README

Contao 5.7 gave the back end a light, white look and moved the list filters into a column on the right. This extension adds options to each user's profile that bring back the look many editors know from Contao 4 and 5.6, and make edit pages easier to read. Each user chooses for themselves, and anyone who doesn't keeps the standard 5.7 back end.

All options are styling only: no core templates are overridden and no Contao behaviour changes.

Classic theme

The Contao 5.6 colours on top of the 5.7 back end:

orange header with white text and icons
dark navy navigation with the old highlight on the current page
the greyer page background, borders, table rows, form fields and buttons
dark mode with the 5.6 charcoal header and dark navigation

Text colours keep their 5.7 values, which were changed to meet WCAG contrast. The logo and icons are the ones that ship with Contao 5.7; the extension contains no images of its own.

Switch it on: user menu › Profile › section Back end theme › Back end theme: Classic.

Classic Blue theme

The Classic theme with a blue header (#0072a8) instead of orange, and blue accents: the current-page marker, badges, focus rings and checkboxes. In dark mode the header is a darker blue (#005a85).

Switch it on: Back end theme: Classic Blue.

Filters above the list

The 5.7 search and filter column becomes a bar above the list, laid out like the Contao 4 filter bar:

a Filter: row with each filter's name and dropdown, right-aligned and wrapping as needed
Search: [field] = [keyword], Sort: and Show: on the row below, with Apply and Reset
joined to the top of the list as one box, so the list gets the full width

It applies on screens 1280px and wider. Below that, 5.7 already hides the filters behind its Filter button, and that stays as it is. It works with or without the Classic theme.

Switch it on: user menu › Profile › section Back end theme › tick Filters above the list.

Roomier edit pages

Edit pages in 5.7 run their settings together. With this option:

each setting is its own block, with space and a divider line under it and a gap between the two columns
help texts are shown in full instead of being cut off after one line
text fields and dropdowns have darker borders and are a little taller
the field you are in gets a clear focus ring (5.7 shows none on its dropdowns)
checkboxes and radio buttons are larger, with room between the options

Focus rings and checkboxes use the theme's accent colour: blue with Classic Blue, orange with Classic or the standard theme. It works with any theme.

Switch it on: user menu › Profile › section Back end theme › tick Roomier edit pages.

Administrators can set all options for other users under Accounts › Users.

Installation

In the Contao Manager, search for 360fusion/contao-backend-classic, or with Composer:

composer require 360fusion/contao-backend-classic
vendor/bin/contao-console contao:migrate

The database update adds two columns, tl_user.filtersOnTop and tl_user.roomierForms.

Requirements

Contao 5.7 (tested with 5.7.15) and PHP 8.3
Back end languages: English and German
A current browser: Chrome or Edge 120+, Safari 17.2+, Firefox 121+. The stylesheets use :has() and CSS nesting; older browsers show the standard 5.7 back end in places.
Contao installed at the root of its domain, as the stylesheets link to Contao's own icons by path

How it works

An event listener adds a stylesheet to back end pages for users who picked an option. Classic and Classic Blue are listed in the Back end theme dropdown but have no theme folder, so Contao keeps the standard flexible theme as the base and their colours are layered on top.

Updating Contao

The stylesheets are written against the Contao 5.7 back end markup and colour variables. A future Contao release that changes these may need an update of this extension; check it before upgrading beyond 5.7.

Uninstalling

Remove the package with the Contao Manager or composer remove 360fusion/contao-backend-classic. Users who picked Classic or Classic Blue fall back to the standard theme automatically. The two tl_user columns stay until the next database update removes them.

Licence

MIT. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Contao Association.

360fusion / contao-backend-classic

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