Roadmap Announcement of TYPO3 v13 | Release Schedule

In the latest announcement, Benni Mack and Michael Schams have shared a broad idea about the goals and planned release dates for the upcoming TYPO3 v13 release series. The first sprint release is expected to be released on 31st of January 2024, later-on with four additional releases leading up to the final LTS version which is to be scheduled for October 2024.

They are planning  to publish five releases in less than 10 months:

Source: The blog information reference is taken from TYPO3 Official Website

Summing up the latest TYPO3 v13 release series in a nutshell, the guiding principle would be "Minimizing repetitive tasks and simplifying the daily responsibilities of administrators and editors."

This breaks down to addressing 2 Primary challenges:

• Improving user experience during interactions with the TYPO3 backend, guaranteeing a simple, self-explanatory, straightforward  and guided process. 
• The goal is to optimize and eliminate repetitive actions.

Note: It's crucial to note that the content of this article relies on TYPO3's existing plans, and all the details presented here are subject to potential changes. While we're enthusiastic about some compelling ideas, it's important to acknowledge that certain aspects may prove to be ambitious and could be challenging to realize.

In the following parts, we will go over TYPO3’s plans for TYPO3 v13, giving you a taste of what to expect in the coming months.
 

Overall Objectives for TYPO3 v13

Frontend Rendering Presets
Based on our interactions with various users at conferences, pub camps, and developer days. We learned about the steps that most backend users had to repeat Typically TYPO3 integrators. These jobs include establishing sites, implementing backend layouts, and configuring user permissions. These are the steps for setting up a new, empty TYPO3 instance for editors. Tasks that integrators must complete for every new TYPO3 installation. This move is frequently followed by editor training and assistance in entering site material.

In TYPO3 v13, we intend to simplify these processes and reduce the effort necessary in the user's day-to-day operations. Some options include interactive wizards that guide consumers through the process.

We also want integrators to be able to configure and duplicate these processes. Once a process is created for a client by an integrator or developer, the configuration should be simply reusable for additional clients. An export/import function or an improved content duplication procedure are both possibilities.

Usability & Accessibility of TYPO3 Backend
TYPO3 team is dedicated to maintaining the backends' relevance with the latest technologies and effectively incorporating up-to-date accessibility standards. The existing TYPO3 v12 LTS boasts comprehensive features in this domain.

Recognizing TYPO3's popularity in government and the public sector due to its fine-grained user access permissions and built-in privacy and security standards, efforts will persist to optimize accessibility and modernize the backend, meeting and surpassing the rigorous requirements of these sectors.

Additional Planned Objectives
The TYPO3 team has outlined several additional concepts for the release series and, ultimately, for TYPO3 v13 LTS:

External System Integration: The introduction of new APIs aims to rationalize the integration of external services such as Google Analytics, Matomo, Facebook, and others.

Simplified Workspaces: A "simple mode" will be implemented to amplify the usability of Workspaces, catering to smaller projects and sites.

Image Rendering: The image rendering component in TYPO3 will undergo an update to ideally support modern and advanced image formats by default.

Content Blocks: Aligned with the Structured Content Initiative, Content Blocks will provide improved native support for custom, semantically structured content elements.

These are just a few highlights, and more details will be specified as the development progresses.

System Prerequisites and Interdependencies

PHP v8.2 and Symfony v7
For TYPO3 v13, a minimum PHP version of 8.2 is required, representing a slight progression from the 8.1 version mandated by TYPO3 v12. This upgrade allows us to harness the capabilities of Symfony version 7, which was released in November 2023.

Security updates for PHP version 8.2 will be available until December 2025.

Database Infrastructure
TYPO3 benefits from the versatility provided by the Doctrine database abstraction layer, allowing easy integration with various database servers and engines. As part of our ongoing development, we have a plan to upgrade Doctrine to version 4, pending its stability confirmation, within TYPO3.

In TYPO3 v13, we are committed to supporting a diverse range of database engines, and also its compatibility and performance. The supported database engines for TYPO3 v13 include:

• MySQL version 8.0.17 or higher
• MariaDB version 10.4.3 or higher
• PostgreSQL version 10.0 or higher
• SQLite version 3.8.3 or higher

This deliberate approach assures  TYPO3 customers can take advantage of the most recent database technology, offering a solid basis for their applications.

Upgrading Dependent Packages
With each significant TYPO3 release, they seize the opportunity to advance third-party dependent packages in accordance with their deprecation policy. In TYPO3 v13, our plan includes hiking the versions of the following key packages:

• Symfony to version 7
• Doctrine DBAL to version 4

This proactive approach helps TYPO3 remain aligned with the latest advancements in Symfony and Doctrine DBAL, providing users with functionality and compatibility in TYPO3 v13.

PHP Compatibility Chart

Upcoming Developments

The anticipated release of TYPO3 version 13.0 is scheduled for January 2024. Consistent with tradition, this inaugural series release will get rid of outdated components and APIs that have been previously deprecated. Expect ongoing updates, feature requests, and announcements of further changes with each subsequent sprint release over the next 10 months, leading up to the LTS-release in October 2024.