This document discusses building custom field types for eZ Publish. It covers the theory behind field types, coding a simple example field type, and verifying that it works. Key components of a field type include the main implementation, field type value object, and storage converters. Field types separate concerns from legacy datatypes and offer advantages like clearer code without direct database or POST variable handling.

1. Building custom field
types
Edi Modrić ( @emodric )
https://github.com/emodric/EzscIpAddressBundle

2. About me
• Edi Modrić
• Computer engineering masters degree
• Working at Netgen for 6 years
• 5 years of eZ Publish development
• Certified eZ Publish developer
• eZ Tags maintainer
• Collaborated with eZ Systems on eZ Publish 5 kernel
• @emodric
• edi@netgen.hr

3. Agenda
• A little bit of theory
• Coding a simple field type
• Verifying that it works

4. The code
$ cd /var/www/ezpublish/src/
$ mkdir Netgen && cd Netgen
$ git clone
git://github.com/emodric/Ezsc
IpAddressBundle.git

5. Datatype + public API = field type
• Content class = Content type
• Content object = Content
• Content class attribute = Field definition
• Content object attribute = Field
• Object attribute content = Field value
• Datatype = Field type

6. Field type components
• Main field type implementation
• Field type value
• Per storage converters

7. Field type storage
• Internal storage
• Stores data to ezcontentobject_attribute DB table
• External storage
• Custom database tables
• Anything else

8. What about legacy stack?
• Legacy datatypes are not going anywhere
• No admin interface based on Symfony stack
• To actually use your field type, you WILL need legacy
datatype

9. Field type vs. datatype
• No difference in functionality
• Advantages over datatypes
• Clear separation of concerns
• No POST variables
• No SQL
• No file uploads
• More readable and understandable code