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:

View	Description	Best for
List	Standard TYPO3 table (unchanged)	Data-heavy tables, system records
Grid	Card layout with thumbnails, drag-and-drop	News, products, team members, media
Compact	Dense single-line rows, fixed columns	Address books, logs, settings, bulk data
Teaser	Minimal cards with title, date, excerpt	Blog posts, events, press releases
Custom	Your own views via TSconfig + Fluid	Timeline, kanban, catalog, gallery

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

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

Mode	Setting	Behavior
Editor-controlled	`columnsFromTCA = 1`	Respects editor's "Show columns" selection
Fixed layout	`columnsFromTCA = 0`	Uses `displayColumns` list exactly

`columnsFromTCA = 1` Resolution Order

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

Special Column Names

Name	Resolves to
`label`	TCA `ctrl.label` field (record title)
`datetime`	First date field (`datetime`, `date`, `starttime`, `crdate`)
`teaser`	First description field (`teaser`, `abstract`, `description`, `bodytext`)

10. TSconfig Reference

View Type Options

Option	Type	Default	Description
`label`	string	required	Display name (supports `LLL:`)
`icon`	string	required	TYPO3 icon identifier
`description`	string		Tooltip
`template`	string	`<Id>View`	Fluid template name
`partial`	string	`Card`	Default partial
`templateRootPath`	string		Custom template path
`partialRootPath`	string		Custom partial path
`layoutRootPath`	string		Custom layout path
`css`	string		CSS file (`EXT:` syntax)
`js`	string		JS module (`@vendor/module.js`)
`columnsFromTCA`	bool	`1`	Use editor column selection
`displayColumns`	string		Comma-separated field list
`itemsPerPage`	int	`100`	Records per page (`0` = no pagination)

11. Workspace Support

Records display color-coded indicators in workspaces:

State	Color	Visual
New	Blue	Blue header + left border
Modified	Purple	Purple header + left border
Moved	Cyan	Cyan header + left border
Deleted	Red	Red header + strikethrough title

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

Event	Purpose
`RegisterViewModesEvent`	Register, remove, or modify view types
`GridViewButtonBarListener`	Injects toggle buttons into DocHeader
`GridViewQueryListener`	Modifies database queries
`GridViewRecordActionsListener`	Collects record action buttons

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);
    }
}

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

Service	Purpose
`RecordGridDataProvider`	Fetches records with thumbnails, icons, workspace state
`GridConfigurationService`	Parses TSconfig for per-table settings
`ThumbnailService`	Resolves FAL references, generates thumbnail URLs
`ViewModeResolver`	Determines active view from request/preference/TSconfig
`ViewTypeRegistry`	Registry for built-in + custom view types
`MiddlewareDiagnosticService`	Detects middleware interference with view rendering

ViewHelpers

ViewHelper	Purpose
`RecordActionsViewHelper`	Renders cached record actions (`<gridview:recordActions>`)

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

Module	Purpose
`GridViewActions.js`	Drag-drop, record actions, sorting, search, pagination, ARIA
`view-switcher.js`	View mode switching with AJAX persistence

AJAX Routes

Route	Purpose
`records_list_types_set_view_mode`	Persist user's view mode preference
`records_list_types_get_view_mode`	Retrieve current view mode preference

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.

typo3-records-list-types