Fields to be displayed (types)

The ['types'] section plays a crucial role in TCA to specify which fields from the ['columns'] section are displayed if editing a table row in FormEngine. At least one type has to be configured before any field will show up, the default type is 0.

Multiple types can be configured, which one is selected depends on the value of the field specified in ['ctrl']['type'] property. This approach is similar to what is often done with Single Table Inheritance in Object-orientated programming.

Table of Contents

Introduction

The ['types'] system is powerful and allows differently shaped editing forms re-using fields, having own fields for specific forms and arranging fields differently on top of a single database table. The tt_content with all its different content elements is a good example on what can be done with ['types'].

The basic ['types'] structure looks like this:

'types' => [
     '0' => [
           'showitem' => 'aField, anotherField',
     ],
     'anotherType' => [
           'showitem' => 'aField, aDifferentField',
     ],
],
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So, the basic array has a key field with type names (here '0', and 'anotherType'), with a series of possible properties each, most importantly the showitem property.

Properties of types section of TCA

Name Type Scope
bitmask_excludelist_bits
 array
bitmask_value_field
 string (field name)
columnsOverrides
 array (columns fields overrides) Display
previewRenderer
 string Display
showitem
 string (list of field configuration sets)
subtype_value_field
 string (field name)
subtypes_addlist
 array
subtypes_excludelist
 array

bitmask_excludelist_bits

bitmask_excludelist_bits
Type
array
Path
$GLOBALS['TCA'][$table]['types'][$type]

See bitmask_value_field.

Syntax:
"[+/-][bit-number]" => "[comma-separated list of fields (from the main types-config) excluded]"

bitmask_value_field

bitmask_value_field
Type
string (field name)
Path
$GLOBALS['TCA'][$table]['types'][$type]

Field name, which holds a value being the integer (bit-mask) for the 'bitmask_excludelist_bits' array.

It works much like 'subtype_value_field' but excludes fields based on whether a bit from the value field is set. See property bitmask_excludelist_bits.

These two properties are rarely used, but pretty powerful if a 'type=radio' or 'type=check' field is set as bitmask_value_field.

[+/-] indicates whether the bit [bit-number] is set or not.

columnsOverrides

columnsOverrides
Type
array (columns fields overrides)
Path
$GLOBALS['TCA'][$table]['types'][$type]
Scope
Display
Examples
Examples for columnsOverrides

Changed or added ['columns'] field display definitions.

This allows to change the column definition of a field if a record of this type is edited. Currently, it only affects the display of form fields, but not the data handling.

A typical property that can be changed here is renderType.

The core uses this property to override for instance the "bodytext" field config of table "tt_content": If a record of type "text" is edited, it adds "enableRichtext = 1" to trigger an RTE to the default "bodytext" configuration, and if a type "table" is edited, it adds "renderType = textTable" and "wrap = off" to "bodytext".

The FormEngine basically merges "columnsOverrides" over the default "columns" field after the record type has been determined.

previewRenderer

previewRenderer
Type
string
Path
$GLOBALS['TCA'][$table]['types'][$type]['previewRenderer']
Scope
Display
Examples
types-example-previewRenderer

To configure a preview renderer for the whole table see previewRenderer.

Configures a backend preview for a content element.

Have also a look at Configure custom backend preview for content element for more details.

Use property previewRenderer of section ctrl to configure the preview globally for the whole table.

showitem

showitem
Type
string (list of field configuration sets)
Path
$GLOBALS['TCA'][$table]['types'][$type]['showitem']
Required
true
Examples
Showitem examples

Configuration of the displayed order of fields in FormEngine and their tab alignment.

The whole string is a comma , separated list of tokens. Each token can have keywords separated by semicolon ;.

Each comma separated token is one of the following:

fieldName;fieldLabel
Name of a field to show. Optionally an alternative label (string or LLL reference) to override the default label from columns section.
--palette--;paletteLabel;paletteName

Name of a palette to show. The label (string or LLL reference) is optional. If set, it is shown above the single palette fields. The palette name is required and must reference a palette from the palette section.

--palette--;;caching // Show palette "caching" without additional label
--palette--;Caching;caching // Show palette "caching" with label "Caching"
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--div--;tabLabel
Put all fields after this token onto a new tab and name the tab as given in "tabLabel" (string or LLL reference).

subtype_value_field

subtype_value_field
Type
string (field name)
Path
$GLOBALS['TCA'][$table]['types'][$type]
Example
Example: Remove a field from certain types

Field name, which holds a value being a key in the subtypes_excludelist array. This allows to add and hide fields found in the types configuration, based on the value of another field in the row.

subtypes_addlist

subtypes_addlist
Type
array
Path
$GLOBALS['TCA'][$table]['types'][$type]

A list of fields to add when the subtype_value_field matches a key in this array.

