Feature: #96733 - New backend module registration API

Description

The registration and usage of backend modules was previously based on the global array $TBE_MODULES. This however had a couple of drawbacks, e.g. module registration could be changed at runtime, which had been resolved by introducing a new registration API.

Therefore, instead of using the ExtensionManagementUtility::addModule() and ExtensionUtility::registerModule() (Extbase) API methods in ext_tables.php files, the configuration is now placed in the dedicated Configuration/Backend/Modules.php configuration file.

Those files are then read and processed when building the container. This means the state is fixed and can't be changed at runtime. This approach follows the general Core strategy (see e.g. Icons.php), since it highly improves the loading speed of every request as the registration can be handled at once and cached during warmup of the Core caches. Besides caching, this will also allow additional features in the future, which were blocked due to the loose state.

Previous configuration in ext_tables.php:

ExtensionManagementUtility::addModule(
    'web',
    'example',
    'top',
    '',
    [
        'routeTarget' => MyExampleModuleController::class . '::handleRequest',
        'name' => 'web_example',
        'access' => 'admin',
        'workspaces' => 'online',
        'iconIdentifier' => 'module-example',
        'labels' => 'LLL:EXT:example/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_mod.xlf',
        'navigationComponentId' => 'TYPO3/CMS/Backend/PageTree/PageTreeElement',
    ]
);

ExtensionUtility::registerModule(
    'Extkey',
    'web',
    'example',
    'after:info',
    [
        MyExtbaseExampleModuleController::class => 'list, detail',
    ],
    [
        'access' => 'admin',
        'workspaces' => 'online',
        'iconIdentifier' => 'module-example',
        'labels' => 'LLL:EXT:extkey/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_mod.xlf',
        'navigationComponentId' => 'TYPO3/CMS/Backend/PageTree/PageTreeElement',
    ]
);

Will now be registered in Configuration/Backend/Modules.php:

return [
    'web_module' => [
        'parent' => 'web',
        'position' => ['before' => '*'],
        'access' => 'admin',
        'workspaces' => 'live',
        'path' => '/module/web/example',
        'iconIdentifier' => 'module-example',
        'navigationComponent' => 'TYPO3/CMS/Backend/PageTree/PageTreeElement',
        'labels' => 'LLL:EXT:example/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_mod.xlf',
        'routes' => [
            '_default' => [
                'target' => MyExampleModuleController::class . '::handleRequest',
            ],
        ],
    ],
    'web_ExtkeyExample' => [
        'parent' => 'web',
        'position' => ['after' => 'web_info'],
        'access' => 'admin',
        'workspaces' => 'live',
        'iconIdentifier' => 'module-example',
        'path' => '/module/web/ExtkeyExample',
        'labels' => 'LLL:EXT:beuser/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_mod.xlf',
        'extensionName' => 'Extkey',
        'controllerActions' => [
            MyExtbaseExampleModuleController::class => [
                'list',
                'detail'
            ],
        ],
    ],
];

Note

Each modules array key is used as the module identifier, which will also be the route identifier. It's no longer necessary to use the mainModule_subModule pattern, since a possible parent will be defined with the parent option.

