Feature: #108843 - User settings configuration migrated to TCA

Description

The backend user profile settings configuration that was previously stored in $GLOBALS['TYPO3_USER_SETTINGS'] is now available in TCA at $GLOBALS['TCA']['be_users']['columns']['user_settings'].

This allows user settings to benefit from TCA-based tooling and provides a consistent API that extensions already use for other configuration.

A new method ExtensionManagementUtility::addUserSetting() has been introduced to simplify adding custom fields to user profile settings.

Impact

Extensions can add custom fields to backend user profile settings using the new addUserSetting() method in Configuration/TCA/Overrides/be_users.php:

// Configuration/TCA/Overrides/be_users.php
\TYPO3\CMS\Core\Utility\ExtensionManagementUtility::addUserSetting(
    'myCustomSetting',
    [
        'label' => 'LLL:EXT:my_ext/Resources/Private/Language/locallang.xlf:myCustomSetting',
        'config' => [
            'type' => 'check',
            'renderType' => 'checkboxToggle',
        ],
    ],
    'after:emailMeAtLogin'
);

Alternatively, extensions can directly modify the TCA:

// Configuration/TCA/Overrides/be_users.php
$GLOBALS['TCA']['be_users']['columns']['user_settings']['columns']['myCustomSetting'] = [
    'label' => 'LLL:my_extension.messages:myCustomSetting',
    'config' => [
        'type' => 'check',
        'renderType' => 'checkboxToggle',
    ],
];

// Add to showitem
$GLOBALS['TCA']['be_users']['columns']['user_settings']['showitem'] .= ',myCustomSetting';

Structure

The user_settings TCA column has the following structure:

columns

Array of field configurations, each containing:

label: The field label (LLL reference or string)
config: Standard TCA config array (type, renderType, items, etc.)
table (optional): Set to 'be_users' if the field is stored in a be_users table column

showitem

Comma-separated list of fields to display; supports


        --div--;

for tabs

Available field types

input - Text input field
number - Number input field
email - Email input field
password - Password input field
check with renderType => 'checkboxToggle' - Checkbox or toggle
select with renderType => 'selectSingle' - Select field
language - Language selector

Backward compatibility

For backward compatibility, the legacy $GLOBALS['TYPO3_USER_SETTINGS'] array is still supported. Third-party additions are automatically migrated to TCA after all ext_tables.php files have been loaded. However, this approach is deprecated, and extensions should migrate to the new TCA-based API.