Typo3 Records List Types

TYPO3 Records List Types

Compatibility: TYPO3 v14.0+ / PHP 8.3+ Extension key: records_list_types / Composer: webconsulting/records-list-types GitHub: https://github.com/dirnbauer/typo3-records-list-types

TYPO3 API First: Always use TYPO3's built-in APIs, core features, and established conventions before creating custom implementations. Do not reinvent what TYPO3 already provides. Always verify that the APIs and methods you use exist and are not deprecated in your target TYPO3 version (v13 or v14) by checking the official TYPO3 documentation.

1. Overview

Transforms the TYPO3 backend Records module with multiple view modes:

All views include: pagination, sorting, search, record actions, workspace indicators, dark mode, WCAG 2.1 accessibility.

Features

• Grid View -- Card-based layout with thumbnails, drag-and-drop reordering, and field display
• Compact View -- Dense single-line rows with fixed columns and horizontal scrolling
• Teaser View -- News-style cards with title, date, and description excerpt
• Custom Views -- Register your own view types via PSR-14 events or TSconfig
• Drag & Drop -- Mouse and keyboard reordering with full WCAG 2.1 accessibility
• Language Flags -- Language flag icons displayed per record in grid cards
• Workspace Support -- Color-coded indicators for new, modified, moved, and deleted records
• Dark Mode -- Full compatibility with TYPO3's dark mode (light/dark themes)
• Per-Table Config -- Configure title, description, image, and display fields via TSconfig
• User Preferences -- View mode is persisted per backend user via AJAX
• Sorting Controls -- Manual drag ordering and field-based sorting with direction toggle
• Pagination -- Matches TYPO3 Core: multi-table mode shows limited records with "Expand table" button, single-table mode shows full pagination (record range, page input, first/prev/next/last)
• Image Preview Hint -- Subtle notice below thumbnails reminding editors that the image may not appear on the frontend for certain record types
• Zero-PHP Extensibility -- Add new view types with just TSconfig + Fluid template + CSS, no PHP classes needed
• Search -- Client-side search filtering across all view modes
• Accessibility -- WCAG 2.1 compliant keyboard navigation, ARIA labels, and screen reader support

2. Installation

composer require webconsulting/records-list-types
./vendor/bin/typo3 extension:activate records_list_types

After activation, view mode toggle buttons appear in the Records module header.

3. View Mode Configuration

Set Default and Allowed Views

mod.web_list.viewMode {
    default = grid                          # Default for new users
    allowed = list,grid,compact,teaser      # Available in toggle
}

Grid Column Count

mod.web_list.gridView.cols = 4    # 2-6 columns (default: 4)

View Mode Resolution Order

1. URL parameter (?displayMode=grid) -- highest priority
2. User preference (stored via AJAX, persisted per session)
3. TSconfig default (mod.web_list.viewMode.default)
4. Fallback: list

4. Per-Table Field Configuration

Configure which fields appear on cards for each table:

mod.web_list.gridView.table.<tableName> {
    titleField = title              # Card title (default: TCA ctrl.label)
    descriptionField = teaser       # Card body text
    imageField = fal_media          # FAL field for thumbnail
    preview = 1                     # Enable thumbnails (1/0)
}

Common Tables

# News
mod.web_list.gridView.table.tx_news_domain_model_news {
    titleField = title
    descriptionField = teaser
    imageField = fal_media
    preview = 1
}

# Pages
mod.web_list.gridView.table.pages {
    titleField = title
    descriptionField = abstract
    imageField = media
    preview = 1
}

# Content Elements
mod.web_list.gridView.table.tt_content {
    titleField = header
    descriptionField = bodytext
    imageField = image
    preview = 1
}

# Frontend Users
mod.web_list.gridView.table.fe_users {
    titleField = name
    descriptionField = email
    imageField = image
    preview = 1
}

