README

Upgrading a TYPO3 project to a new major version involves several manual steps:

• checking which extensions are compatible,
• finding newer versions,
• updating constraints in multiple composer.json files,
• and running the right Composer commands in the right order.

This plugin automates that entire workflow into two commands and a clear three-step process.

Installation

composer require b13/typo3-updater

You can set it up for all your projects in a global way:

composer require global b13/typo3-updater

Upgrade workflow

Upgrading from e.g. TYPO3 12 to 13 is a three-step process:

Step 1: Prepare extensions for the target TYPO3 version

composer typo3:extensions:update ^13.4 --dry-run

Updates extensions to versions that are compatible with the target TYPO3 version, while still running on the current core. This is the safest first step because it doesn't touch the core yet — only extensions are updated.

The command shows a compatibility table comparing each extension against both the current and target TYPO3 versions, then interactively offers to bump constraints and run composer require.

Use --dry-run to only see the table without making changes.

Step 2: Update TYPO3 core (and remaining extensions)

composer typo3:core:update ^13.4

Updates all typo3/cms-* constraints to the target version. It also detects any remaining extensions that are still incompatible and finds their latest compatible versions — so everything is resolved in one composer update -W call.

Use --dry-run to preview all changes without modifying anything.

Step 3: Update extensions to their latest versions

composer typo3:extensions:update ^13.4

Now that the core is at 13.4, running the same command again finds the latest available version of each extension for the running TYPO3 version. This ensures you're not stuck on the minimum compatible version but running the newest release.

Use --dry-run to audit which extensions have newer versions available.

Quick reference

# Step 1: Prepare extensions for the upgrade
composer typo3:extensions:update ^13.4

# Step 2: Upgrade TYPO3 core and remaining extensions
composer typo3:core:update ^13.4

# Step 3: Bring all extensions to their latest version
composer typo3:extensions:update ^13.4

Commands

composer typo3:core:update <version> - Update TYPO3 core and extensions

The main command for upgrading the TYPO3 core. It handles core packages and third-party extensions in one go.

composer typo3:core:update ^13.4 --dry-run    # Preview all changes without modifying anything
composer typo3:core:update ^13.4              # Apply changes after confirmation

What it does under the hood:

1. Reads the root composer.json and collects all typo3/cms-* packages whose constraints don't yet match the target version
2. Scans all installed extensions (packages of type typo3-cms-extension) and checks whether their typo3/cms-core constraint is compatible with the target version
3. For each incompatible extension, queries Packagist for the latest compatible version (stable first, falls back to pre-release if no stable version exists)
4. Displays up to three tables:
   • Core packages: typo3/cms-* constraint changes (e.g. ^12.4 -> ^13.4)
   • Extensions to upgrade: extensions that need a version bump, including the new constraint (pre-release versions are flagged)
   • Unresolvable extensions: extensions with no published version compatible with the target (warning)
5. Shows the exact composer update ... -W command that will be executed
6. On confirmation: writes all new constraints to composer.json (respecting require vs require-dev) and runs composer update with -W (update with all dependencies)
7. On failure: reverts composer.json to its original state

Without this plugin you would need to manually: open composer.json, change every typo3/cms-* constraint, search Packagist or TER for each extension to find a compatible version, update those constraints too, run composer update, and if it fails, figure out which package is the problem and revert your changes.

composer typo3:extensions:update <version> - Check and update extension compatibility

A versatile command for managing extensions. It serves two purposes depending on the context:

• Before a core upgrade (target version > installed version): shows which extensions are compatible with the target TYPO3 version and offers to update them
• After a core upgrade (target version = installed version): finds the latest available version of each extension for the running TYPO3 version and offers to update them

composer typo3:extensions:update ^13.4 --dry-run    # Show compatibility table only
composer typo3:extensions:update ^13.4               # Interactively update extensions

What it does under the hood:

1. Loads all installed TYPO3 extensions (from require, require-dev, and path repositories)
2. For each extension, queries Packagist for the latest version compatible with the currently installed TYPO3 core
3. When the target version is newer than the installed version (upgrade scenario), additionally:
   • Queries Packagist for the latest version compatible with the target TYPO3 version
   • Shows a compatibility column comparing current vs target
4. Displays a compatibility table with columns:
   • Current installed version
   • Latest compatible version (for the current core)
   • Compatibility status for the current TYPO3 version
   • Target TYPO3 compatibility (only in upgrade scenario)
5. With --dry-run: stops after the table
6. Without --dry-run: asks for confirmation, then interactively offers to:
   • Bump version constraints in local package composer.json files (e.g. path repository extensions)
   • Run composer require (and composer require --dev separately for dev dependencies) to update extensions
7. On failure: reverts all modified composer.json files to their original state

Without this plugin you would need to: manually check each extension's page on Packagist or TER, compare version constraints, figure out which version supports your target TYPO3 version, and update constraints in potentially multiple composer.json files across your project.

Credits

This extension was created by Jochen Roth in 2023 for b13 GmbH, Stuttgart.

Find more TYPO3 extensions we have developed that help us deliver value in client projects. As part of the way we work, we focus on testing and best practices to ensure long-term performance, reliability, and results in all our code.