Create own action to clone/duplicate TYPO3 8.7 extbase object with nested child elements - object

Question

I build my extbased TYPO3 extension in TYPO3 8.7 . It is a Backend-Module. In the controller, i write my own action to clone the object.
In this example, i want to clone/duplicate the object 'Campaign' and safe it with a modified title, like add the 'copy' text to the title.
But the new object should have also its own new child elements that must be exact copies.
When the action is called, i get only a copy of the Object, but no childs. Is there an example or best case how to handle this task? I did not find, even i found some questions and answers that are on the same topic, but older version. i hope that upd to date, there is a more straight forward solution. Thank you for every hint that points me to the right ideas and maybe an up to date and version example. Here is what i have i my controller. How do i implement recursiv copying of all child elements (and some childs have childs, too)?
/**
* action clone
* #param \ABC\Copytest\Domain\Model\Campaign $campaign
* #return void
* #var \ABC\Copytest\Domain\Model\Campaign $newCampaign
*/
public function cloneAction(\ABC\Copytest\Domain\Model\Campaign $campaign) {
$newCampaign = $this->objectManager->get("ABC\Copytest\Domain\Model\Campaign");
$properties = $campaign->_getProperties();
unset($properties['uid']);
foreach ($properties as $key => $value) {
$newCampaign->_setProperty($key, $value);
}
$newCampaign->_setProperty('title', $properties['title']. ' COPY');
$this->campaignRepository->add($newCampaign);
$this->addFlashMessage('Clone was created', '', \TYPO3\CMS\Core\Messaging\AbstractMessage::OK);
$this->redirect('list');
}

Answer 1

I am aware that this question has been answered a long time ago. But I want to provide my solution to create a deep copy for further reference. Tested on TYPO3 9.5.8.
private function deepcopy($object)
{
$clone = $this->objectManager->get(get_class($object));
$properties = \TYPO3\CMS\Extbase\Reflection\ObjectAccess::getGettableProperties($object);
foreach ($properties as $propertyName => $propertyValue) {
if ($propertyValue instanceof \TYPO3\CMS\Extbase\Persistence\ObjectStorage) {
$v = $this->objectManager->get(\TYPO3\CMS\Extbase\Persistence\ObjectStorage::class);
foreach($propertyValue as $subObject) {
$subClone = $this->deepcopy($subObject);
$v->attach($subClone);
}
} else {
$v = $propertyValue;
}
if ($v !== null) {
\TYPO3\CMS\Extbase\Reflection\ObjectAccess::setProperty($clone, $propertyName, $v);
}
}
return $clone;
}

Answer 2

There is one approach which tackles this usecase from a different POV, namely that request argument values without an identity are automatically put into fresh objects which can then be persisted. This basically clones the original objects. This is what you need to do:
Add a view which has fields for all properties of your object, hidden fields are fine too. This can for example be an edit view with a separate submit button to call your clone action.
Add a initializeCloneAction() and get the raw request arguments via $this->request->getArguments().
Now do unset($arguments[<argumentName>]['__identity']);, do the same for every relation your object has if you want copies instead of shared references.
Store the raw request arguments again via $this->request->setArguments($arguments).
Finally allow the creation of new objects in the property mapping configuration of your argument and possibly all relation properties.
This is how a full initializeCloneAction() could look like:
public function initializeCloneAction()
{
$arguments = $this->request->getArguments();
unset(
$arguments['campaign']['__identity'],
$arguments['campaign']['singleRelation']['__identity'],
);
foreach (array_keys($arguments['campaign']['multiRelation']) as $i) {
unset($arguments['campaign']['multiRelation'][$i]['__identity']);
}
$this->request->setArguments($arguments);
// Allow object creation now that we have new objects
$this->arguments->getArgument('campaign')->getPropertyMappingConfiguration()
->setTypeConverterOption(PersistentObjectConverter::class, PersistentObjectConverter::CONFIGURATION_CREATION_ALLOWED, true)
->allowCreationForSubProperty('singleRelation')
->getConfigurationFor('multiRelation')
->allowCreationForSubProperty('*');
}
Now if you submit your form using the clone action, your clone action will get a fully populated but new object which you can store in your repository as usual. Your cloneAction() will then be very simple:
public function cloneAction(Campaign $campaign)
{
$this->campaignRepository->add($campaign);
$this->addFlashMessage('Campaign was copied successfully!');
$this->redirect('list');
}

Answer 3

If you have "LazyLoadingProxy" instance in your object you need add one more conditions.
if ($propertyValue instanceof \TYPO3\CMS\Extbase\Persistence\Generic\LazyLoadingProxy) {
$objectStorage = $propertyValue->_loadRealInstance();
}
This is my solution for "deepcopy" function:
private function deepcopy($object)
{
$clone = $this->objectManager->get(get_class($object));
$properties = \TYPO3\CMS\Extbase\Reflection\ObjectAccess::getGettableProperties($object);
foreach ($properties as $propertyName => $propertyValue) {
if ($propertyValue instanceof \TYPO3\CMS\Extbase\Persistence\ObjectStorage) {
$objectStorage = $this->objectManager->get(\TYPO3\CMS\Extbase\Persistence\ObjectStorage::class);
foreach ($propertyValue as $subObject) {
$subClone = $this->deepcopy($subObject);
$objectStorage->attach($subClone);
}
} elseif ($propertyValue instanceof \TYPO3\CMS\Extbase\Persistence\Generic\LazyLoadingProxy) {
$objectStorage = $propertyValue->_loadRealInstance();
} else {
$objectStorage = $propertyValue;
}
if ($objectStorage !== null) {
\TYPO3\CMS\Extbase\Reflection\ObjectAccess::setProperty($clone, $propertyName, $objectStorage);
}
}
return $clone;
}

Answer 4

I think a good solution is, to emulate the backend-function.
See the code-example (german text)
http://blog.marcdesign.ch/2015/05/27/typo3-extbase-objekte-kopieren/
The general idea is to extend the TYPO3\CMS\Core\DataHandling\DataHandler and use the parent-method copyRecord. You declare your predefined backend-user to $this->BE_USER in your extend class. The obejct of your predefined backenduser can you get by using the class TYPO3\\CMS\\Backend\\FrontendBackendUserAuthentication and the known name of you predefined backenduser. Your user should have admin-rights and you should define the $BE_USER->uc_default['copyLevels']= '9999'; and declare $BE_USER->uc = $BE_USER->uc_default.
I have not checked, if the declaration $GLOBALS['PAGES_TYPES'][254]['allowedTables'] = '*'; is really needed.
The method copyRecorditself needs mainly the table-name, the uid-value, the pid-value and a language-object as parameters.The languages-object can you get $GLOBALS['lang'], which can although be generated by instanciating \TYPO3\CMS\Lang\LanguageService to $GLOBALS['lang'] and \TYPO3\CMS\Core\Charset\CharsetConverter to $GLOBALS['LANG']->csConvObj.
Sorry about my poor english.