Note
This version of the guide covers the new PHP-based rendering of Documentation with the TYPO3 Documentation theme.
If the project you are looking at has a file Documentation/guides.xml it is using the new rendering.
Otherwise, consider to migrate the Documentation or head over to the legacy version of this guide: How to document, Sphinx based.
Coding guidelines for reST files
Basic formatting rules
Encoding
- use utf-8
Whitespace and indentation
Important
Always use indentation levels correctly. Your code may not be rendered as expected if you do not.
- remove white space from the end of lines (= no trailing tabs or spaces)
- don't use tabs
- one indentation level consists of four spaces
- code examples use four spaces as indentation level as well
Note
Currently, the documentation is not always indented consistently. In some manuals, an indentation level of 3 spaces was used instead. We currently recommend to use what has been used on the page you are currently editing.
Example:
.. image:: /_Images/a4.jpg
:alt: Left floating image
:target: https://typo3.org
:class: with-shadow- lines 2-4 must be indented one level (4 spaces)
Line length
- Keep lines shorter than 80 characters.
-
if in doubt about the length: use short lines!
- That way reST is readable as source as well
- Files can be easily edited directly on GitHub
- Files can be compared in a diff view
.editorconfig
Most of our documentation projects contain an .editorconfig file.
Use this file to setup your editor / IDE correctly. With some, everything will just work automatically. With others, you will need to download a plugin. This is explained on the Editorconfig page.
Sample contents of .editorconfig
# EditorConfig is awesome: http://EditorConfig.org
# top-most EditorConfig file? false = no!
root = false
[{*.rst,*.rst.txt}]
charset = utf-8
end_of_line = lf
insert_final_newline = true
trim_trailing_whitespace = true
indent_style = space
indent_size = 4
max_line_length = 80
# MD-Files
[*.md]
charset = utf-8
end_of_line = lf
insert_final_newline = true
trim_trailing_whitespace = true
indent_style = space
indent_size = 4
max_line_length = 80This sample .editorconfig will instruct your editor / IDE to:
- use utf8 as encoding (line 7)
- use spaces instead of tabs (line 11)
- use 4 spaces for indenting (line 12)
- remove trailing whitespace (line 10)
Special characters
The only way to include "special" characters is to use them directly
Headline underlining
In reStructuredText it is possible to use any type of underlining. The first used will be recognized as level 1 etc.
However, adhering to the standard for TYPO3 documentation makes it easier for other contributors to find their way around a file and pick the correct underlining for the header level.
Use the conventions as defined in Headlines and sections.
This underlining is used per (.rst) file. It does not matter where in the toctree the file is. You always start with underlining for level 1 (title) in each file:
========
1. Title
========
2. Header Level 1
=================
3. Header Level 2
-----------------
4. Header Level 3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5. Header Level 4
"""""""""""""""""
6. Header Level 5
'''''''''''''''''
7. Header Level 6
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
8. Header Level 7
#################
etc.How to add version hints
Example, how you can point out deprecations:
.. deprecated:: 10.2
The hook shown here is deprecated since TYPO3 10.2 - use a custom
:ref:`PSR-15 middleware<request-handling>` instead.New feature:
.. versionadded:: 10.2
Starting with TYPO3 10.2 hooks and signals have been replaced by a PSR-14 based
event dispatching system.Changes:
.. versionchanged:: 2.3.1
This feature was changed ...For more information, see the open issue:
Link to changelog
Linking to the changelog should not be necessary, if all relevant information has been transferred to the documentation, but it is not discouraged either.
The changelog has a title anchor, so you can easily link to it with :ref:.
:ref:`ext_core:feature-101544-1691063522`which outputs the link:
Feature: #101544 - Introduce PHP attribute to autoconfigure event listeners
For this to work, ext_ must be defined in Settings.:
ext_core = https://docs.typo3.org/c/typo3/cms-core/main/en-us/Referring to GUI elements
If you describe something that needs to be selected from a menu or other GUI element or clicked one after the other, use > as separator and use text role guilabel.
Important
Use the spelling of the word as used in the GUI!
Examples:
Select :guilabel:`File > Open`- How it looks:
- Select File > Open
Click on :guilabel:`ADMIN TOOLS > Extensions` in the backend.- How it looks:
- Click on ADMIN TOOLS > Extensions in the backend.
Refering to keystrokes
When pointing out keyboard shortcuts or keystroke sequences, use text role kbd.
Example:
Press :kbd:`ctrl` + :kbd:`s`- How it looks:
- Press ctrl + s