Syntax 
"[value]" => "[comma-separated list of fields which are added]"
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subtypes_excludelist

subtypes_excludelist
Type
array
Path
$GLOBALS['TCA'][$table]['types'][$type]
Example
Remove fields for a certain subtype, Example: Remove a field from certain types

See property subtype_value_field.

Syntax 
"[field value]" => "[comma-separated list of fields (from the main types-config) which are removed]"
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Extended examples for using the types section of TCA

Showitem examples

Demonstrates property: showitem.

Extensions can also modify showitem values by utilizing ExtensionManagementUtility::addToAllTCAtypes(). See Customization Examples for details.

A form with 3 fields

'types' => [
    '0' => [
        'showitem' => 'hidden, title, poem,',
    ],
],
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The above example shows three fields of the form. Since no further '--div--' are specified, there would be only one tab. In this case FormEngine will suppress that single tab and just show all specified fields without a tabbing indicator.

A form with two tabs

'types' => [
    '0' => [
        'showitem' => '
            hidden, title, poem,
            --div--;LLL:EXT:examples/locallang_db.xml:tx_examples_haiku.images, image1, image2,
        '
    ],
],
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Put three fields on first tab "General" and the two fields "image1" and "image2" on a second tab with the localized name found in "EXT:examples/locallang_db.xml:tx_examples_haiku.images".

Rename the tab "General"

'types' => [
    '0' => [
        'showitem' => '
            --div--;LLL:EXT:examples/locallang_db.xml:tx_examples_haiku.images, hidden, title, poem,
            --div--;LLL:EXT:examples/locallang_db.xml:tx_examples_haiku.images, image1, image2,
        '
    ],
],
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Similar to the example before, but rename the "General" tab to the string specified in label "LLL:EXT:examples/locallang_db.xml:tx_examples_haiku.images".

Examples for handling subtypes

Remove fields for a certain subtype

Demonstrates property: subtypes_excludelist.

Remove fields recursive and pages from the subtype example_registration:

EXT:my_extension/Configuration/TCA/Overrides/tt_content.php (Excerpt) 
$GLOBALS['TCA']['tt_content']['types']['list']['subtypes_excludelist']
    ['example_registration'] = 'recursive,pages';
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Example: Remove a field from certain types

Demonstrates property: subtypes_excludelist and subtype_value_field.

EXT:frontend/Configuration/TCA/tt_content.php (Excerpt) 
'subtype_value_field' => 'list_type',
'subtypes_excludelist' => [
    '2' => 'layout',
    '3' => 'layout',
    '5' => 'layout',
    // ...
    '21' => 'layout'
],
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Above example removes the 'layout' field from the 'types' definition if field 'list_type' is set to '2', '3' and so forth.

Required type examples

Required type - minimal configuration

The type 0 is required to be defined. It has to have at least the property showitem defined. A minimal configuration can be seen here, for example:

EXT:styleguide/Configuration/TCA/tx_styleguide_ctrl_minimal.php 
[
    'types' => [
        [
            'showitem' => 'title',
        ],
    ],
]
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It displays nothing but a single field.

Required type - tabs and palettes

The following configuration specifies two tabs: the first one labelled "general" with three fields "category" "subject" and "message", and the second one labelled "access" with the field "personal". Only the default type "0" is specified. Opening such a record looks like this:

A common example of the control section

Optional additional types

The power of the "types" configuration becomes clear when you want the form composition of a record to depend on a value from the record. Let's look at the tx_styleguide_type table from the styleguide extension. The ctrl section of its TCA contains a property called :php: type:

EXT:styleguide/Configuration/TCA/tx_styleguide_type.php 
[
    'ctrl' => [
        'title' => 'Form engine - type',
        'label' => 'input_1',
        'tstamp' => 'tstamp',
        'crdate' => 'crdate',
        'delete' => 'deleted',
        'sortby' => 'sorting',
        'iconfile' => 'EXT:styleguide/Resources/Public/Icons/tx_styleguide.svg',
        'versioningWS' => true,
        'origUid' => 't3_origuid',
        'languageField' => 'sys_language_uid',
        'transOrigPointerField' => 'l10n_parent',
        'transOrigDiffSourceField' => 'l10n_diffsource',
        'translationSource' => 'l10n_source',
        'enablecolumns' => [
            'disabled' => 'hidden',
        ],
        'type' => 'record_type',
        'security' => [
            'ignorePageTypeRestriction' => true,
        ],
    ],
]
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This indicates that the field called record_type is to specify the type of any given record of the table. Let's look at how this field is defined in the property columns:

