FlexForms

FlexForms can be used to store data within an XML structure inside a single DB column.

Attention

Changed in version 13.0

The superfluous tag TCEforms was removed and is not evaluated anymore. All TCEforms tags must be removed. Otherwise the FlexForm is displayed broken in the backend records.

Extbase plugin settings as FlexForm

FlexForms are commonly used to configure Extbase plugins:

packages/my_extension/Configuration/TCA/Overrides/tt_content.php

<?php

use TYPO3\CMS\Core\Utility\ExtensionManagementUtility;
use TYPO3\CMS\Extbase\Utility\ExtensionUtility;

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

ExtensionManagementUtility::addToAllTCAtypes(
    'tt_content',
    '--div--;Configuration,pi_flexform,',
    $ctypeKey,
    'after:subheader',
);

ExtensionManagementUtility::addPiFlexFormValue(
    '',
    'FILE:EXT:myext/Configuration/FlexForm.xml',
    $ctypeKey,
);

Within the FlexForm use settings. as prefix for the identifier of your fields. Any field prefixed with settings. will be automatically available in the controller's settings array ($this->settings['someSetting']) and in the Fluid templates as variable {settings.someSetting}. For example:

packages/my_extension/Configuration/FlexForm.xml

<T3DataStructure>
    <sheets>
        <sDEF>
            <ROOT>
                <sheetTitle>
                    Sheet Title
                </sheetTitle>
                <type>array</type>
                <el>
                    <settings.someSetting>
                        <label>Some Setting</label>
                        <config>
                            <type>input</type>
                        </config>
                    </settings.someSetting>
                    <settings.anotherSetting>
                        <label>Another Setting</label>
                        <config>
                            <type>input</type>
                        </config>
                    </settings.anotherSetting>
                </el>
            </ROOT>
        </sDEF>
    </sheets>
</T3DataStructure>

For an example see the plugin settings of the plugins in extension georgringer/news .

Plain plugins configured by FlexForms

Complex content elements or plain plugins not registered via Extbase can use FlexForms for configuration as well. Plain plugins can be configured with FlexForms in a similar fashion to Extbase plugins:

packages/my_extension/Configuration/TCA/Overrides/tt_content.php

<?php

use TYPO3\CMS\Core\Utility\ExtensionManagementUtility;

$ctypeKey = 'my_plugin';

// Plain plugin without Extbase controller
ExtensionManagementUtility::addPlugin(
    [
        'My Plugin Title',
        $ctypeKey,
        'my-extension-icon',
    ],
);

ExtensionManagementUtility::addToAllTCAtypes(
    'tt_content',
    '--div--;Configuration,pi_flexform,',
    $ctypeKey,
    'after:subheader',
);

ExtensionManagementUtility::addPiFlexFormValue(
    '',
    'FILE:EXT:myext/Configuration/FlexForm.xml',
    $ctypeKey,
);

Plain plugins can use any name scheme for the identifiers that they desire.

When a content element containing a FlexForm is saved the settings are written as XML to column tt_content.pi_flexform in the according database record.