echo $recipient;

$r1 = get_user_by_username($recipient);

$r2 = $r1->getGUID();

echo $r2;

The second echo will write the guid.

oh.... I can't belive I missed that. Thank you

Yeah, sometimes it happens ;)

Also, is there something like get_user_by_username($recipient); but for display name?

I don't think so, you can do get_user_by_username($recipient)->name or $r1->name.

I enter a display name that is real it doesn't work

 if ($r1->name) {
    system_message(elgg_echo('displayname:exists'));
    }

Hmm.. I don't know, this should work if user have a name.

hmm... it is in an action and for some reason it is forwarding even though it doesn't say to forward anywhere.

it turns out that it was forwarding because there was no text on the action

this is my code

    $r1 = get_user_by_username($recipient);
    
        $ra1 = get_user_by_username($recipient)->name;
    
    if ($recipient->name) {
    echo "hi";
    }
    echo $recipient;
    ?>