Dynamic base site

Dynamic Silverstripe Base-Site Stack

This skill documents the Dynamic base-site module ecosystem used in Silverstripe projects.

Core Modules

Package	Purpose
dynamic/recipe-silverstripe-base-site	Meta-package that bundles all base-site dependencies
dynamic/silverstripe-base-site	Core page types, models, and extensions
dynamic/silverstripe-site-tools	Shared utilities, extensions, and helper classes

Namespace Changes by Version

Silverstripe 6 (dynamic/silverstripe-base-site:^8, branch 8)

• Namespaces are unchanged from SS5: Dynamic\Base\* (page types, models), Dynamic\SiteTools\* (extensions, utilities). No PSR-4 migration needed for base-site's own classes - only SS6 core framework classes moved (see version-map-ss6.md for the core class renames, e.g. ViewableData → ModelData).
• SiteConfig's header nav (UtilityLinks) moves from a many_many join table (SiteConfig_UtilityLinks) to a has_many SiteTreeLink relation via silverstripe/linkfield ^5 - same data-migration pattern as the general SS5→SS6 LinkField conversion. See data-migration-tasks.md ("UtilityLinks" section) for the migration task.
• SS6-relevant deprecations that hit base-site projects specifically: sheadawson/silverstripe-linkable → silverstripe/linkfield ^5 (run the linkable data migration on SS5 with linkfield ^4 before the SS6 bump); nswdpc/silverstripe-thereisnouserform removed from the SS6 recipe (drop any UserDefinedFormPageExtension registrations in app/_config/essentials.yml or dev/build fatals); undefinedoffset/silverstripe-nocaptcha removed, no replacement.

Silverstripe 5 (dynamic/silverstripe-base-site:^7)

• Namespace: Dynamic\BaseRecipe\* (some classes)
• Namespace: Dynamic\Base\* (page types, models)
• Namespace: Dynamic\SiteTools\* (extensions, utilities)

Silverstripe 4 (dynamic/silverstripe-base-site:^4)

• Namespace: Dynamic\Base\* (all classes)

Common Extensions

Extensions may move between silverstripe-base-site and silverstripe-site-tools in major versions:

Extension	SS5 Location	Notes
TemplateDataExtension	Dynamic\Base\Extension	For SiteConfig
ReviewContentDataExtension	Dynamic\SiteTools\Extension	For SiteConfig
CmsDesignDataExtension	Dynamic\Base\Extension	For SiteTree
SeoExtension	Dynamic\Base\Extension	For SiteTree
HeaderImageExtension	Dynamic\SiteTools\Extension	For pages needing header images
PreviewExtension	Dynamic\SiteTools\Extension	For BlogPost
DataobjectPermissionExtension	Dynamic\SiteTools\Extension	For UserForms
ContactDataExtension	Dynamic\SiteTools\Extension	For CompanyAddress

Configuration Patterns

base-site-config.yml (project)

Should closely mirror the recipe's version. Contains:

• SiteConfig extensions
• SiteTree extensions
• Page type configurations (elemental, etc.)

mysite.yml (project)

Contains project-specific customizations:

• Project-specific extensions (FlexSlider, etc.)
• Custom element configurations
• Third-party module configs

Upgrade Checklist

When upgrading major versions:

1. Check Recipe Config: View the recipe's app/_config/base-site-config.yml to understand the current version's patterns

   cat vendor/dynamic/recipe-silverstripe-base-site/app/_config/base-site-config.yml
   

2. Verify Extension Locations: Extensions may move between modules

   grep -r "class ExtensionName" vendor/dynamic/silverstripe-*/src/
   

3. Check for Removed Extensions: Some custom extensions get replaced by third-party modules

   • CompanyDataExtension - removed in SS5
   • IntegrationsDataExtension - removed in SS5

4. Namespace Updates: Check for namespace changes

   • Dynamic\Base → Dynamic\BaseRecipe in some classes

5. Third-Party Replacements: Custom code often gets replaced:

   • FlexSlider → Carousel (dynamic/carousel)
   • Linkable → LinkField (silverstripe/linkfield)
   • ElementalStylings → removed (use native styles config)

Common Upgrade Issues

Missing Extension Errors

InvalidArgumentException: ClassName references nonexistent Extension in 'extensions'

Solution: Check if extension moved to different module or was removed. Search vendor:

grep -r "class ExtensionName" vendor/dynamic/

has_many Relation Errors

No has_one found on class 'X', the has_many relation from 'Y' to 'X' requires a has_one

Solution: Add reciprocal has_one via config in mysite.yml:

Namespace\ClassName:
  has_one:
    ParentClass: Namespace\ParentClass

Deprecated Packages

• ryanpotter/silverstripe-cms-theme - SS5 has built-in CMS theme
• lekoala/silverstripe-debugbar - check for SS5 compatible version
• fractas/elemental-stylings - use native styles config instead