Breaking: #78384 - Frontend ignores TCA in ext_tables.php 

See forge#78384

Description 

Frontend requests no longer load ext_tables.php in requests. The only exception is if a backend user is logged in to the backend at the same time to initialize the admin panel or frontend editing.

Impact 

Since especially a not yet cached frontend call relies on initialized $GLOBALS['TCA'] , changes to TCA done within ext_tables.php are now ignored and may fail.

Affected Installations 

Extensions that still set, add or remove settings in $GLOBALS['TCA'] need to be adapted. The install tool provides test "TCA ext_tables check" to find such extensions.

Migration 

In ext_tables.php neither writing directly to $GLOBALS['TCA'] and $TCA is allowed, nor writing indirectly via ExtensionManagementUtility methods. An example list of calls and their new positions:

  • $GLOBALS['TCA']['someTable'] = : A full table TCA is added. This must be moved to Configuration/TCA/someTable.php, see ext:sys_note as example.
  • ExtensionManagementUtility::addStaticFile(): A static file is registered in sys_template. Add this to Configuration/TCA/Overrides/sys_template.php, see ext:rtehtmlarea as example.
  • ExtensionManagementUtility::addTCAcolumns(): Columns are added to a table. Add this to Configuration/TCA/Overrides/<table>.php, see ext:felogin as example.
  • ExtensionManagementUtility::addToAllTCAtypes(): Fields are added to types. Add this to Configuration/TCA/Overrides/<table>.php, see ext:felogin as example.
  • ExtensionManagementUtility::addPiFlexFormValue(): A new flex from in tt_content is registered. Add this to Configuration/TCA/Overrides/tt_content.php, see ext:felogin as example.
  • ExtensionUtility::registerPlugin() and ExtensionManagementUtility::addPlugin: A new type item is added to the tt_content table. Add this to Configuration/TCA/Overrides/tt_content.php.