[TYPO3-ect] tcaObjects WAS: MVC Project

[Michael Scharkow]

Elmar Hinz wrote:

> * They can't build detailed complex joins themslevs, but thay could pack the
> results of join queries. That is the reason why they only can be one part of the
> model with complex queries.

As Jeff wrote, you can and should always subclass from tcaboj if you 
need additional functionality. Complex queries always need to be added 
manually, so this is not specific to tcaobject.

> * You could use them for 100% of TYPO3 BE form and for 80% - 95% of TYPO3 FE
> forms, but there keeps a rest, where it comes to comples joins.

The goal is to use them always 100% for querying the *interface* to 
build forms from. As I see it, tcaforms are the instances of TCA-defined 
arrays. If you add you special join to it, chances are you must also 
define a special form input.

> * Because they mix aspects of model and view they don't really match
> requirements of a clean MVC architecture. They are rather like direct pipes
> between model and view, limited to one table each.

No, they are not. You really should look into ActiveRecord. TCAobjects 
are just models: They have a defined structure and some attributes that 
they themselves validate. They are only exposing that data for use in 
the view.

> * If they are used both in model and view, you can't simply exchange the view or
> the model angainst another one. There isn't a typical interface between model
> and view.

See above. No view attached to an object (although TCA is violating this 
principle by palette definitions, etc.), but you can attach an object to 
a view. If you have a public interface, another class like TCAforms can 
render a form according to the TCAobj definition.

$user = new TCAobj('fe_users',3);
$form = new TCAform(&$user);
$form->render();


TCAobject is *not* relying on anything but TCA, but could of course, 
once it has a stable API, be used to do a lot of fancy stuff.

Concerning the view: I'm looking forward to a pluggable template API, 
but since TCAobject only exposes data arrays, we're pretty flexible with 
rendering.

Greetings,
Michael