Module configuration options

Option	Description
parent (`string`)	If the module should be a submodule, the parent identifier, e.g. `web` has to be set here.
path (`string`)	Define the path to the default endpoint. The path can be anything, but will fallback to the known `/module/<mainModule>/<subModule>` pattern, if not set.
standalone (`bool`)	Whether the module is a standalone module (parent without submodules).
access (`string`)	Can be `user` (editor permissions), `admin`, or `systemMaintainer`.
workspaces (`string`)	Can be `*` (= always), `live` or `offline`. If not set, the value of the parent module - if any - is used.
position (`array`)	The module position. Allowed values are `before => <identifier>` and `after => <identifier>`. To define modules on top or at the bottom, `before => ` and `after => ` can be used. Using the `top` and `bottom` values (without key) is deprecated and will be removed in upcoming versions.
appearance (`array`)	Allows to define additional appearance options: `renderInModuleMenu` (`bool`)
iconIdentifier (`string`)	The module icon identifier
icon (`string`)	Path to a module icon (Deprecated: Use `iconIdentifier` instead)
labels (`array` or `string`)	An `array` with the following keys: `title` `description` `shortDescription` The value can either be a static string or a locallang label reference. It's also possible to define the path to a locallang file. The referenced file should contain the following label keys: `mlang_tabs_tab` (Used as module title) `mlang_labels_tabdescr` (Used as module description) `mlang_labels_tablabel` (Used as module short description)
component (`string`)	The view component, responsible for rendering the module. Defaults to `TYPO3/CMS/Backend/Module/Iframe`.
navigationComponent (`string`)	The module navigation component, e.g. `TYPO3/CMS/Backend/PageTree/PageTreeElement`.
navigationComponentId (`string`)	The module navigation component (Deprecated: Use `navigationComponent` instead).
inheritNavigationComponentFromMainModule (`bool`)	Whether the module should use the parents navigation component. This option defaults to `true` and can therefore be used to stop the inheritance for submodules.
moduleData (`array`)	The allowed module data properties and their default value. Module data are the module specific settings of a backend user. The properties, defined in the registration, can be overwritten in a request via `GET` or `POST`. For more information about the usage of this option, see the corresponding changelog.
aliases (`array`)	List of identifiers that are aliases to this module. Those are added as route aliases, which allows to use them for building links, e.g. with the `UriBuilder`. Additionally, the aliases can also be used for references in other modules, e.g. to specify a modules' `parent`.
routeOptions (`array`)	Generic side information that will be merged with each generated `\TYPO3\CMS\Backend\Routing\Route::$options` array. This can be used for information, that is not relevant for a module aspect, but more relevant for the routing aspect (e.g. sudo-mode).

Module-dependent configuration options

Default:

Option Description

routes (array)

Define the routes to this module. Each route requires at least the target. The _default route is mandatory, except for modules, which can fall back to a sub module. The _default routes path is taken from the top-level configuration. For all other routes is the route identifier taken as path, if not explicitly defined. Each route can define any controller / action pair and can restrict the allowed HTTP methods:

'routes' => [ '_default' => [ 'target' => ControllerA::class . '::handleRequest', ], 'edit' => [ 'path' => '/edit-me', 'target' => ControllerA::class . '::edit', ], 'manage' => [ 'target' => ControllerB::class . '::manage', 'methods' => ['POST'], ], ],

Extbase:

Option Description

extensionName (string) The extension name, the module is registered for.

controllerActions (array)

Define the controller action pair. The array keys are the controller class names and the values are the actions, which can either be defined as array or comma-separated list:

'controllerActions' => [ Controller::class => [ 'aAction', 'anotherAction', ], ],

The BeforeModuleCreationEvent

The new PSR-14 BeforeModuleCreationEvent allows extension authors to manipulate the module configuration, before it is used to create and register the module.

Registration of an event listener in the Services.yaml:

MyVendor\MyPackage\Backend\ModifyModuleIcon:
  tags:
    - name: event.listener
      identifier: 'my-package/backend/modify-module-icon'

The corresponding event listener class:

use TYPO3\CMS\Backend\Module\BeforeModuleCreationEvent;

class ModifyModuleIcon {

    public function __invoke(BeforeModuleCreationEvent $event): void
    {
        // Change module icon of page module
        if ($event->getIdentifier() === 'web_layout') {
            $event->setConfigurationValue('iconIdentifier', 'my-custom-icon-identifier');
        }
    }
}

BeforeModuleCreationEvent methods

Method	Parameters	Description
getIdentifier()		Returns the identifier of the module in question.
getConfiguration()		Get the module configuration, as defined in the `Configuration/Backend/Modules.php` file.
setConfiguration()	`$configuration`	Overrides the module configuration.
hasConfigurationValue()	`$key`	Checks whether the given key is set.
getConfigurationValue()	`$key` `$default`	Returns the value for the given `$key`, or the `$default`, if not set.
setConfigurationValue()	`$key` `$value`	Updates the configuration `$key` with the given `value`.

New ModuleProvider API

The other piece is the new ModuleProvider API, which allows extension authors to work with the registered modules in a straightforward way.

