Add support for Fieldtypes to specify that a Field should use a custom class that extends the Field class, rather than always using the "Field" class.

wire/core/Field.php

@@ -616,7 +616,7 @@ class Field extends WireData implements Saveable, Exportable {
 
 		} else if(is_string($type)) {
 			$typeStr = $type;
-			$fieldtypes = $this->wire('fieldtypes');
+			$fieldtypes = $this->wire('fieldtypes'); /** @var Fieldtypes $fieldtypes */
 			if(!$type = $fieldtypes->get($type)) {
 				$this->error("Fieldtype '$typeStr' does not exist");
 				return $this;

wire/core/Fields.php

@@ -155,6 +155,45 @@ class Fields extends WireSaveableItems {
 		return $this->wire(new Field());
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Make an item and populate with given data
+	 *
+	 * @param array $a Associative array of data to populate
+	 * @return Saveable|Wire
+	 * @throws WireException
+	 * @since 3.0.147
+	 *
+	 */
+	public function makeItem(array $a = array()) {
+		
+		if(empty($a['type'])) return parent::makeItem($a);
+		
+		/** @var Fieldtypes $fieldtypes */
+		$fieldtypes = $this->wire('fieldtypes');
+		if(!$fieldtypes) return parent::makeItem($a);
+		
+		/** @var Fieldtype $fieldtype */
+		$fieldtype = $fieldtypes->get($a['type']);
+		if(!$fieldtype) return parent::makeItem($a);
+		
+		$class = $fieldtype->getFieldClass($a);
+		if(empty($class) || $class === 'Field') return parent::makeItem($a);
+		
+		if(strpos($class, "\\") === false) $class = wireClassName($class, true);
+		if(!class_exists($class)) return parent::makeItem($a);
+		
+		$field = new $class();
+		$this->wire($field);
+		
+		foreach($a as $key => $value) {
+			$field->$key = $value;
+		}
+		
+		$field->resetTrackChanges(true);
+		
+		return $field;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Per WireSaveableItems interface, return all available Field instances
 	 * 

wire/core/Fieldtype.php

@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ abstract class Fieldtype extends WireData implements Module {
 	 * 
 	 * #pw-internal
 	 * 
-	 * @param array Field $field
+	 * @param Field $field
 	 * @return array
 	 * 
 	 */
@@ -813,6 +813,21 @@ abstract class Fieldtype extends WireData implements Module {
 		return $schema; 
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Get class name to use Field objects of this type (must be class that extends Field class)
+	 * 
+	 * Return blank if default class (Field) should be used. 
+	 * 
+	 * @param array $a Field data from DB (if needed)
+	 * @return string Return class name or blank to use default Field class
+	 * @since 3.0.147
+	 * 
+	 */
+	public function getFieldClass(array $a = array()) {
+		if($a) {} // ignore
+		return '';
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Returns verbose array of database schema information
 	 * 

wire/core/Fieldtypes.php

@@ -49,10 +49,11 @@ class Fieldtypes extends WireArray {
 		if($this->preloaded) return;
 		$debug = $this->isAPI && $this->wire('config')->debug; 
 		if($debug) Debug::timer('Fieldtypes.preload'); 
-		foreach($this->data as $key => $module) {
+		$modules = $this->wire('modules'); /** @var Modules $modules */
+		foreach($this->data as $moduleName => $module) {
 			if($module instanceof ModulePlaceholder) {
-				$fieldtype = $this->wire('modules')->get($module->className()); 
-				$this->data[$key] = $fieldtype; 
+				$fieldtype = $modules->getModule($moduleName); 
+				$this->data[$moduleName] = $fieldtype; 
 			}
 		}
 		if($debug) Debug::saveTimer('Fieldtypes.preload'); 
@@ -130,11 +131,12 @@ class Fieldtypes extends WireArray {
 		if(strpos($key, 'Fieldtype') !== 0) $key = "Fieldtype" . ucfirst($key); 
 
 		if(!$fieldtype = parent::get($key)) {
-			$fieldtype = $this->wire('modules')->get($key); 
+			$fieldtype = $this->wire('modules')->getModule($key); 
+			if($fieldtype) $this->set($key, $fieldtype);
 		}
 
 		if($fieldtype instanceof ModulePlaceholder) {
-			$fieldtype = $this->wire('modules')->get($fieldtype->className()); 			
+			$fieldtype = $this->wire('modules')->getModule($fieldtype->className()); 			
 			if($fieldtype) $this->set($key, $fieldtype); 
 		}
 

wire/core/WireSaveableItems.php

@@ -42,6 +42,25 @@ abstract class WireSaveableItems extends Wire implements \IteratorAggregate {
 	 */
 	abstract public function makeBlankItem();
 
+	/**
+	 * Make an item and populate with given data
+	 * 
+	 * @param array $a Associative array of data to populate
+	 * @return Saveable|Wire
+	 * @throws WireException
+	 * @since 3.0.147
+	 * 
+	 */
+	public function makeItem(array $a = array()) {
+		$item = $this->makeBlankItem();
+		$this->wire($item);
+		foreach($a as $key => $value) {
+			$item->$key = $value;
+		}
+		$item->resetTrackChanges(true);
+		return $item;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Return the name of the table that this DAO stores item records in
 	 * 
@@ -163,6 +182,7 @@ abstract class WireSaveableItems extends Wire implements \IteratorAggregate {
 	 */
 	protected function ___load(WireArray $items, $selectors = null) {
 
+		/** @var WireDatabasePDO $database */
 		$database = $this->wire('database');
 		$sql = $this->getLoadQuery($selectors)->getQuery();
 		
@@ -170,21 +190,20 @@ abstract class WireSaveableItems extends Wire implements \IteratorAggregate {
 		$query->execute();
 		
 		while($row = $query->fetch(\PDO::FETCH_ASSOC)) {
-			$item = $this->makeBlankItem();
-			$this->wire($item);
-			foreach($row as $field => $value) {
-				if($field == 'data') {
-					if($value) $value = $this->decodeData($value);
-					else continue;
+			if(isset($row['data'])) {
+				if($row['data']) {
+					$row['data'] = $this->decodeData($row['data']);
+				} else {
+					unset($row['data']);
 				}
-				$item->$field = $value;
 			}
-			$item->setTrackChanges(true);
-			$items->add($item);
+			$item = $this->makeItem($row);
+			if($item) $items->add($item);
 		}
+		
 		$query->closeCursor();
-			
 		$items->setTrackChanges(true); 
+		
 		return $items; 
 	}
 

wire/modules/Fieldtype/FieldtypeRepeater/FieldtypeRepeater.module

@@ -199,6 +199,21 @@ class FieldtypeRepeater extends Fieldtype implements ConfigurableModule {
 		$initFields[$className] = 1; 
 	}
 	 */
+	
+	/**
+	 * Get class name to use Field objects of this type (must be class that extends Field class)
+	 *
+	 * Return blank if default class (Field) should be used.
+	 *
+	 * @param array $a Field data from DB (if needed)
+	 * @return string Return class name or blank to use default Field class
+	 * @since 3.0.147
+	 *
+	 */
+	public function getFieldClass(array $a = array()) {
+		require_once(dirname(__FILE__) . '/RepeaterField.php');
+		return 'RepeaterField';
+	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Get the class used for repeater Page objects

wire/modules/Fieldtype/FieldtypeRepeater/RepeaterField.php

@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+<?php namespace ProcessWire;
+
+class RepeaterField extends Field {
+	// example of custom class for Field object (not yet put to use in this case)
+}