---
title: "Deprecation: #94956 - Public $cObj"
manual: "TYPO3 Core Changelog"
version: "main"
permalink: "https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/changelog:deprecation-94956"
source: "Changelog/11.4/Deprecation-94956-PublicCObj.rst"
modified: "2026-09-15T10:46:36+00:00"
---

# Deprecation: #94956 - Public $cObj

See [forge#94956](https://forge.typo3.org/issues/94956)

## Description

Frontend plugins receive an instance of `\TYPO3\CMS\Frontend\ContentObject\ContentObjectRenderer` when
called via `ContentObjectRenderer->callUserFunction()`. This is
typically the case for plugins called as `USER` or indirectly
as `USER_INT` type.

The instance of `ContentObjectRenderer` has previously been set by
declaring a public (!) property `cObj` in the consuming class.

Handing a `ContentObjectRenderer` instance around this way is hard to
follow and has thus been deprecated: Declaring `public $cObj` should
be avoided. Frontend plugins that need the current `ContentObjectRenderer`
should have a public `setContentObjectRenderer()` method instead.

## Impact

Declaring `public $cObj` in a class called by
`ContentObjectRenderer->callUserFunction()` triggers a PHP `E_USER_DEPRECATED` error.

## Affected Installations

Frontend extension classes that neither extend `\TYPO3\CMS\Frontend\Plugin\AbstractPlugin`
("pibase") nor Extbase `\TYPO3\CMS\Extbase\Mvc\Controller\ActionController`
and have a public property `cObj` are affected.

## Migration

When instantiating the frontend plugin, `ContentObjectRenderer->callUserFunction()`
now checks for a public method `setContentObjectRenderer()` to explicitly set
an instance of the `ContentObjectRenderer`.

Many plugins may not need this instance at all. If the ContentObjectRenderer instance
used within the plugin does not rely on further ContentObjectRenderer state, for instance
if it only calls `stdWrap()` or similar without using state like `LOAD_REGISTER`,
the `cObj` class property should be avoided and an own instance of  ContentObjectRenderer
should be created.

Classes that do rely on current ContentObjectRenderer state should adapt their code.

Before:

```
class Foo
{
    public $cObj;
}

```

After:

```
class Foo
{
    protected $cObj;

    public function setContentObjectRenderer(ContentObjectRenderer $cObj): void
    {
        $this->cObj = $cObj;
    }
}

```