[Neos] RFC: Simplify templates and reduce auto-generated HTML

[Rens Admiraal]

I think this is one we had coming, and better change it before the 1.0 
(even after beta) than changing it directly after 1.0 I think...

So I'm in for it, and if we could in some way make it BC it would be 
fine... I think the overall quality of the 1.0 improves if we actually 
have clean HTML instead of the IMO sometimes messy output.

But indeed, it's a change to handle with care and document very well in 
the release notes if there's something breaking...


Greetz,
Rens


Bastian Waidelich schreef op 11/20/13 12:27 :
> Hi all,
>
> as you know we're in the beta phase with Neos which means we shouldn't
> introduce large changes if it's not evitable.
>
> There are two characteristics of Neos we'd like to improve though before
> the "masses" get used to. Those are:
>
> 1. The NodeType templates (aka Content elements) are quite cryptic
> 2. Neos automagically generates a lot of wrapping elements and
> attributes to the content, even in "live" workspace
>
> I have spent some time trying to improve the situation in a backwards
> compatible way and it mostly seems to work out quite nicely (skip to the
> last paragraph if you don't want to read the details).
>
> The template of the Text node type before the change:
>
> {namespace neos=TYPO3\Neos\ViewHelpers}
> <neos:contentElement node="{node}">
>      <neos:contentElement.editable property="text">{text ->
> f:format.raw()}</neos:contentElement.editable>
> </neos:contentElement>
>
> and after:
>
> {namespace neos=TYPO3\Neos\ViewHelpers}
> <div class="typo3-neos-nodetypes-text">
>      {neos:contentElement.editable(property: 'text')}
> </div>
>
> This is much more explicit and less error prone (because you don't need
> to repeat the property name).
>
> The output of the two would be the same, except for the fact that
> currently Neos adds a unique id attribute to each and every node. This
> could be achieved by adding <div class="typo3-neos-nodetypes-text"
> id="c{node.identifier}"> to the template. But I'd suggest to reduce the
> markup to the essentials and let the user decide (something like a
> unique id attribute could easily be added via a TypoScript processor, too).
>
> I also changed Neos so that it doesn't rely on class attributes but on
> data-neos-* attributes that it adds transparently via a TS processor
> (only in user workspace).
> If the template contains a root element (like the div in the above
> example and like it should be the case for most content elements) it
> just adds those attributes to this root element. Otherwise it adds a
> wrapping element (I'm currently testing the browser compatibility for an
> unknown element like "<neos-content-element>" which has no visual
> impact). See [1] for a related issue on forge.
>
>
> Soo, this all seems to work out quite nicely, but..
>
> To add the magic data-neos-* attributes the backend needs I add a
> processor to the TYPO3.Neos:Template TypoScript definition like:
>
> prototype(TYPO3.Neos:Template) < prototype(TYPO3.TypoScript:Template) {
>    # ...
>    @process.addNodeMetaData = TYPO3.Neos:NodeMetaData {
>      @position = 'end'
>    }
> }
>
> (naming tbd)
>
> This turns the "<div class="typo3-neos-nodetypes-text">" from above into
> s.th. like:
>
> <div class="typo3-neos-nodetypes-text" data-neos-content-element
> data-neos-node-type="typo3:TYPO3.Neos.NodeTypes:Text"
> data-neos-node-context-path="/sites/neosdemotypo3org/roadmap/main/node506586bc14559 at user-admin"
> data-neos-workspacename="live"
> data-neos-typoscript-path="landingPage&lt;TYPO3.Neos:Page&gt;/body&lt;TYPO3.TypoScript:Template&gt;/content/main&lt;TYPO3.Neos.NodeTypes:Text&gt;"
> data-neos-removed="false" ...>
>
> (in user workspace)
>
> The problem is that *TYPO3.Neos:Template* is too generic.. We use it for
> menues, stylesheets, page title and what not. And we don't want to add
> the content-element attributes to those obviously.
>
> One solution is to unset the processor for those like:
>
> page = Page {
>    head {
>    stylesheets = Template {
>      # ...
>      @process.addNodeMetaData >
> }
>
> but... eeh..
>
> The only other solution I can think of is adding a new base node type
> for all nodes that should be selectable in user workspace. S.th. like
> *TYPO3.Neos:ContentElement*.
> The problem: A plugin for example should be a ContentElement but no
> Template.
> Any suggestions? Or do you think, this change is not worth the great
> impact at all?
>
>
> [1] http://forge.typo3.org/issues/53046
>