Common fields

Mandatory fields

If a table has a TCA definition, TYPO3 will automatically create the following fields:

uid: An auto-incrementing unique identifier. This field is the table key and is used as a reference in relationships between records.
pid: The uid field of the parent page. A record is situated on its parent page. If this value is 0 the record is not connected to a page.

These fields are not defined anywhere else in the TCA configuration. It is not possible to use other names for these fields.

Fields used by convention

Warning

It is possible to change the names of the following fields, but it is strongly discouraged. Doing so breaks convention and may lead to compatibility issues with third party extensions.

All the fields mentioned below are added to the database automatically. You do not need to define these fields in ext_tables.sql and doing so may lead to problems later on. You only need to configure the fields in the TCA php files.

Soft delete

deleted

This field enables soft delete in records. Configure it by setting ctrl->delete:

EXT:my_extension/Configuration/TCA/tx_myextension_domain_model_something.php

<?php

return [
    'ctrl' => [
        'delete' => 'deleted',
        // ...
    ],
];

Warning

If you do not configure this field, records will be hard deleted. The backend DataHandler and Extbase will automatically execute (hard) DELETE statements.

The deleted field is not visible in backend forms. It is handled separately by the DataHandler and therefore does not need to be defined in the columns section.

Enablecolumns

Changed in version 13.3

The column definitions for these settings are auto-created. See also Migration.

hidden

This field enables soft hiding of records. Configure it by setting ctrl->enablecolumns->disabled:

EXT:my_extension/Configuration/TCA/tx_myextension_domain_model_something.php

<?php

return [
    'ctrl' => [
        'enablecolumns' => [
            'disabled' => 'hidden',
        ],
        // ...
    ],
    'palettes' => [
        'visibility' => [
            'showitem' => 'hidden',
        ],
    ],
    'types' => [
        0 => [
            'showitem' => '
                --div--;LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/Form/locallang_tabs.xlf:general,
                    [...],
                --div--;LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/Form/locallang_tabs.xlf:access,
                    --palette--;;visibility,
            ',
        ],
    ],
];

starttime and endtime

These fields can enable records at a starttime and disable them at an endtime. Configure them by setting ctrl->enablecolumns->starttime or endtime:

EXT:my_extension/Configuration/TCA/tx_myextension_domain_model_something.php

<?php

return [
    'ctrl' => [
        'enablecolumns' => [
            'disabled' => 'hidden',
            'starttime' => 'starttime',
            'endtime' => 'endtime',
        ],
        // ...
    ],
    'palettes' => [
        'access' => [
            'showitem' => 'starttime, endtime',
        ],
        'visibility' => [
            'showitem' => 'hidden',
        ],
    ],
    'types' => [
        0 => [
            'showitem' => '
                --div--;LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/Form/locallang_tabs.xlf:general,
                    [...],
                --div--;LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/Form/locallang_tabs.xlf:access,
                    --palette--;;visibility,
                    --palette--;;access,
            ',
        ],
    ],
];

fe_group

This field defines which field is used for access control. Configure it by setting ctrl->enablecolumns->fe_group:

EXT:my_extension/Configuration/TCA/tx_myextension_domain_model_something.php

<?php

return [
    'ctrl' => [
        'enablecolumns' => [
            'fe_group' => 'fe_group',
        ],
        // ...
    ],
    'palettes' => [
        'access' => [
            'label' => 'LLL:EXT:frontend/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_ttc.xlf:palette.access',
            'showitem' => '
                fe_group,
            ',
        ],
    ],
    'types' => [
        0 => [
            'showitem' => '
                --div--;LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/Form/locallang_tabs.xlf:general,
                    [...],
                --div--;LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/Form/locallang_tabs.xlf:access,
                    --palette--;;access,
            ',
        ],
    ],
];

Warning

These fields that enable records ("enable fields") are only respected in the frontend if you use the correct queries and Extbase repository settings in your extension code. See Enablecolumns / enablefields usage for more information.

Manual sorting in the backend

sorting

This field is used to sort records in the backend. Configure it by setting ctrl->sortby:

EXT:my_extension/Configuration/TCA/tx_myextension_domain_model_something.php

<?php

return [
    'ctrl' => [
        'sortby' => 'sorting',
    ],
];

Attention

The sortby field contains an integer and is managed by the DataHandler. It should not be defined in the Field definitions (columns) section in a TCA file. The value of this field can be changed at any time by the DataHandler.

Use default_sortby if you want to sort by a field that belongs to the domain.

Fields managed by the DataHandler

The following fields are automatically set when a record is written by the DataHandler. They should never be displayed in backend forms or explicitly set. They do not need to be defined in the Field definitions (columns) section of the TCA.

EXT:my_extension/Configuration/TCA/tx_myextension_domain_model_something.php

<?php

return [
    'ctrl' => [
        'tstamp' => 'tstamp',
        'crdate' => 'crdate',
        'origUid' => 't3_origuid',
        // ...
    ],
];

tstamp

This field is automatically updated to the current timestamp when the record is updated or saved in the DataHandler.

It can be configured by setting ctrl->tstamp.

crdate

This field is automatically set to the current timestamp if the record is created by the DataHandler.

It can be configured by setting ctrl->crdate.

t3_origuid

Field name containing the uid of the original record if a record is created as a copy or new version of another record.

It can be configured by setting ctrl->origUid.