TYPO3 Core

If "a spacer is a spacer", then a shortcut is a shortcut. :) It is only meant to make a shortcut to another page.

Yes, i thought about using a shortcut for grouping pages and it would be possible as doNotLinkIt has stdWrap: it would be possible to doNotLinkIt only if there's no shortcut-target.
But that is only a workaround.
Btw.: normal shortcut pages without a target still have an <a>-Tag without "href" :-(

Yet the symbol of the shortcut-page makes the use unmistakable.

Here's another workaround:

lib.mymenu = HMENU
lib.mymenu{
    entryLevel = 0
    1 = TMENU
    1 {
        wrap = <ul>|</ul>
        NO {
            wrapItemAndSub = <li>|</li>

            after.cObject = HMENU
            after.cObject{
                special = directory
                special.value.field = uid
                1 = TMENU
                1{
                    wrap = <ul>|</ul>
                    NO {
                        wrapItemAndSub = <li>|</li>
                    }
                }
            }
        }
        SPC<.NO
        SPC = 1
    }
}

The spacers's symbol would at least be fine for both usages. I agree that it would be worth thinking about renaming it to f.e. "space/group", or creating new page-type for grouping pages, or making it possible to show sys-folders (rename to just "folders") in menus, but a shortcut is not a solid solution, as it's title and symbol clearly pretend that it has a target.

Ben Robinson wrote:

If "a spacer is a spacer", then a shortcut is a shortcut. :) It is only meant to make a shortcut to another page.

• Redirect to a page of choice (covered by shortut)
• throw a 404

What do you think?

It should behave like a sysfolder or spacer: standard-page-not-found-handling as defined in the install-tool (usually a 404).

We had a discussion about page-types and use-cases in issue 18079: https://forge.typo3.org/issues/18079
Should this be marked as "related issue"? The "slide"-feature is also important.
BTW: it will be necessary to discus how to handly such pages in "special = rootline" menus.

Ben Robinson wrote:

We had a discussion about page-types and use-cases in issue 18079: https://forge.typo3.org/issues/18079

I think it makes sense to keep a clear distinction between folders and pages.
With the "Grouping Page" or "Spacer" approach we have this distinction.

Should this be marked as "related issue"? The "slide"-feature is also important.

As long as we stay away from a folder, we're fine.

BTW: it will be necessary to discus how to handly such pages in "special = rootline" menus.

This one would work just like any other menu.
If you want it in your rootline, set to "doNotLinkIt", if now, set it do "doNotShowLink".

So I think we're save here

O.k.. I'll update the issue 18079 "slide of cObj CONTENT stops if sysfolder in rootline" to have a look at this one here. If we have a solution for grouping pages, there would not be any need to have a slide for sysfolder, because they won't be (ab-)used for grouping pages anymore.

After reading, the feature is adding a new page type for such groupings?

Doesn't a normal content page with doNotLinkIt do the same?

Yes, this could be a new page type.
No, a normal page does not have a special icon and would be available in the frontend.

I tried a short test with TYPO3 9.5.8, using the MenuProcessor and following this example: https://www.thomaskieslich.de/blog/132-typo3-8-menues-mit-fluid-und-menuprocessor-erstellen/

as far as I can see, the subpages of a "spacer" page are still ignored; the only way to accomplish this feature by now seems to use EXT:vhs and v:menu with includeSpacers - see the documentation here: https://fluidtypo3.org/viewhelpers/vhs/master/MenuViewHelper.html

Since this is still a problem build a small workaround extension:

https://packagist.org/packages/pulponair/spacer-subpages
https://github.com/pulponair/spacer_subpages
https://extensions.typo3.org/extension/spacer_subpages/

Patch set 2 for branch main of project Packages/TYPO3.CMS has been pushed to the review server.
It is available at https://review.typo3.org/c/Packages/TYPO3.CMS/+/72807

Patch set 1 for branch 11.5 of project Packages/TYPO3.CMS has been pushed to the review server.
It is available at https://review.typo3.org/c/Packages/TYPO3.CMS/+/72840