---
title: "Prerequisites to start with TYPO3"
manual: "Getting Started"
version: "14.3"
permalink: "https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3start:prerequisites@14.3"
source: "Prerequisites/Index.rst"
rendered: "2026-10-01T16:42:59+00:00"
---

# Prerequisites to start with TYPO3 {#prerequisites}

Before you start working on this tutorial, you should have DDEV installed on
your computer.

This TYPO3 tutorial assumes that the reader has some basic knowledge in the following areas:

-   [HTML, CSS and JavaScript](https://www.w3schools.com/html/default.asp)
-   [Basic Command Line Interface (CLI) Commands](https://www.w3schools.com/whatis/whatis_cli.asp)

## Composer cheat sheet {#composer-cheat-sheat}

Composer is a powerful tool for managing dependencies in PHP projects, including
TYPO3. Here you will find an overview of the four most important commands with a
simple explanation of what they do.

### composer require {#composer-require}

```bash
composer require vendor/extension-name
```

It installs a new package (e.g. a TYPO3 extension) and automatically adds it to your **composer.json**.
Composer determines the appropriate version based on your current configuration.
All required dependencies for the package are also installed.

### composer remove {#composer-remove}

```bash
composer remove vendor/extension-name
```

Uninstalls an existing package from your project.
Removes the entry from **composer.json** and deletes related files from the
**vendor** folder.
Removes unused dependencies that were only required for the removed package.

### composer install {#composer-install}

```bash
composer install
```

It installs exactly the versions specified in the **composer.lock** file.

### composer update {#composer-update}

```bash
composer update
```

It updates all installed packages to their latest version, as allowed by the version constraints in **composer.json**.
The **composer.lock** file, which records the exact package versions, is updated.
Downloads the updated packages to the **vendor** folder.