Create Custom Content Elements

This page explains how to create your own custom content element types, in addition to the content elements already supplied by TYPO3. You can find more code examples in the system extension fluid_styled_content.

A content element can be based on fields already available in the tt_content table.

It is also possible to add extra fields that can be added to the tt_content table. Adding fields is done by extending the TCA.

Depending on the data in the tt_content table, the data can be passed to the cobj-fluidtemplate. Some data might need additional processing by data processor e.g. to resolve file relations. The content elements in the extension fluid_styled_content are using both methods. A data processor can be used to convert a string to an array, like done for the table content element with the field bodytext, or to fetch a related record, e.g. a FAL file. In these cases Fluid does not have to deal with these manipulations or transformation.

Prerequisites

Some of the following steps (specifically the ones using lib.contentElement) require the system extension fluid_styled_content. If you do not use fluid_styled_content, you must create and initialize the lib.contentElement TypoScript object yourself.

Use an Extension

We recommend to create your own extension for adding content elements. The following example uses the extension key your_extension_key.

If you have plans to publish your extension, follow Registering an extension key.

1. Register the Content Element

First add the new content element to New Content Element Wizard and define its CType in PageTSconfig.

The example content element is called yourextensionkey_newcontentelement:

ちなみに

This is handled in more detail in Add Elements to the Content Element Wizard.

mod.wizards.newContentElement.wizardItems.common {
    elements {
        yourextensionkey_newcontentelement {
            iconIdentifier = your-icon-identifier
            title = LLL:EXT:your_extension_key/Resources/Private/Language/Tca.xlf:yourextensionkey_newcontentelement.wizard.title
            description = LLL:EXT:your_extension_key/Resources/Private/Language/Tca.xlf:yourextensionkey_newcontentelement.wizard.description
            tt_content_defValues {
                CType = yourextensionkey_newcontentelement
            }
        }
    }
    show := addToList(yourextensionkey_newcontentelement)
}

You need to register the icon identifier with the icon API in your ext_localconf.php.

In order to allow to select the type of content element, it has to be added to the Type dropdown. This is done in the file Configuration/TCA/Overrides/tt_content.php.

// Adds the content element to the "Type" dropdown
\TYPO3\CMS\Core\Utility\ExtensionManagementUtility::addTcaSelectItem(
   'tt_content',
   'CType',
    [
        'LLL:EXT:your_extension_key/Resources/Private/Language/Tca.xlf:yourextensionkey_newcontentelement',
        'yourextensionkey_newcontentelement',
        'your-icon-identifier',
    ],
    'textmedia',
    'after'
);

2. Configure Fields

Then you need to configure the backend fields for your new content element in the file Configuration/TCA/Overrides/tt_content.php:

// Configure the default backend fields for the content element
$GLOBALS['TCA']['tt_content']['types']['yourextensionkey_newcontentelement'] = [
    'showitem' => '
        --div--;LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/Form/locallang_tabs.xlf:general,
            --palette--;;general,
            --palette--;;headers,
            bodytext;LLL:EXT:frontend/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_ttc.xlf:bodytext_formlabel,
        --div--;LLL:EXT:frontend/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_ttc.xlf:tabs.appearance,
            --palette--;;frames,
            --palette--;;appearanceLinks,
        --div--;LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/Form/locallang_tabs.xlf:language,
            --palette--;;language,
        --div--;LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/Form/locallang_tabs.xlf:access,
            --palette--;;hidden,
            --palette--;;access,
        --div--;LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/Form/locallang_tabs.xlf:categories,
            categories,
        --div--;LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/Form/locallang_tabs.xlf:notes,
            rowDescription,
        --div--;LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/Form/locallang_tabs.xlf:extended,
    ',
    'columnsOverrides' => [
        'bodytext' => [
            'config' => [
                'enableRichtext' => true,
                'richtextConfiguration' => 'default',
            ],
        ],
    ],
];

3. Configure the Frontend Template

TypoScript configuration is needed as well. Therefore add an entry in the static template list found in sys_templates. This should be done within Configuration/TCA/Overrides/sys_template.php:

// Add an entry in the static template list found in sys_templates for static TS
\TYPO3\CMS\Core\Utility\ExtensionManagementUtility::addStaticFile(
    'your_extension_key',
    'Configuration/TypoScript',
    'Your description'
);

This API call will register the file Configuration/TypoScript/setup.typoscript to be loaded as static TypoScript. The definitions inside this file will be effective when the file is loaded.

As Fluid templates, partials and layouts will be shipped in the custom extension, paths for them need to be added to the file. Therefore adjust the properties:

  • t3tsref:cobj-fluidtemplate-properties-templaterootpaths,
  • t3tsref:cobj-fluidtemplate-properties-partialrootpaths
  • t3tsref:cobj-fluidtemplate-properties-layoutrootpaths
lib.contentElement {
    templateRootPaths.200 = EXT:your_extension_key/Resources/Private/Templates/
    partialRootPaths.200 = EXT:your_extension_key/Resources/Private/Partials/
    layoutRootPaths.200 = EXT:your_extension_key/Resources/Private/Layout/

}

ノート

The :lib.contentElement path is defined in EXT:fluid_styled_content/Configuration/TypoScript/Helper/ContentElement.typoscript.

You can use any index (200 in this example), just make sure it is unique. The paths only need to be added if they exist and are used.

