README

GSB 11 Extension gsb_core

About

The extension gsb_core is the mainstay of the several GSB 11 extensions. The extension configures TYPO3 and extends it with selected extensions to provide better structured and appealing content while optimizing accessibility.

Learn more about the GSB 11.

Installation

The best way to install this extension is to start with the GSB Sitepackage Kickstarter extension.

Quick installation without GSB Sitepackage Kickstarter

In a composer-based TYPO3 installation you can install the extension EXT:gsb_core via composer:

  composer config -g gitlab-domains gitlab.opencode.de && \
  composer config -g repositories.gsb-core vcs https://gitlab.opencode.de/bmi/government-site-builder-11/extensions/gsb_core.git

  composer require itzbund/gsb-core

In TYPO3 installations above version 11.5 the extension will be automatically installed. You do not have to activate it manually.

Feature Flags

This document explains how to use feature flags. We separate between two different kinds of feature flags:

Feature

Feature flags allow you to enable or disable specific features in your installation. \ This is of particular importance to disable features that have not passed the approval process.

Optional

Optional flags allow you to (de-)activate specific features for your installation. \ A practical use for these is the (de-)activation of an extension.

For more information about feature flags in TYPO3, please refer to the official TYPO3 Documentation on Feature Flags.

Feature Flag Configuration

Feature and Optional flags are configured in the .env or the local-dev/.ddev/docker-compose.environment.yaml file on ddev machine. To add a feature flag, use the following syntax:

# FEATURE FLAG
- TYPO3__SYS__features__GSB11_FEATURE_123_NEW_FEATURE=%const(bool:true)%
# OPTIONAL FLAG
- TYPO3__SYS__features__GSB11_OPTION_123_ENABLE_EXTENSION=%const(bool:true)%

In this example, both feature flags, GSB11_FEATURE_123_NEW_FEATURE and GSB11_OPTION_123_ENABLE_EXTENSION, are set to true. To disable the feature, change the value to false or delete the setting.

Feature Flag Truth Table

This table illustrates the behavior of feature flags in various states.

Usage in PHP Code

To use a feature flag in your PHP code, you can check the flag's value with the isFeatureEnabled() method of the Features class:

if (GeneralUtility::makeInstance(Features::class)->isFeatureEnabled('GSB11_FEATURE_123_NEW_FEATURE')) {
    echo 'Feature is enabled';

    // Feature-specific code
    ...
}

Usage in Fluid Templates

Feature flags can also be checked in your Fluid templates with TYPO3's Feature ViewHelper.

Basic usage

<f:feature name="GSB11_FEATURE_123_NEW_FEATURE">
   This is being shown if the flag is enabled
</f:feature>

Feature > then > else

<f:feature name="GSB11_OPTION_123_ENABLE_EXTENSION">
    <f:then>
        Flag is enabled
    </f:then>
    <f:else>
        Flag is undefined or not enabled
    </f:else>
</f:feature>

Current feature flags of gsb_core

Usage

Nothing to do.

Site package

Site packages in EXT:gsb_core are alike to sets in TYPO3 13+.

A package is available in the site configuration if it matches one of the following criteria:

• it's extension key includes gsb_core or site AND does not include impexp
• it has the following configuration in it's composer.json:

    {
        "extra": {
            "itzbund/gsb-core": {
                 "isSitePackage": true
            }
        }
    }

If a package has been selected as a site package, it's typoscript configuration (Configuration/TypoScript/{constants|setttings}.typoscript) will be loaded as the root template, which allows for zero configuration deployments.

Further Reading

For more information about feature flags in TYPO3, please refer to the TYPO3 Documentation on Feature Flags.

Middleware based endpoints

/api/version

For infrastructure reasons this extension provides a version endpoint at /api/version which returns a json object with the following structure

{
    "versions": {
        "gsb": "[string|null]",
        "container": "[string|null]",
        "helmChart": "[string|null]",
        "TYPO3": "[string|null]",
        "packageCacheHash": "[string|null]"
    }
}

This endpoint can be used to decide whether a cache flush might be necessary after a deployment (or: whether it's not - because the version hasn't changed).

/api/health

This extension provides a health endpoint at /api/health which returns a response without a body and status code 204.

⚠️ Warning: on production systems you should restrict access to all /api paths from the outside to not expose critical system information.

Contribute

As with TYPO3, we encourage you to join the project by submitting changes. Development of the GSB 11 mainly happens in the GSB 11 TYPO3 extension repositories.

To get started, have a look at our detailed contribution walkthrough.