5. View Modes Detail

Grid View

• Card structure: Header (icon, title, drag handle, actions), optional thumbnail image (16:9), field values body, footer (UID, PID, language flag)
• Thumbnails: Automatically resolved from FAL image fields (configurable per table)
• Field display: Type-aware formatting -- booleans as badges, dates in monospace, relations with count indicators, links as clickable, text truncated with ellipsis
• Two-column field layout: Small fields display side-by-side; text/richtext fields span full width
• Drag-and-drop: Both mouse and keyboard (Space to grab, arrows to move, Space to drop, Escape to cancel)
• Record actions: Inline visibility toggle, edit, delete, plus dropdown for info, history, copy, cut
• State indicators: Hidden records get amber headers; workspace records show blue/purple/cyan/red headers
• Language flags: Each card shows the record's language flag icon in the bottom-right corner
• Responsive grid: Auto-fills columns from 320px minimum, scales from 1 column on mobile to multiple on wide screens

Compact View

• Fixed columns: Icon, UID, and title pinned on the left; status toggle, edit, delete pinned on the right
• Scrollable middle: Additional fields scroll horizontally between fixed columns
• Scroll shadows: Visual indicators when content extends beyond the visible area
• Sortable headers: Click column headers to sort ascending/descending via TYPO3's native dropdown API
• Zebra striping: Alternating row colors for readability
• Hidden record styling: Muted background and dimmed title for hidden records

Teaser View

• Clean design: Title, date with calendar icon, description excerpt (2-line clamp)
• Status badges: UID pill and hidden/visible indicator
• Compact actions: Visibility toggle, edit, delete buttons
• Hidden state: Accent bar on hidden records
• CSS light-dark(): Native theme switching support

6. Pagination

Matches TYPO3 Core List View behavior:

• Multi-table mode: Limited records per table with "Expand table" button
• Single-table mode: Full pagination (record range, page input, first/prev/next/last)

# Global default items per page
mod.web_list.viewMode.itemsPerPage = 100

# Per-type override
mod.web_list.viewMode.types.grid.itemsPerPage = 100
mod.web_list.viewMode.types.compact.itemsPerPage = 300
mod.web_list.viewMode.types.teaser.itemsPerPage = 100

# Disable pagination
mod.web_list.viewMode.types.grid.itemsPerPage = 0

7. Sorting

Tables with TCA sortby support two modes:

• Manual: Drag-and-drop reordering (default)
• Field: Sort by column with ascending/descending toggle

A segmented toggle switches between modes. Drag-and-drop supports both mouse and keyboard (Space to grab, arrows to move, Space to drop, Escape to cancel).

8. Custom View Types (Quick Start)

Add a view in 3 steps -- zero PHP required.

Step 1: Register via TSconfig

mod.web_list.viewMode {
    allowed = list,grid,compact,teaser,timeline

    types.timeline {
        label = Timeline
        icon = actions-calendar
        template = TimelineView
        templateRootPath = EXT:my_sitepackage/Resources/Private/Backend/Templates/
        css = EXT:my_sitepackage/Resources/Public/Css/timeline.css
        displayColumns = label,datetime,teaser
        columnsFromTCA = 0
    }
}

Step 2: Create Fluid Template

Copy GenericView.html from the extension as a starting point. Key variables: tableData, tableData.records, record.title, record.displayValues.

Step 3: Add CSS (optional)

Use TYPO3 CSS variables for automatic dark mode:

.timeline-item {
    background: var(--typo3-component-bg, #fff);
    border: 1px solid var(--typo3-component-border-color, #d4d4d8);
}

Full documentation: See SKILL-CUSTOM-VIEWS.md for complete reference including template variables, real-world examples, asset loading, PSR-14 registration, and page-scoped views.

