typo3-simplify

What this skill does

# TYPO3 Code Simplifier

> Adapted from Boris Cherny's (Anthropic) code-simplifier agent for TYPO3 contexts.
> **Target:** TYPO3 v14.x only.

Simplify and refine recently changed TYPO3 code. Preserve all functionality. Focus on
clarity over cleverness, TYPO3 API usage over custom implementations, and v14 patterns
over deprecated approaches.

## Process

1. Identify recently modified files (use `git diff --name-only HEAD~1` or staged changes)
2. Run three parallel review passes: **Reuse**, **Quality**, **Efficiency**
3. Aggregate findings, deduplicate, sort by impact
4. Apply fixes, verify no behavior change

## Pass 1: TYPO3 API Reuse

Find custom implementations that duplicate what TYPO3 already provides.

### Replace Custom Code with Core APIs

| Custom Pattern | TYPO3 API Replacement |
|---|---|
| Manual DB queries (`$connection->executeQuery(...)`) | `QueryBuilder` with named parameters |
| `$GLOBALS['TYPO3_REQUEST']` | Inject `ServerRequestInterface` via middleware/controller |
| `new FlashMessage(...)` + manual queue | `FlashMessageService` via DI |
| Manual JSON response construction | `JsonResponse` from PSR-7 |
| `GeneralUtility::makeInstance()` | Constructor injection via `Services.yaml` |
| `$GLOBALS['TSFE']->id` | `$request->getAttribute('frontend.page.information')?->getId()` (canonical on v14; `routing` page id also works) |
| `$GLOBALS['BE_USER']` | Inject `Context` or `BackendUserAuthentication` |
| `ObjectManager::get()` | Constructor DI |
| Manual file path resolution | `PathUtility`, `Environment::getPublicPath()` |
| Custom caching with globals | `CacheManager` via DI with cache configuration |
| `BackendUtility::getRecord()` for single field | `QueryBuilder` selecting only needed columns |
| Manual page tree traversal | `RootlineUtility` or `PageRepository` |
| `GeneralUtility::_GP()` / `_POST()` / `_GET()` | `$request->getQueryParams()` / `getParsedBody()` |
| `$GLOBALS['TYPO3_CONF_VARS']['EXTCONF']` writes | PSR-14 events or `ExtensionConfiguration` |
| Manual link generation | `UriBuilder` (backend) or `ContentObjectRenderer::typoLink()` |

### Replace Deprecated Patterns (v14)

| Deprecated | v14 Replacement |
|---|---|
| `ext_localconf.php` hook arrays | `#[AsEventListener]` on PSR-14 events |
| `$GLOBALS['TYPO3_CONF_VARS']['SC_OPTIONS']` hooks | PSR-14 events |
| `ext_tables.php` module registration | `Configuration/Backend/Modules.php` |
| `XCLASS` | PSR-14 events or DI decoration |
| TCA `eval` for `required`, `null` | Dedicated TCA keys: `required`, `nullable` |
| TCA `eval` for `trim` | Still valid in v14 — no dedicated TCA replacement; keep `trim` in `eval` when you need it |
| `renderType => 'inputDateTime'` | `'type' => 'datetime'` |
| `'type' => 'input', 'eval' => 'int'` | `'type' => 'number'` |
| `items` with numeric array keys | `items` with `label`/`value` keys |

### Historical removals (pre–v14 code you may still read)

| Removed / legacy | When | Modern approach |
|---|---|---|
| `switchableControllerActions` | Deprecated in **v10.3** ([#89463](https://docs.typo3.org/c/typo3/cms-core/main/en-us/Changelog/10.3/Deprecation-89463-SwitchableControllerActions.html)), removed in **v12.0** | Separate plugin registrations |
| Signal/Slot `Dispatcher` | Removed in **v12** | PSR-14 events |
| `AbstractPlugin` (pi_base) | Made `@internal` **v12.0** (#98281), deprecated **v12.4** (#100639), removed **v13.0** | Extbase or middleware |

### Code quality (not deprecations)

| Topic | Guidance |
|---|---|
| `$querySettings->setRespectStoragePage(false)` | Valid Extbase API — prefer setting **query settings in the repository factory or controller**, not scattered in repositories, for clarity |

