Developer Notes 

This section provides technical notes for developers and integrators working with the RD Comments extension.

Before You Begin 

To ensure the extension functions correctly, please review the following requirements and preparations:

  • ✅ Storage Page: Set the plugin.tx_rdcomments_rdcomment.persistence.storagePid constant. Without this, comments will not be stored or displayed.
  • ✅ Include jQuery (if needed): If your site doesn't already include jQuery, make sure it's available globally before the comment script loads. RD Comments does not auto-include jQuery anymore.
  • ✅ Terms & Conditions (optional): If termsRequired is enabled, configure termsTypolinkParameter to avoid broken links on the frontend.
  • ✅ Frontend Plugin: Place the RD Comments Plugin on the desired detail pages (e.g., news or blog detail). Otherwise, the comment form and threads won't appear.

What You Can Customize 

The extension supports full frontend customization using Fluid templates. You can override these paths in your SitePackage:

Constant Purpose
plugin.tx_rdcomments_rdcomment.view.templateRootPath Override full views (e.g., Comment/List.html)
plugin.tx_rdcomments_rdcomment.view.partialRootPath Override UI blocks (e.g., reply form or metadata)
plugin.tx_rdcomments_rdcomment.view.layoutRootPath Override HTML wrapper/layout structure

Fluid View Inheritance 

If you override only specific templates, be sure to copy the necessary partials or layouts that your custom template depends on. For example:

  • If you override Comment/List.html, make sure Comment/Item.html and any related partials still exist or are overridden as needed.

Template Tips 

  • The default templates use Bootstrap 5 classes and Font Awesome.
  • The comment thread is recursively rendered via a partial loop in frontend .
  • Font Awesome icons are only included if you configure it yourself (the extension doesn't load them automatically anymore).

Styling and Script Integration 

The RD Comments extension relies on specific CSS and JavaScript logic to render and handle the comment interface. If you're planning to customize or override the frontend design, keep the following in mind:

⚠️ Do not remove the JS/CSS configurations blindly — doing so will break the functionality (e.g., the comment box will not appear or reply toggles will not work).

### What You Should Do

  • ✅ Customize with care:

    You can override the visual design of the comment system, but be extremely cautious not to disrupt required structural elements.

  • ✅ Keep all functional class names unchanged:

    Do not remove or rename classes from the original HTML structure. These classes are used by JavaScript to toggle replies, render nested forms, animate scroll behavior, and control button states.

### Summary

If you're modifying the design of the comments section:

  • Don't strip or rename HTML classes, as they are tied to JavaScript functionality
  • Avoid removing JS/CSS unless you've completely reimplemented all required behavior
  • Make sure reply toggling, nested form rendering, and scroll behaviors work as expected
  • Always test your changes across devices and languages to maintain full frontend compatibility

Best Practices 

  • Use TypoScript constants to override paths — don’t modify core extension files.