TYPO3 extension "WDB Content conditions"

This extension adds a TypoScript condition to check if content elements with special values on a site exist. Included are two conditions, ttContent() and tt_content[]:

1. A functional condition
   This is verifying all content elements on a page
   The syntax is:

   ttContent([fieldname], [expected value], [type of value])

   return value: bool / array

   Parameters:

   • fieldname: the field to verify.
   • expected value: the value that shall be checked, optional.
   • type of value: the datatype of the value, optional.

   Due to the return value, and the limit of available operators, it's NOT useful to combine it with further comparisons like a > b. Nevertheless several conditions can be used together concatenated with || (OR) or && (AND).

   Important to understand is that no content elements are returned, but that the new condition is doing most often a boolean check.
   That means that above any condition the content elements have the same amount and properties like below, content elements are not filtered by the condition.

   Note that all queries exclude deleted or hidden records without exception.

2. An array condition to a verify single content element This can be used to check properties of single elements and even combine several to check several properties of single elements. The syntax is:

   tt_content[uid][fieldname]

   return value: string / integer
   Return values are just what is saved in the database, this doesn't respect any relations to files or other records.

   Array Keys:

   • uid: the unique id for the tt_content record to verify.
   • fieldname : the field to verify.

Use case for the additional condition:

Checking for values in content elements allows to include special CSS, JS or to configure other page- or config-related values only if it's required.
Example:

[ttContent("list_type", "tx_myextension_pi1", "str")]
    page.includeCSS.mySlideshow = EXT:my_extension/Resources/Public/Css/mySlideshow.css
    page.includeJSFooter.mySlideshow = EXT:my_extension/Resources/Public/JavaScript/mySlideshow.js
[global]

Explanation:

• ttContent() is the name of the condition and according to the database-table with the same name. For beginners it might be confusing that there still exists a variable in TypoScript with the same name too. Nevertheless, the usage of ttContent() as condition is the only one with round brackets, because it's a function.
• The first parameter "list_type" is the name of the field that shall be checked. Naming conventions for this field name are defined by the database and must not include spaces, minus, brackets or many other characters.
• The second parameter "tx_myextension_pi1" is the value that is supposed to be found as value for a content element in the field "list_type".
  Naming conventions for this value are defined by TYPO3 and must not include spaces, brackets or many other characters.
• The third parameter is the data type of the value and used to assign a constant for DBAL (the framework to access the database). It can be "int", "str", "bool" or more. Important is that this should be "int" for integer values, everything else is not so important and can be "str".
  For some fields with boolean values like hidden as example, the value "int" for this parameter can be used too, as TYPO3 stores boolean values usually as integers (0 or 1).

Special use case: manipulating content rendering

Certainly it's also possible to change definitions for rendering of content elements based on properties of one (perhaps even unreleated) content element. This could be menus but also other content elements. Nevertheless, as neither the content elements nor the rendering definitions of a page are filtered, those changes would relate to all content elements on the page.
Example:
The condition [ttContent("header_layout", 3, "int")] checks in all content elements on a page if the value 3 is saved in the field header_layout. Imagine there is one record, that has this value and this record's headline shall be wrappedd additionally to the h3-tag with the em-tag. But the code tt_content.header.stdWrap.wrap = '<em>|<em>' would wrap the headlines of all content elements, no matter which value they have assigned.

@TODO: whats about operators like &&, xor, etc.?
@TODO: whats about FlexForm values?
@TODO: test null-values
@TODO: update examples below, ttContent(field, value, type) example: [ ttContent("tx_webcan_st_bt_element", 5, "int") ]

Examples for the functional condition:

[ttContent("colPos", 1, "int")]
Checks if the field colPos of a tt_content record on the page has the value 1.

[ttContent("subheader")]
Checks if the field subheader of any tt_content record on the page is filled.

[ttContent("header", "Home", "str")]
Checks if the field header of a tt_content record on the page has the value "Home".

[ttContent("header", "Home", "str") || ttContent("header", "Homa", "str")]
Checks if the field header of a tt_content record on the page has the value "Home" or "Homa".

[ttContent("header", "Home", "str") && ttContent("header", "Homa", "str")]
Checks if the field header of a tt_content record on the page has the value "Home" and another tt_content record the value "Homa".
This example might explain that the data are coming from a pool of records and that a conclusion if these are coming from the same record is usually not possible. If the requested fields are the same, combined by an AND (&&), surely they can't come from the same record. So it's impossible with this condition, to check if two different properties (field values) belong to the same record.

Examples for the condition in array form:

[tt_content[15]["colPos"] == 1]
Checks if the field colPos of the tt_content record with the uid 15 on the page has the value 1.

[tt_content[15]["subheader"]]
Checks if the field subheader of the tt_content record with the uid 15 on the page is filled.

[tt_content[15]["header"] == "Home"]
Checks if the field header of the tt_content record with the uid 15 on the page has the value "Home".

[tt_content[15]["header"] == "Home" || tt_content[15]["subheader"] == "Welcome"]
Checks if the field header of the tt_content record with the uid 15 on the page has the value "Home" OR the field subheader the value "Welcome".

[tt_content[15]["header"] == "Home" && tt_content[15]["subheader"] == "Welcome"]
Checks if the field header of the tt_content record with the uid 15 on the page has the value "Home" AND the field subheader the value "Welcome". This example shows that the data are coming from the same record and it can be be useful to have the uid of a distinct record to verify something.
String comparisons like in this example might be useful to combine with a 3rd condition of the same kind, verifying the field sys_language_uid for the record-language: [tt_content[15]["header"] == "Home" && tt_content[15]["subheader"] == "Welcome"] && tt_content[15]["sys_language_uid"] == 1]