ext_tables.sql

-- optional

SQL definition of database tables.

This file should contain a table-structure dump of the tables used by the extension. It is used for evaluation of the database structure and is applied to the database when an extension is enabled.

If you add additional fields (or depend on certain fields) to existing tables you can also put them here. In that case insert a CREATE TABLE structure for that table, but remove all lines except the ones defining the fields you need, here is an example adding a column to the pages table:

CREATE TABLE pages (
      tx_myext_field int(11) DEFAULT '0' NOT NULL,
);

TYPO3 will merge this table definition to the existing table definition when comparing expected and actual table definitions. Partial definitions can also contain indexes and other directives. They can also change existing table fields though that is not recommended, because it may create problems with the TYPO3 Core and/or other extensions.

The ext_tables.sql file may not necessarily be "dumpable" directly to MySQL (because of the semi-complete table definitions allowed defining only required fields). But the Extension Manager or Install Tool can handle this.

TYPO3 parses ext_tables.sql files. TYPO3 expects that all table definitions in this file look like the ones produced by the mysqldump utility. Incorrect definitions may not be recognized by the TYPO3 SQL parser or may lead to MySQL errors, when TYPO3 tries to apply them. If TYPO3 is not running on MySQL or directly compatible other DBMS like MariaDB, the system will parse the file towards the target DBMS like PostgreSQL.

Auto generated structure

The database schema analyzer automatically creates TYPO3 "management" related database columns by reading a tables TCA and checking the Table properties (ctrl) section for table capabilities. Field definitions in ext_tables.sql take precedence over automatically generated fields, so the Core never overrides a manually specified column definition from an ext_tables.sql file.

These columns below are automatically added if not defined in ext_tables.sql for database tables that provide a $GLOBALS['TCA'] definition:

uid and PRIMARY KEY

If uid field is not provided inside ext_tables.sql, the PRIMARY KEY must be omitted, too.

pid and KEY parent

Column pid is unsigned if the table is not workspace aware, the default index parent includes pid and hidden as well as deleted if the latter two are specified in TCA Table properties (ctrl). The parent index creation is only applied if column pid is auto generated, too.

['ctrl']['tstamp'] = 'fieldName'

Often set to tstamp or updatedon

['ctrl']['crdate'] = 'fieldName'

Often set to crdate or createdon

['ctrl']['delete'] = 'fieldName'

Often set to deleted

['ctrl']['enablecolumns']['disabled'] = 'fieldName'

Often set to hidden or disabled

['ctrl']['enablecolumns']['starttime'] = 'fieldName'

Often set to starttime

['ctrl']['enablecolumns']['endtime'] = 'fieldName'

Often set to endtime

['ctrl']['enablecolumns']['fe_group'] = 'fieldName'

Often set to fe_group

['ctrl']['sortby'] = 'fieldName'

Often set to sorting

['ctrl']['descriptionColumn'] = 'fieldName'

Often set to description

['ctrl']['editlock'] = 'fieldName'

Often set to editlock

['ctrl']['languageField'] = 'fieldName'

Often set to sys_language_uid

['ctrl']['transOrigPointerField'] = 'fieldName'

Often set to l10n_parent

['ctrl']['translationSource'] = 'fieldName'

Often set to l10n_source

l10n_state

Column added if languageField and transOrigPointerField are set

['ctrl']['origUid'] = 'fieldName'

Often set to t3_origuid

['ctrl']['transOrigDiffSourceField'] = 'fieldName'

Often set to l10n_diffsource

['ctrl']['versioningWS'] = true - t3ver_* columns

Columns that make a table workspace aware. All those fields are prefixed with t3ver_, for example t3ver_oid. A default index named t3ver_oid to fields t3ver_oid and t3ver_wsid is added, too.