Dropdown button components

Table of contents

New in version 12.1.

The backend module menu button bar can display dropdowns. This enables interface interactions, such as switching the current view from list to tiles, or group actions like clipboard and thumbnail visibility. This helps unclutter the views and allow the user to see more information at a glance.

Each dropdown consists of various elements ranging from headings to item links that can display the current status. The button automatically changes the icon representation to the icon of the the first active radio icon in the dropdown list.

DropDown button component in the File > Filelist module

DropDownButton

This button type is a container for dropdown items. It will render a dropdown containing all items attached to it. There are different kinds available, each item needs to implement the \TYPO3\CMS\Backend\Template\Components\Buttons\DropDown\DropDownItemInterface. When this type contains elements of type DropDownRadio it will use the icon of the first active item of this type.

EXT:my_extension/Classes/Controller/MyBackendController.php

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

namespace MyVendor\MyExtension\Controller;

use Psr\Http\Message\ResponseInterface;
use Psr\Http\Message\ServerRequestInterface;
use TYPO3\CMS\Backend\Template\Components\ButtonBar;
use TYPO3\CMS\Backend\Template\Components\Buttons\DropDown\DropDownItem;
use TYPO3\CMS\Backend\Template\ModuleTemplate;
use TYPO3\CMS\Backend\Template\ModuleTemplateFactory;
use TYPO3\CMS\Core\Imaging\IconFactory;
use TYPO3\CMS\Core\Utility\GeneralUtility;

final class MyBackendController
{
    private ModuleTemplate $moduleTemplate;

    public function __construct(
        protected readonly ModuleTemplateFactory $moduleTemplateFactory,
        protected readonly IconFactory $iconFactory,
        // ...
    ) {
    }

    public function handleRequest(ServerRequestInterface $request): ResponseInterface
    {
        $this->moduleTemplate = $this->moduleTemplateFactory->create($request);
        $this->setDocHeader();
        // ... some more logic
    }

    private function setDocHeader(): void
    {
        $buttonBar = $this->moduleTemplate->getDocHeaderComponent()->getButtonBar();
        $dropDownButton = $buttonBar->makeDropDownButton()
            ->setLabel('Dropdown')
            ->setTitle('Save')
            ->setIcon($this->iconFactory->getIcon('actions-heart'))
            ->addItem(
                GeneralUtility::makeInstance(DropDownItem::class)
                    ->setLabel('Item')
                    ->setHref('#')
            );
        $buttonBar->addButton(
            $dropDownButton,
            ButtonBar::BUTTON_POSITION_RIGHT,
            2
        );
    }
}

DropDownDivider

This dropdown item type renders the divider element.

EXT:my_extension/Classes/Controller/MyBackendController.php

use TYPO3\CMS\Backend\Template\Components\Buttons\DropDown\DropDownDivider;

$item = GeneralUtility::makeInstance(DropDownDivider::class);
$dropDownButton->addItem($item);

DropDownHeader

This dropdown item type renders a non-interactive text element to group items and gives more meaning to a set of options.

EXT:my_extension/Classes/Controller/MyBackendController.php

use TYPO3\CMS\Backend\Template\Components\Buttons\DropDown\DropDownHeader:

$item = GeneralUtility::makeInstance(DropDownHeader::class)
    ->setLabel('Label');
$dropDownButton->addItem($item);

DropDownItem

This dropdown item type renders a simple element. Use this element if you need a link button.

EXT:my_extension/Classes/Controller/MyBackendController.php

use TYPO3\CMS\Backend\Template\Components\Buttons\DropDown\DropDownHeader:

$item = GeneralUtility::makeInstance(DropDownItem::class)
    ->setTag('a')
    ->setHref('#')
    ->setLabel('Label')
    ->setTitle('Title')
    ->setIcon($this->iconFactory->getIcon('actions-heart'))
    ->setAttributes(['data-value' => '123']);
$dropDownButton->addItem($item);

DropDownRadio

This dropdown item type renders an element with an active state. Use this element to display a radio-like selection of a state. When set to active, it will show a dot in front of the icon and text to indicate that this is the current selection.

At least two of these items need to exist within a dropdown button, so a user has a choice of a state to select.

EXT:my_extension/Classes/Controller/MyBackendController.php

$item = GeneralUtility::makeInstance(DropDownRadio::class)
    ->setHref('#')
    ->setActive(true)
    ->setLabel('List')
    ->setTitle('List')
    ->setIcon($this->iconFactory->getIcon('actions-viewmode-list'))
    ->setAttributes(['data-type' => 'list']);
$dropDownButton->addItem($item);

$item = GeneralUtility::makeInstance(DropDownRadio::class)
    ->setHref('#')
    ->setActive(false)
    ->setLabel('Tiles')
    ->setTitle('Tiles')
    ->setIcon($this->iconFactory->getIcon('actions-viewmode-tiles'))
    ->setAttributes(['data-type' => 'tiles']);
$dropDownButton->addItem($item);

DropDownToggle

This dropdown item type renders an element with an active state. When set to active, it will show a checkmark in front of the icon and text to indicate the current state.

EXT:my_extension/Classes/Controller/MyBackendController.php

$item = GeneralUtility::makeInstance(DropDownToggle::class)
    ->setHref('#')
    ->setActive(true)
    ->setLabel('Label')
    ->setTitle('Title')
    ->setIcon($this->iconFactory->getIcon('actions-heart'))
    ->setAttributes(['data-value' => '123']);
$dropDownButton->addItem($item);