[TYPO3-v4] Simple Content Element API

[Ron Hall]

Hello All,

I found out Jeff had posted his content element API approach to custom 
content elements to this list.

He showed this approach to me about a month ago. I have created content 
elements with it myself.

My assessment: It is AWESOME!!

Over the last month I have had 5-6 situations in which I needed custom 
content elements. In each case I used his API instead of creating an FCE 
with TemplaVoila. I am more excited about this than any other TYPO3 
concept since I discovered Flexible Content Elements (FCEs).

The advantages I have realized using this method over FCEs are:

1) Faster development
2) Less to learn (just Flexform and TypoScript)
3) No mapping
4) Easily portable between installations as extensions
5) Upgradeable via extension manager
6) Can be used in both TemplaVoila and non-TemplaVoila installations

It even handles sections easily. The only thing I have found that it 
cannot do are container-type situations like columns. I still use FCEs 
for those situations but for all other custom content I am using this 
over flexible content elements.

I really think this would be a nice addition to the core. If it is 
decided not to include it in the core then I encourage Jeff the break 
the API portion of the WEC extension into its own extension.

Thanks,
Ron