Inside TYPO3

3.5. Backend Modules

TYPO3 offers a number of ways to attach custom functionality to the backend. They fall into these categories:

Backend main- and sub-modules

The backend menu reflects the hierarchy of modules in TYPO3, divided into Main modules and Sub modules. This was discussed in the introduction to the backend interface. Their properties are:

1. Backend Menu
   They appear in the backend menu and "About modules" screen. They have an icon, title, description etc.

2. Access control
   They can be access controlled for backend users and groups automatically (depends on configuration).

 

 

There is a special kind of module; Frameset modules are main modules in TYPO3 which provides a navigation/list frameset for sub-modules. The "Web" and "File" main modules are frameset modules.

"Function Menu" module

The "Function Menu" is the selector box menu you will often find in the upper right corner of backend modules. By that selector you can select sub-functionality within that module. Often this functionality is hardcoded into the backend module. In other cases (like the core modules Web>Info and Web>Functions) there is an API which allows you to add additional items to the function menu and specify which PHP-class to call for rendering the content of that item.

 

The idea of Function Menu modules is that you can add minor functionalities without introducing a whole new backend module which shows up in the menu. Their properties are:

1. Discrete
   Adds functionality discretely or in certain contexts (like in the Web>Template module you would add functionality related to TypoScript Templates).

2. Simple
   Inherits access control and default configuration from main module.

Stand-alone backend scripts

Finally, a script can also work in the backend without being a "real" module (like those in the menu) or Function Menu module. Such a script basically needs to include the "init.php" file from the TYPO3 main folder in order to authenticate the backend users and include the standard classes of TYPO3. Technically this is done by using a subset of the module API. Such a stand alone script is what you will normally get if you create a new CSM item that has to link to a backend enabled script.