Glossary: F

The File Abstraction Layer (FAL) in TYPO3 is the central system for managing files and media across storages. It provides a unified way to reference, reuse, and enrich media with metadata.

Use Cases for FAL

FAL is typically used to organize and deliver media assets, such as:

• Managing images, PDFs, videos, and audio files
• Connecting external storages like Amazon S3 or FTP servers
• Enriching media with metadata (title, description, copyright)
• Reusing media assets across multiple pages and contexts

How FAL Works

• Files are stored in “Storages” that TYPO3 manages (local or external).
• Media are linked via “File References” rather than direct file paths.
• Metadata is maintained centrally and can be used in output rendering.

Advantages

• Unified file and media management across TYPO3
• Flexible storage options (local, cloud, external)
• Consistent metadata handling in all projects
• Reusability of files with central access control

Typical Use Case

A company stores images in an Amazon S3 bucket. TYPO3 integrates this storage via FAL, enabling editors to use the same files seamlessly across multiple websites with consistent metadata.

File collections are records that combine several files.

TYPO3 backend module for managing files.

A Fluid Template is TYPO3’s standard templating technology. It is based on the Fluid template engine and separates layout (HTML) from logic (ViewHelpers).

Use Cases for Fluid Templates

Fluid Templates are typically used to structure and render TYPO3 frontends, for example:

• Designing frontend pages in TYPO3
• Rendering data from Extbase extensions
• Defining individual layouts for content elements or plugins
• Creating reusable partials and layouts

How Fluid Templates Work

• Templates are written in HTML with Fluid tags (<f:...>).
• Controllers (in Extbase) or TypoScript provide the data to the template.
• ViewHelpers extend the functionality (loops, conditions, formatting).

Advantages

• Clear separation of design and business logic
• Extendable with custom ViewHelpers
• Reusable layouts, partials, and sections
• Part of TYPO3 core and supported by the community

Typical Use Case

A news extension provides article data via a controller. The Fluid Template renders the articles in a customized layout, allowing designers to work on the template without touching backend logic.

The frontend is the area of the website that the visitor sees.

File Transfer Protocol