## Pass 2: Code Quality

### PHP Classes

- [ ] One class per file, PSR-4 autoloading
- [ ] `declare(strict_types=1)` on every PHP file
- [ ] `final` on classes not designed for inheritance
- [ ] `readonly` on immutable properties
- [ ] Constructor promotion for DI dependencies
- [ ] Explicit return types on all methods
- [ ] No unused `use` imports
- [ ] No suppressed errors (`@`)
- [ ] Guard clauses over deep nesting (early returns)
- [ ] No mixed types where specific types exist
- [ ] Replace `array` typehints with typed arrays or DTOs

```php
// Before
class MyService
{
    private ConnectionPool $connectionPool;
    private Context $context;

    public function __construct(ConnectionPool $connectionPool, Context $context)
    {
        $this->connectionPool = $connectionPool;
        $this->context = $context;
    }

    public function getData($id)
    {
        // ...
    }
}

// After
final class MyService
{
    public function __construct(
        private readonly ConnectionPool $connectionPool,
        private readonly Context $context,
    ) {}

    public function getData(int $id): array
    {
        // ...
    }
}
```

### Fluid Templates

- [ ] No inline PHP or complex ViewHelper chains
- [ ] Use `<f:translate>` instead of hardcoded strings
- [ ] Use `<f:link.page>` / `<f:link.typolink>` instead of manual `<a href>`
- [ ] Use `<f:image>` instead of manual `<img>` tags
- [ ] Partials for repeated markup (DRY)
- [ ] Sections for layout slots, not for reuse (use Partials)
- [ ] No `{variable -> f:format.raw()}` unless absolutely necessary (XSS risk)
- [ ] Variables use camelCase
- [ ] Remove empty `<f:section>` blocks
- [ ] Simplify nested `<f:if>` to `<f:switch>` or ternary where clearer

### TCA

- [ ] Use v14 `items` format with `label`/`value` keys
- [ ] Remove redundant `'exclude' => true` on fields already restricted
- [ ] Use dedicated types: `'type' => 'email'`, `'type' => 'datetime'`, `'type' => 'number'`, `'type' => 'link'`, `'type' => 'color'`, `'type' => 'json'`
- [ ] Use `'required' => true` instead of `'eval' => 'required'`
- [ ] Use `'nullable' => true` instead of `'eval' => 'null'`
- [ ] `eval` => `trim` remains supported — do not remove unless you replace trimming in another layer
- [ ] Remove `'default' => ''` on string fields (already default)
- [ ] Consolidate palette definitions (remove single-field palettes)
- [ ] Remove boilerplate `columns` definitions auto-created from `ctrl` on TYPO3 v14: `hidden`, `starttime`, `endtime`, `fe_group`, `sys_language_uid`, `l10n_parent`, `l10n_diffsource`
- [ ] Use palettes for enablecolumns: Core uses palette key **`hidden`** for `hidden`, **`access`** for `starttime`, `endtime`, `fe_group` (verify keys in your table’s `types` `showitem`)
- [ ] Remove **standard ctrl columns** from `ext_tables.sql` when `ctrl` enables them (`hidden`, `starttime`, `endtime`, `fe_group`, `sys_language_uid`, `l10n_parent`, `l10n_source`, `sorting`, `deleted`, `crdate`, `tstamp`) — only if they are auto-managed for that table
- [ ] Remove unused `showitem` fields from types

### Services.yaml

- [ ] Use autowiring (remove explicit argument definitions when type-hintable)
- [ ] Use `_defaults: autowire: true, autoconfigure: true, public: false`
- [ ] Remove manual service definitions for classes that autowiring handles
- [ ] Remove `factory:` blocks when autowiring handles construction; keep `factory:` for non-trivial construction that autowiring cannot resolve. `#[Autoconfigure]` tags/configures services but does **not** replace `factory:` construction
- [ ] Remove `public: true` unless needed for `GeneralUtility::makeInstance()`

### ext_localconf.php / ext_tables.php

- [ ] Minimize code — move to `Configuration/` files where possible
- [ ] Plugin registration only (no business logic)
- [ ] Frontend plugins: `ExtensionUtility::configurePlugin()` in `ext_localconf.php` **and** `ExtensionUtility::registerPlugin()` (or TCA `items`) in `Configuration/TCA/Overrides/tt_content.php` — both are required for a complete registration
- [ ] No `addPageTSConfig` — use `Configuration/page.tsconfig`
- [ ] No `addUserTSConfig` — use `Configuration/user.tsconfig`
- [ ] No `addTypoScript` — use `Configuration/TypoScript/setup.typoscript`

## Pass 3: Efficiency

- [ ] QueryBuilder: select only needed