Extension load order #

Part 3, chapter 5. When two extensions ship the same setting, the same template path or the same override, one of them wins. Which one depends on the load order. This chapter explains how the order is made and how to control it.

The rule #

An extension earlier in the load order has the higher priority: its settings win, and its design folders are searched first. So the extension that should win is listed first.

Where the order comes from #

1. The written order: ActiveExtensions[] in the order the settings files list them, followed by the siteaccess's ActiveAccessExtensions[].

2. Declared dependencies: with site.ini [ExtensionSettings] ExtensionOrdering=enabled (the default) the kernel sorts the list by the <dependencies> of each extension.xml (eZExtension::extensionOrdering()):

   Your extension.xml says	Effect
   <requires><extension name="x"/></requires>	x loads before yours
   <uses><extension name="x"/></uses>	x loads before yours
   <extends><extension name="x"/></extends>	yours loads before x, and so wins over it

   Extensions with no relation to each other keep their written order. A cycle of dependencies cannot be sorted; the written order is used then.

Practical consequences #

See the real order #

./console exp:ini get site.ini/ExtensionSettings/ActiveExtensions

prints the written order. Setup > Extensions shows, on each card, "Loads as number n" when the real position differs from the written one, and lists dependency problems. From PHP, eZExtension::activeExtensions() returns the order the kernel uses.

The design chain shows the effect on templates directly; the script in The design chain prints it.

Extensions in more than one folder #

Since July 2026 extensions can live in more than one folder:

[ExtensionSettings]
AdditionalExtensionDirectories[]
AdditionalExtensionDirectories[]=extension_src

extension/ stays the first folder; the extra folders are searched after it. A typical split keeps installed extensions in extension/ and your own in extension_src/. Activation and load order do not change: an extension is named by its folder name, wherever it lives. See Extensions in more than one folder.

Related pages #

• Previous: Activating an extension
• Next: composer.json for an extension
• Extension loading order and safe saving
• extension.xml: metadata and dependencies
• Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.