Previously, there had been a couple of different classes and methods, which did mostly the same but in other ways. Also handling of those classes had been tough, especially the ModuleLoader component.

See changelog for all removed classes and methods.

The new API is now the central point to retrieve modules, since it will automatically perform necessary access checks and prepare specific structures, e.g. for the use in menus.

ModuleProvider API methods

Method	Parameters	Description
isModuleRegistered()	`$identifier`	Checks whether a module is registered for the given identifier. Does NOT perform any access check!
getModule()	`$identifier` `$user` `$respectWorkspaceRestrictions`	Returns a module for the given identifier. In case a user is given, also access checks are performed. Additionally, one can define whether workspace restrictions should be respected.
getModules()	`$user` `$respectWorkspaceRestrictions` `$grouped`	Returns all modules either grouped by main modules or flat. In case a user is given, also access checks are performed. Additionally, one can define whether workspace restrictions should be respected.
getModuleForMenu()	`$identifier` `$user` `$respectWorkspaceRestrictions`	Returns the requested main module prepared for menu generation or similar structured output (nested), if it exists and the user has necessary permissions. Additionally, one can define whether workspace restrictions should be respected.
getModulesForModuleMenu()	`$user` `$respectWorkspaceRestrictions`	Returns all allowed modules for the current user, prepared for module menu generation or similar structured output (nested). Additionally, one can define whether workspace restrictions should be respected.
accessGranted()	`$identifier`	Check access of a module for a given user. Additionally, one can define whether workspace restrictions should be respected.

ModuleInterface

Instead of a global array structure, the registered modules are stored as objects in a registry. The module objects implement all the ModuleInterface. This allows a well-defined OOP-based approach to work with registered models.

The ModuleInterface basically provides getters for the options, defined in the module registration and additionally provides methods for relation handling (main modules and submodules).

Method	Return type	Description
getIdentifier()	`string`	Returns the internal name of the module, used for referencing in permissions etc.
getPath()	`string`	Returns the module main path
getIconIdentifier()	`$string`	Returns the module icon identifier
getTitle()	`string`	Returns the module title (see: `mlang_tabs_tab`).
getDescription()	`string`	Returns the module description (see: `mlang_labels_tabdescr`).
getShortDescription()	`string`	Returns the module short description (see: `mlang_labels_tablabel`).
isStandalone()	`bool`	Returns, whether the module is standalone (main module without submodules).
getComponent()	`string`	Returns the view component responsible for rendering the module (iFrame or name of the web component).
getNavigationComponent()	`string`	Returns the web component to be rendering the navigation area.
getPosition()	`array`	Returns the position of the module, such as `top` or `bottom` or `after => anotherModule` or `before => anotherModule`.
getAppearance()	`array`	Returns a modules' appearance options, e.g. used for module menu.
getAccess()	`string`	Returns defined access level, can be `user`, `admin` or `systemMaintainer`.
getWorkspaceAccess()	`string`	Returns defined workspace access, can be `*` (all), `live` or `offline`.
getParentIdentifier()	`string`	In case this is a submodule, returns the parent module identifier.
getParentModule()	`?ModuleInterface`	In case this is a submodule, returns the parent module.
hasParentModule()	`bool`	Returns whether the module has a parent module defined (is a submodule).
hasSubModule($identifier)	`bool`	Returns whether the module has a specific submodule assigned.
hasSubModules()	`bool`	Returns whether the module has submodules assigned.
getSubModule($identifier)	`?ModuleInterface`	If set, returns the requested submodule.
getSubModules()	`ModuleInterface[]`	Returns all assigned submodules.
getDefaultRouteOptions()	`array`	Returns options to be added to the main module route. Usually `module`, `moduleName` and `access`.
getAliases()	`array`	List of identifiers (e.g. to an old name of the module), which is also used to link and reference in access checks.

Impact

Registration of backend modules is now done in extension's Configuration/Backend/Modules.php file. This allows to have all modules registered at build-time.

The new ModuleProvider API takes care of permission handling and returns objects based on the ModuleInterface. The rendering is now based on a well-defined OOP-based approach, which is used throughout all places in TYPO3 Backend now in a unified way.