1
2.. include:: ../../Includes.txt
3
4=========================================
5Breaking: #63846 - FormEngine refactoring
6=========================================
7
8See :issue:`63846`
9
10Description
11===========
12
13FormEngine is the core code structure that renders a record view in the backend. Basically everything
14that is displayed if elements from page or list module are edited is done by this code.
15
16The main implementation was done thirteen years ago and was never touched on a deep code structure level
17until now. The according patches were huge and move the whole code to a new level. Stuff like that can
18not be done without impact on extensions that use this code.
19
20
21Impact
22======
23
24TCA changes
25-----------
26
27* Keys `_PADDING`, `_VALIGN` and `DISTANCE` of `TCA['aTable']['columns']['aField']['config']['wizards']`
28  have been removed and have no effect anymore.
29
30* Key `TCA['aTable']['ctrl']['mainPalette']` has been dropped and has no effect anymore.
31
32TSconfig changes
33----------------
34
35* Key `mod.web_layout.tt_content.fieldOrder` has been dropped and has no effect anymore.
36
37* Key `TCEFORM.aTable.aField.linkTitleToSelf` has been dropped and has no effect anymore.
38
39
40Code level
41----------
42
43Methods and properties from FormEngine are not available anymore. Classes like `InlineElement` are gone.
44New structures like a factory for elements and container have been introduced.
45While not too many extensions in the wild hook or code with FormEngine, those that do will probably throw
46fatal errors after upgrade. The hook `getSingleFieldClass` has been removed altogether.
47
48Changed user functions and hooks
49--------------------------------
50
51* TCA: If format of type `none` is set to `user`, the configured userFunc no longer gets an instance of `FormEngine`
52  as parent object, but an instance of `NoneElement`.
53
54* TCA: Wizards configured as `userFunc` now receive a dummy `FormEngine` object with empty properties instead
55  of the real instance.
56
57* Hooks no longer get the key `form_type`. Use `type` instead.
58
59* Hook `getSingleFieldClass` has been dropped and no longer called.
60
61Breaking interface changes
62--------------------------
63
64* The type hint to `FormEngine` as `$pObj` has been removed on the `DatabaseFileIconsHookInterface`.
65  This hook is no longer given an instance of `FormEngine`.
66
67* Method `init()` of `InlineElementHookInterface` has been removed. Classes that implement this interface will
68  no longer get `init()` called.
69
70
71Affected installations
72======================
73
74For most instances, the overall impact is rather low or they are not affected at all. Some very
75rarely used TCA and TSconfig options have been dropped, those will do no harm. Instances are usually only affected
76if loaded extensions do fancy stuff with FormEngine with hooks or other related code.
77
78TYPO3 CMS 7 installations with extensions using or hooking into FormEngine and its related classes are
79likely to break. TCA elements of type user may break. Instances using these parts will quickly show
80fatal errors at testing. It may help to search for `FormEngine` or `t3lib_tceForms` below the `typo3conf/ext`
81directory to find affected instances.
82
83
84Migration
85=========
86
87Adapt the extension code. The majority of methods were for internal core usage only, but still public. Please
88use the existing API to solve needs on FormEngine.
89
90
91.. index:: PHP-API, Backend, TSConfig, TCA
92