Feature: #107047 - FlexForm enhancements: Direct plugin registration and raw TCA support 

FlexForm Direct Plugin Registration 

The methods \TYPO3\CMS\Core\Utility\ExtensionManagementUtility::addPlugin() and \TYPO3\CMS\Extbase\Utility\ExtensionUtility::registerPlugin() have been extended to accept a FlexForm definition directly via an additional $flexForm argument.

This new argument allows extensions to provide the FlexForm data structure when registering a plugin.

The FlexForm can either be a reference to a FlexForm XML file (e.g., FILE:EXT:myext/Configuration/FlexForm.xml) or the XML content itself.

This simplifies the configuration and avoids the need to define the FlexForm separately in TCA.

Examples 

Direct FlexForm Plugin Registration

ExtensionUtility::registerPlugin(
    'MyExtension',
    'MyPlugin',
    'My Plugin Title',
    'my-extension-icon',
    'plugins',
    'Plugin description',
    'FILE:EXT:myext/Configuration/FlexForm.xml'
);

Alternatively, using addPlugin() when not using Extbase:

ExtensionManagementUtility::addPlugin(
    [
        'My Plugin Title',
        'my_plugin',
        'my-extension-icon'
    ],
    'FILE:EXT:myext/Configuration/FlexForm.xml'
);

Internally, this adds the FlexForm definition to the ds option of the plugin via the columnsOverrides configuration and also adds the pi_flexform field to the showitem list. For more information on this, check Breaking: #107047 - Remove pointer field functionality of TCA flex, which describes the migration of the ds option from multi-entry to single-entry.

FlexFormTools Schema Parameter Requirement 

The FlexFormTools service has been fundamentally changed to eliminate its previous dependency on $GLOBALS['TCA'] , which caused architectural issues.

The following methods now support an explicit $schema parameter that accepts either a TcaSchema object or raw TCA configuration array:

• getDataStructureIdentifier()
• parseDataStructureByIdentifier()
• cleanFlexFormXML()

Previously, these methods had no schema parameter and relied on $GLOBALS['TCA'] internally, which was problematic for schema building processes.

Calling code must now explicitly provide the schema data, either as:

• A resolved TcaSchema object (for normal application usage)
• A raw TCA configuration array (for schema building contexts)

This architectural improvement eliminates circular dependencies and allows FlexFormTools to be used during schema building processes where TCA Schema objects are not yet available, resolving issues in components like the RelationMapBuilder.

FlexFormTools with TCA Schema

$flexFormTools = GeneralUtility::makeInstance(FlexFormTools::class);

// Using TCA Schema object
$tcaSchema = $tcaSchemaFactory->get('tt_content');
$identifier = $flexFormTools->getDataStructureIdentifier(
    $fieldTca,
    'tt_content',
    'pi_flexform',
    $row,
    $tcaSchema
);

FlexFormTools with raw TCA array

$flexFormTools = GeneralUtility::makeInstance(FlexFormTools::class);

// Using raw TCA configuration array
$rawTca = $fullTca['tt_content'];
$identifier = $flexFormTools->getDataStructureIdentifier(
    $fieldTca,
    'tt_content',
    'pi_flexform',
    $row,
    $rawTca
);

Schema building context

// In RelationMapBuilder - previously not possible
$flexFormTools = GeneralUtility::makeInstance(FlexFormTools::class);

foreach ($tca as $table => $tableConfig) {
    foreach ($tableConfig['columns'] ?? [] as $fieldName => $fieldConfig) {
        if ($fieldConfig['config']['type'] === 'flex') {
            // Can now use raw TCA during schema building
            $dataStructure = $flexFormTools->parseDataStructureByIdentifier(
                $identifier,
                $tableConfig  // Raw TCA array
            );
        }
    }
}

Impact 

Direct FlexForm Plugin Registration

This change allows simplifying configuration of plugins and corresponding FlexForms, since they can directly be added on registration. This makes e.g. the usual ExtensionManagementUtility::addPiFlexFormValue() call superfluous. Therefore this method has been deprecated, see: Deprecation: #107047 - ExtensionManagementUtility::addPiFlexFormValue().

FlexFormTools Schema support

The service now automatically detects the input type and uses the appropriate resolution strategy for both TCA Schema objects and raw TCA arrays. It does no longer rely on $GLOBALS['TCA'] . This allows to directly influence the service. It furthermore allows usage during schema building where no TCA Schema is available.

Technical Details

The service uses PHP's union types ( array|TcaSchema) and automatically routes to the appropriate internal methods. Both input types produce identical normalized output, ensuring that consumers of the FlexFormTools service receive consistent data structures regardless of the used input type.