setIsStaticRefId(true);
       onChange(index, {
         ...transformation,
         refId: trimmedNewRefId,
       });
-    } else {
-      setIsEdited(false);
+    } else if (trimmedNewRefId === '') {
+      // if it was previously custom and is now empty, it is being cleared out and we want to save it as undefined
+      if (isStaticRefId) {
+        onChange(index, {
+          ...transformation,
+          refId: undefined,
+        });
+      }
+      // either way, if it is empty, we want it to display as not static
+      setIsStaticRefId(false);
     }
   };
 
   const onInputChange = (event: React.SyntheticEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
     const newRefId = event.currentTarget.value.trim();
 
-    if (newRefId.length === 0) {
-      setValidationError('An empty refId is not allowed');
-      return;
-    }
-
     for (const otherTransformation of transformations) {
       if (otherTransformation !== transformation && newRefId === otherTransformation.refId) {
         setValidationError('Transformation name already exists');
@@ -92,7 +95,7 @@ export const TransformationOperationRowHeader = (props: Props) => {
           data-testid="query-name-div"
           type="button"
         >
-          <span className={cx(styles.refIdStyle, !isEdited && styles.placeholderText)}>
+          <span className={cx(styles.refIdStyle, !isStaticRefId && styles.placeholderText)}>
             {transformation.refId ||
               t(
                 'dashboard.transformation-operation-row.transformation-editor-row-header.edit-refId-placeholder',
@@ -117,6 +120,7 @@ export const TransformationOperationRowHeader = (props: Props) => {
             className={styles.refIdInput}
             data-testid="transformation-refid-input"
           />
+          {validationError && <FieldValidationMessage horizontal>{validationError}</FieldValidationMessage>}
         </>
       )}
       <div>