Reuse Built-in Templates

No new template needed -- reuse existing ones with custom columns:

# Address book using CompactView with fixed columns
mod.web_list.viewMode.types.addressbook {
    label = Address Book
    icon = actions-user
    template = CompactView
    displayColumns = name,email,phone,company,city
    columnsFromTCA = 0
    itemsPerPage = 500
}

Page-Scoped Views

Restrict views to specific pages:

[page["uid"] == 42]
    mod.web_list.viewMode {
        allowed = list,timeline
        default = timeline
    }
[end]

9. Column Display

Two modes control which fields appear:

columnsFromTCA = 1 Resolution Order

1. Editor's "Show columns" selection (stored per-user per-table)
2. TSconfig showFields (mod.web_list.table.<table>.showFields)
3. TCA searchFields (the table's most relevant fields)
4. Label field only (final fallback)

Special Column Names

10. TSconfig Reference

View Type Options

11. Workspace Support

Records display color-coded indicators in workspaces:

Workspace overlays applied via BackendUtility::workspaceOL().

Note: Workspace support is experimental. Visual indicators work, but drag-and-drop within workspaces has limited testing.

12. PSR-14 Events

Register a View Type via Event

use TYPO3\CMS\Core\Attribute\AsEventListener;
use Webconsulting\RecordsListTypes\Event\RegisterViewModesEvent;

#[AsEventListener]
final class RegisterKanbanViewListener
{
    public function __invoke(RegisterViewModesEvent $event): void
    {
        $event->addViewMode('kanban', [
            'label' => 'LLL:EXT:my_ext/Resources/Private/Language/locallang.xlf:viewMode.kanban',
            'icon' => 'actions-view-table-columns',
            'description' => 'Kanban board view',
        ]);
    }
}

Event API

$event->addViewMode(string $id, array $config): void
$event->removeViewMode(string $id): void
$event->hasViewMode(string $id): bool
$event->modifyViewMode(string $id, array $config): void
$event->getViewModes(): array

13. Extending

Override Templates via TypoScript

module.tx_recordsgridview {
    view {
        templateRootPaths.100 = EXT:your_extension/Resources/Private/Templates/RecordsListTypes/
        partialRootPaths.100 = EXT:your_extension/Resources/Private/Partials/RecordsListTypes/
        layoutRootPaths.100 = EXT:your_extension/Resources/Private/Layouts/RecordsListTypes/
    }
}

Custom Record Actions

Listen to ModifyRecordListRecordActionsEvent (TYPO3 Core event):

#[AsEventListener]
final class CustomRecordActionListener
{
    public function __invoke(ModifyRecordListRecordActionsEvent $event): void
    {
        if ($event->getTable() === 'tx_yourext_domain_model_item') {
            $event->setAction(
                action: '<a href="..." title="My Action"><span class="icon">...</span></a>',
                actionName: 'myCustomAction',
                group: 'primary',
                after: 'edit'
            );
        }
    }
}

Custom Thumbnail Logic

class CustomThumbnailService extends ThumbnailService
{
    public function getThumbnailForRecord(string $table, array $record, string $imageField): ?FileInterface
    {
        if ($table === 'tx_yourext_domain_model_item') {
            return $this->getFromExternalSource($record);
        }
        return parent::getThumbnailForRecord($table, $record, $imageField);
    }
}

Register override in Services.yaml:

services:
  Webconsulting\RecordsListTypes\Service\ThumbnailService:
    class: YourVendor\YourExtension\Service\CustomThumbnailService

JavaScript Hooks

document.addEventListener('recordsGridview:viewModeChanged', (event) => {
    console.log('View mode changed to:', event.detail.mode);
});

14. Architecture

Services

ViewHelpers

CSS Architecture

base.css            ← Always loaded (heading, pagination, sorting)
├── grid-view.css   ← Grid-only: cards, drag-drop, field types
├── compact-view.css← Compact-only: table, sticky columns
├── teaser-view.css ← Teaser-only: teaser cards, badges
└── view-mode-toggle.css ← DocHeader toggle buttons

Custom view types automatically receive base.css.

