Unclear documentation for read-only entity extension fields

[dallyger]

I wanted to create an entity extension containing a "field without database" but got confused by the docs.
There are so many open questions and assumptions.

What are the field-types for? It seems to have no effect if I use a "BoolField", "StringField" or anything else.

What should I add as an extension? "Please note that its second parameter [...] has to be a struct" is too unspecific.

And what does the customString-value from the example do? Doesn't get used anywhere.

Also, the example doesn't add up it seems.

Here it gets defined as a StringField:

docs/guides/plugins/plugins/framework/data-handling/add-complex-data-to-existing-entities.md

Line 282 in 4258b15

(new StringField('custom_string', 'customString'))->addFlags(new Runtime())

But later on, it gets assigned an ArrayStruct?

docs/guides/plugins/plugins/framework/data-handling/add-complex-data-to-existing-entities.md

Line 326 in 4258b15

$productEntity->addExtension('custom_string', new ArrayEntity(['foo' => 'bar']));

When I follow it, it works but is confusing as hell, when I look at the dump of the entity:

#extensions: array:1 [
    "custom_string" => Shopware\Core\Framework\Struct\ArrayEntity {[#2836]()
      #data: array:1 [
        "foo" => "bar"
      ]
      #_entityName: "array-entity"
      #_uniqueIdentifier: null
      #versionId: null
      #translated: []
      #createdAt: null
      #updatedAt: null
      #extensions: []
      -_entityName: null
    }
  ]

Here, custom_string is not the name of the field as expected, but of the extension? How can it be defined as a "StringField" but not return a string?

[dallyger]

Hi @PaddyS, can you help me here?
Sorry for contacting you directly, but getting ignored on every official channel is pretty frustrating, and you've added the example in the first place. So I didn't know who else to contact.

[dallyger]

Hi there, a full year has passed. Any updates on this one?

[sushmangupta]

@dallyger , thanks for raising this issue and sorry for the delayed response.
We have internally created a ticket to address your concern. We shall be working on this going forward.

[Isengo1989]

@dallyger we removed the confusing part. Thank you for the hint 👍

#1302