[TYPO3-hci] BE vs FE

[Elmar Hinz]

Hello Waldemar,

Waldemar Kornewald wrote:
> On 7/31/06, Bernhard Kraft <kraftb at kraftb.at> wrote:
>> > I don't really get what the advantage of this separation is. It makes
>> > everything more complicated, but for what reason? Security? Add a
>> > simple flag (other CMSes already do this). What else?
>>
> Yep, that was what I meant. I fully understand that the backend is
> only for admins, but why those different user records? This makes it
> impossible to simply grant an existing FE user BE access and the UI
> separates FE and BE users too much.
> 

I fought the same arguments alone against united troops of core developers
two years ago. Meanwhile the thinking has changed a lot towards more
flexibility.

Old TYPO3 has a plain, static FE - BE architecture. Editors and Readers
strictly divided. Web frontal. It is very dependant on static caching, when
it runs on big servers. TYPO3 4.x is not designed to work as a community
portal, TYPO3 4.x is not designed for the dynamic Web 2 applications of
tomorrow.

I think that are reasons why Drupal is much more successfull in the USA.
TYPO3 is very successfull today in Europe because of the great
possibilities of configuration and design, but to be honest the static
architecture is an architecture of the past. Caching must happen in deeper
levels and smaller units than in whole pages, to give the opportunity to
still dynamically play with cached components.

TYPO3 5.x gives us the great opportunity to move TYPO3 to concepts of
tomorrow. It will show up within the next monthes  if this chances will be
taken or not. If the chances are taken TYPO3 has a big future because it
can count on a strong community. If chances are not taken I expect TYPO3
will fall behind within 3 years. We remember how quickly big Yahoo has been
blown away by google suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

> 
> Well, a role or group could do. Roles are in a different table and
> normally, an end-user accessible plugin won't manipulate roles. So,
> it's really strange why this separation was done. Would it be very
> difficult to revert this for V4.5? Our project really needs one single
> user DB and since the separation is unnecessary this should be
> removed, anyway.
> 

Waldemar, in the core I think those invasiv ideas are not realistic within
the 4.x branch, because it would bring to much problems with compatibility
of existing installations and extensions. The big changes must be realistic
for the 5.x branch, else there is no reason to start it at all. To enable
such features already within 4.x, I think the best way is to do it with
extensions.

Please support the "Partner Framework", wich provides a concept to flexible
overcome the FE/BE limitations.

<http://wiki.typo3.org/index.php/Partner_Framework>


Contribute to the extensions of ECT which are also targeted to provide 5.x
features within the 4.x branch. There are a too many people complaining
instead of helping. I hate it when I see people complain while they have
the opportinity to improve the situation.

<http://wiki.typo3.org/index.php/Extension_coordination_team>

Regards

Elmar