Now you can register the rendering of your custom content element using a t3tsref:cobj-fluidtemplate:

tt_content {
    yourextensionkey_newcontentelement =< lib.contentElement
    yourextensionkey_newcontentelement {
        templateName = NewContentElement
    }
}

In this example a cobj-fluidtemplate content object is created using a reference from lib.contentElement. The template is identified by the t3tsref:cobj-fluidtemplate-properties-templatename property as NewContentElement.

This will load a NewContentElement.html template file from the templateRootPaths.

For the final rendering you need a Fluid template.

This template will be located at the directory and file name entered in setup.typoscript using the parameter templateName.

tt_content fields can now be used in the Fluid template by accessing them via the data variable. The following example shows the text entered in the richtext enabled field bodytext, using the html saved by the richtext editor:

<div>{data.bodytext -> f:format.html()}</div>

4. Optional: Configure Custom Backend Preview

If you want to generate a special preview in the backend Web > Page module, you can use a hook for this:

// Register for hook to show preview of tt_content element of CType="yourextensionkey_newcontentelement" in page module
$GLOBALS['TYPO3_CONF_VARS']['SC_OPTIONS']['cms/layout/class.tx_cms_layout.php']['tt_content_drawItem']['yourextensionkey_newcontentelement'] =
   \Vendor\YourExtensionKey\Hooks\PageLayoutView\NewContentElementPreviewRenderer::class;

According to the used namespace, a new file Classes/Hooks/PageLayoutView/NewContentElementPreviewRenderer.php has to be created with the following content:

<?php
namespace Vendor\YourExtensionKey\Hooks\PageLayoutView;

/*
 * This file is part of the TYPO3 CMS project.
 *
 * It is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
 * the terms of the GNU General Public License, either version 2
 * of the License, or any later version.
 *
 * For the full copyright and license information, please read the
 * LICENSE.txt file that was distributed with this source code.
 *
 * The TYPO3 project - inspiring people to share!
 */

use TYPO3\CMS\Backend\View\PageLayoutView;
use TYPO3\CMS\Backend\View\PageLayoutViewDrawItemHookInterface;

/**
 * Contains a preview rendering for the page module of CType="yourextensionkey_newcontentelement"
 */
class NewContentElementPreviewRenderer implements PageLayoutViewDrawItemHookInterface
{

    /**
     * Preprocesses the preview rendering of a content element of type "My new content element"
     *
     * @param \TYPO3\CMS\Backend\View\PageLayoutView $parentObject Calling parent object
     * @param bool $drawItem Whether to draw the item using the default functionality
     * @param string $headerContent Header content
     * @param string $itemContent Item content
     * @param array $row Record row of tt_content
     *
     * @return void
     */
    public function preProcess(
        PageLayoutView &$parentObject,
        &$drawItem,
        &$headerContent,
        &$itemContent,
        array &$row
    ) {
        if ($row['CType'] === 'yourextensionkey_newcontentelement') {
            $itemContent .= '<p>We can change our preview here!</p>';

            $drawItem = false;
        }
    }
}

5. Optional: Extend tt_content

6. Optional: Use Data Processors

Data processors can be used for some data manipulation or other actions you would like to perform before passing everything to the view.

This is done in the dataProcessing section where you can add an arbitrary number of data processors.

Each one has to be added with a fully qualified class name (FQCN) and optional parameters to be used in the data processor:

tt_content {
    yourextensionkey_newcontentelement =< lib.contentElement
    yourextensionkey_newcontentelement {
        templateName = NewContentElement
        dataProcessing {
            1 = Vendor\YourExtensionKey\DataProcessing\NewContentElementProcessor
            1 {
                exampleOptionName = exampleOptionValue
            }
        }
    }
}

In the example setup.typoscript above, the data processor is located in the directory Classes/DataProcessing/. The file NewContentElementProcessor.php could look like this:

<?php
declare(strict_types = 1);
namespace Vendor\YourExtensionKey\DataProcessing;

/*
 * This file is part of the TYPO3 CMS project.
 *
 * It is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
 * the terms of the GNU General Public License, either version 2
 * of the License, or any later version.
 *
 * For the full copyright and license information, please read the
 * LICENSE.txt file that was distributed with this source code.
 *
 * The TYPO3 project - inspiring people to share!
 */

use TYPO3\CMS\Frontend\ContentObject\ContentObjectRenderer;
use TYPO3\CMS\Frontend\ContentObject\DataProcessorInterface;

/**
 * Class for data processing for the content element "My new content element"
 */
class NewContentElementProcessor implements DataProcessorInterface
{

    /**
     * Process data for the content element "My new content element"
     *
     * @param ContentObjectRenderer $cObj The data of the content element or page
     * @param array $contentObjectConfiguration The configuration of Content Object
     * @param array $processorConfiguration The configuration of this processor
     * @param array $processedData Key/value store of processed data (e.g. to be passed to a Fluid View)
     * @return array the processed data as key/value store
     */
    public function process(
        ContentObjectRenderer $cObj,
        array $contentObjectConfiguration,
        array $processorConfiguration,
        array $processedData
    ) {
        $processedData['variableName'] = 'This variable will be passed to Fluid';

        return $processedData;
    }
}

To use the variable variableName defined in ConfigureCE-Data-Processor as h1 headline, you can use the following markup:

<h1>{variableName}</h1>