JavaScript Modules

AJAX Routes

15. Common Recipes

Grid as Default for Media Folders

[page["doktype"] == 254]
    mod.web_list.viewMode.default = grid
    mod.web_list.viewMode.allowed = list,grid
    mod.web_list.gridView.cols = 6
[end]

Disable Extension for Specific Pages

[page["uid"] == 123 || page["pid"] == 123]
    mod.web_list.viewMode.allowed = list
[end]

Force View for User Group

# User TSconfig
options.layout.records.forceView = grid

Photo Gallery (48 items, Grid template)

mod.web_list.viewMode.types.gallery {
    label = Photo Gallery
    icon = actions-image
    template = GridView
    columnsFromTCA = 0
    displayColumns = label
    itemsPerPage = 48
}

mod.web_list.gridView.table.sys_file_metadata {
    titleField = title
    imageField = file
    preview = 1
}

Companion Extension

Install typo3-records-list-examples for 6 ready-to-use view types: Timeline, Catalog, Address Book, Event List, Gallery, Dashboard.

16. File Structure

records_list_types/
├── Classes/
│   ├── Constants.php
│   ├── Controller/
│   │   ├── Ajax/ViewModeController.php        # AJAX preference persistence
│   │   └── RecordListController.php           # Main controller (XClass)
│   ├── Event/
│   │   └── RegisterViewModesEvent.php         # PSR-14: custom view registration
│   ├── EventListener/
│   │   ├── GridViewButtonBarListener.php      # Injects toggle buttons
│   │   ├── GridViewQueryListener.php          # Query modification bridge
│   │   └── GridViewRecordActionsListener.php  # Record action collection
│   ├── Pagination/
│   │   └── DatabasePaginator.php              # Paginator for pre-fetched records
│   ├── Service/
│   │   ├── GridConfigurationService.php       # TSconfig parsing
│   │   ├── MiddlewareDiagnosticService.php    # Middleware diagnostics
│   │   ├── RecordGridDataProvider.php         # Record fetching & enrichment
│   │   ├── ThumbnailService.php               # FAL image processing
│   │   ├── ViewModeResolver.php               # View mode determination
│   │   └── ViewTypeRegistry.php               # View type management
│   └── ViewHelpers/
│       └── RecordActionsViewHelper.php        # Record actions rendering
├── Configuration/
│   ├── Backend/AjaxRoutes.php
│   ├── Icons.php
│   ├── JavaScriptModules.php
│   ├── page.tsconfig
│   └── Services.yaml
├── Documentation/
├── Resources/
│   ├── Private/
│   │   ├── Language/ (en, de)
│   │   ├── Layouts/
│   │   ├── Partials/ (Card, CompactRow, Pagination, RecordActions, SortingDropdown, TeaserCard, ViewSwitcher)
│   │   └── Templates/ (CompactView, GenericView, GridView, TeaserView)
│   └── Public/
│       ├── Css/ (base, grid-view, compact-view, teaser-view, view-mode-toggle)
│       ├── Icons/
│       └── JavaScript/ (GridViewActions, view-switcher)
├── Tests/ (Unit, Functional, Architecture)
├── composer.json
├── ext_emconf.php
└── ext_localconf.php

17. Accessibility

• Keyboard drag-and-drop: Space/Enter to grab, arrows to move, Space/Enter to drop, Escape to cancel
• ARIA live regions: Announce drag state and position ("Position 3 of 12")
• Semantic markup: role="listbox" on grids, role="option" on cards
• Focus management: Visible focus indicators, proper tab order

18. Dark Mode

All views support TYPO3 dark mode via CSS custom properties:

• [data-color-scheme="dark"] attribute support
• prefers-color-scheme: dark system preference
• Design tokens for all colors, shadows, and borders

19. Security

• SQL Injection Prevention: All queries use TYPO3's QueryBuilder with parameterized named parameters
• CSRF Protection: AJAX endpoints use TYPO3's built-in token handling
• Access Control: Full integration with TYPO3's backend user permissions and workspace restrictions
• Input Validation: View mode, table names, UIDs, and sort parameters validated and sanitized
• XSS Prevention: Fluid templates with proper escaping; no raw HTML output of user data

20. Known Limitations

• Workspace support is experimental. Visual indicators work, but drag-and-drop within workspaces has limited testing.
• Drag-and-drop accessibility: Keyboard-based drag-and-drop is implemented with ARIA, but screen reader testing (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver) has been limited. Standard List View is a more tested fallback.