EXT:styleguide/Configuration/TCA/tx_styleguide_type.php 
[
    'columns' => [
        'record_type' => [
            'label' => 'type',
            'config' => [
                'type' => 'select',
                'renderType' => 'selectSingle',
                'items' => [
                    [
                        'label' => 'type 0',
                        'value' => '0',
                    ],
                    [
                        'label' => 'Type with changed fields',
                        'value' => 'withChangedFields',
                    ],
                    [
                        'label' => 'Type with columnsOverrides',
                        'value' => 'withColumnsOverrides',
                    ],
                ],
            ],
        ],
    ],
]
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There's nothing unusual here. It's a pretty straightforward select field, with three options. Finally, in the types section, we define what fields should appear and in what order for every value of the type field:

EXT:styleguide/Configuration/TCA/tx_styleguide_type.php 
[
    'types' => [
        0 => [
            'showitem' => 'record_type, input_1, text_1',
        ],
        'withChangedFields' => [
            'showitem' => 'record_type, input_1, color_1, text_1',
        ],
        'withColumnsOverrides' => [
            'showitem' => 'record_type, input_1, color_1, text_1',
            'columnsOverrides' => [
                'color_1' => [
                    'label' => 'color_1, readOnly, size=10',
                    'config' => [
                        'readOnly' => true,
                        'size' => 10,
                    ],
                ],
                'text_1' => [
                    'config' => [
                        'renderType' => 't3editor',
                        'format' => 'html',
                    ],
                ],
            ],
        ],
    ],
]
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The result if the following display when type 0 is chosen:

Changing to type withChangedFields reloads the form and displays the a different set of fields:

Examples for columnsOverrides in type section of TCA

Demonstrates property: columnsOverrides.

Type withOverriddenColumns shows the fields and overrides part of the configuration of the fields:

Example adding "nowrap" to a text type for type "text"

Demonstrates property: columnsOverrides.

Example adding "nowrap" to a text type for type "text":

EXT:my_extension/Configuration/TCA/tx_myextension_table.php (Excerpt) 
'types' => [
    'text' => [
        'showitem' => 'hidden, myText',
        'columnsOverrides' => [
            'myText' => [
                'config' => [
                    'wrap' => 'off',
                ],
            ],
        ],
    ],
    // ...
],
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PreviewRenderer examples

Table has a type field/attribute

Demonstrates property: previewRenderer.

This specifies the preview renderer only for records of type $type as determined by the type field of your table.

$GLOBALS['TCA']['tx_myextension_domain_model_mytable']['types'][$type]['previewRenderer']
    = \MyVendor\MyExtension\Preview\PreviewRenderer::class;
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Table has a subtype_value_field setting

Demonstrates property: previewRenderer.

If your table and field have a subtype_value_field TCA setting (like tt_content.list_type) and you want to register a preview renderer that applies only when that value is selected (for example, when a certain plugin type is selected and you can not match it with the type of the record alone):

$GLOBALS['TCA'][tx_myextension_domain_model_mytable]['types'][$type]['previewRenderer'][$subType]
    = \MyVendor\MyExtension\Preview\PreviewRenderer::class;
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Where $type is for example list (indicating a plugin) and $subType is the value of the list_type field when the type of plugin you want to target is selected as plugin type.

Example using bitmasks

Demonstrates property: bitmask_value_field and bitmask_excludelist_bits.

'types' => [
   'aType' => [
      'showitem' => 'aField, anotherField, yetAnotherField',
      'bitmask_value_field' => 'theSubtypeValueField',
      'bitmask_excludelist_bits' => [
         '-1' => 'anotherField', // Remove if bit 1 is NOT set
         '+2' => 'yetAnotherField', // Remove if bit 2 is set
      ],
   ],
],
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With the above configuration, if field database "theSubtypeValueField" is set to value 5 (binary representation "1 0 1"), the fields "anotherField" (-1 = 0 at bit position 1) and "yetAnotherField" (+2 = 1 at bit position 2) are not displayed, thus leaving only field "aField". If the value is 1 (binary representation "0 0 1"), fields "aField" and "yetAnotherField" are shown, while "anotherField" is not.