Feature: #108843 - User settings configuration migrated to TCA

Description

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

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

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

Impact

Extensions can add custom fields to the 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:EXT:my_ext/Resources/Private/Language/locallang.xlf: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/toggle
select with renderType => 'selectSingle' - Select dropdown
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.