--- title: "How to use enablecolumns in the ctrl section of TCA" manual: "TCA Reference" version: "13.4" permalink: "https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tca:ctrl-enablecolumns@13.4" source: "Ctrl/EnableColumns.rst" rendered: "2026-09-26T05:13:32+00:00" --- # How to use `enablecolumns` in the `ctrl` section of TCA {#ctrl-enablecolumns} ## Migration {#ctrl-reference-enablecolumns-migration} Migration: Remove enable column definitions (hidden, starttime, endtime, fe_groups) from TCA On dropping TYPO3 v12.4 support extensions authors can drop the column definitions of the enable fields. They need to keep the [palettes](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tca:palettes@13.4) and [types](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tca:types@13.4) definitions, however: **EXT:my_extension/Configuration/TCA/tx_myextension_domain_model_something.php** ```diff return [ 'ctrl' => [ 'enablecolumns' => [ 'disabled' => 'hidden', 'starttime' => 'starttime', 'endtime' => 'endtime', ], // ... ], - 'columns' => [ - 'hidden' => [ - 'exclude' => true, - 'label' => 'LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_general.xlf:LGL.enabled', - 'config' => [ - 'type' => 'check', - 'renderType' => 'checkboxToggle', - 'items' => [ - [ - 'label' => '', - 'invertStateDisplay' => true, - ], - ], - ], - ], - 'starttime' => [ - 'exclude' => true, - 'label' => 'LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_general.xlf:LGL.starttime', - 'config' => [ - 'type' => 'datetime', - 'default' => 0, - ], - 'l10n_mode' => 'exclude', - 'l10n_display' => 'defaultAsReadonly', - ], - 'endtime' => [ - 'exclude' => true, - 'label' => 'LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_general.xlf:LGL.endtime', - 'config' => [ - 'type' => 'datetime', - 'default' => 0, - 'range' => [ - 'upper' => mktime(0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 2038), - ], - ], - 'l10n_mode' => 'exclude', - 'l10n_display' => 'defaultAsReadonly', - ], - 'fe_group' => [ - 'exclude' => true, - 'label' => 'LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_general.xlf:LGL.fe_group', - 'config' => [ - 'type' => 'select', - 'renderType' => 'selectMultipleSideBySide', - 'size' => 5, - 'maxitems' => 20, - 'items' => [ - [ - 'label' => 'LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_general.xlf:LGL.hide_at_login', - 'value' => -1, - ], - [ - 'label' => 'LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_general.xlf:LGL.any_login', - 'value' => -2, - ], - [ - 'label' => 'LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_general.xlf:LGL.usergroups', - 'value' => '--div--', - ], - ], - 'exclusiveKeys' => '-1,-2', - 'foreign_table' => 'fe_groups', - ], - ], - // ... - ], 'palettes' => [ 'paletteHidden' => [ 'showitem' => ' hidden ', ], 'paletteAccess' => [ 'label' => 'LLL:EXT:frontend/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_ttc.xlf:palette.access', 'showitem' => ' starttime;LLL:EXT:frontend/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_ttc.xlf:starttime_formlabel, endtime;LLL:EXT:frontend/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_ttc.xlf:endtime_formlabel, --linebreak--, fe_group;LLL:EXT:frontend/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_ttc.xlf:fe_group_formlabel, ', ], ], 'types' => [ 0 => [ 'showitem' => ' --div--;LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/Form/locallang_tabs.xlf:general, [...], --div--;LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/Form/locallang_tabs.xlf:access, --palette--;;paletteHidden, --palette--;;paletteAccess, ', ], ], ]; ``` ## Examples of column enable configurations {#ctrl-reference-enablecolumns-examples} **EXT:my_extension/Configuration/TCA/tx_myextension_domain_model_something.php** ```php [ 'enablecolumns' => [ 'disabled' => 'hidden', 'starttime' => 'starttime', 'endtime' => 'endtime', ], // ... ], 'palettes' => [ 'paletteHidden' => [ 'showitem' => ' hidden ', ], 'paletteAccess' => [ 'label' => 'LLL:EXT:frontend/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_ttc.xlf:palette.access', 'showitem' => ' starttime;LLL:EXT:frontend/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_ttc.xlf:starttime_formlabel, endtime;LLL:EXT:frontend/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_ttc.xlf:endtime_formlabel, --linebreak--, fe_group;LLL:EXT:frontend/Resources/Private/Language/locallang_ttc.xlf:fe_group_formlabel, ', ], ], 'types' => [ 0 => [ 'showitem' => ' --div--;LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/Form/locallang_tabs.xlf:general, [...], --div--;LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/Form/locallang_tabs.xlf:access, --palette--;;paletteHidden, --palette--;;paletteAccess, ', ], ], ]; ``` ## Define all enablecolumn fields {#ctrl-reference-enablecolumns-examples-all} ## Make table hideable {#ctrl-reference-enablecolumns-examples-hidden} **EXT:my_extension/Configuration/TCA/tx_myextension_domain_model_something.php** ```php [ 'enablecolumns' => [ 'disabled' => 'hidden', ], // ... ], 'palettes' => [ 'visibility' => [ 'showitem' => 'hidden', ], ], 'types' => [ 0 => [ 'showitem' => ' --div--;LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/Form/locallang_tabs.xlf:general, [...], --div--;LLL:EXT:core/Resources/Private/Language/Form/locallang_tabs.xlf:access, --palette--;;visibility, ', ], ], ]; ``` ## Common enable fields {#ctrl-reference-enablecolumns-examples-common} ![Record information shown editing an example record](../Images/AutomaticScreenshots/CtrlEnableFields.png) **EXT:styleguide/Configuration/TCA/tx_styleguide_ctrl_common.php** ```php [ 'ctrl' => [ 'title' => 'Form engine - Common table control', 'label' => 'title', 'descriptionColumn' => 'description', 'tstamp' => 'tstamp', 'crdate' => 'crdate', 'delete' => 'deleted', 'sortby' => 'sorting', 'default_sortby' => 'title', 'versioningWS' => true, 'rootLevel' => -1, 'iconfile' => 'EXT:styleguide/Resources/Public/Icons/tx_styleguide.svg', 'languageField' => 'sys_language_uid', 'transOrigPointerField' => 'l10n_parent', 'transOrigDiffSourceField' => 'l10n_diffsource', 'translationSource' => 'l10n_source', 'searchFields' => 'title,description', 'enablecolumns' => [ 'disabled' => 'hidden', 'starttime' => 'starttime', 'endtime' => 'endtime', ], 'security' => [ 'ignorePageTypeRestriction' => true, ], ], ] ``` ## Enablecolumns / enablefields usage {#enablefields-usage} Most ways of retrieving records in the frontend automatically respect the `ctrl->enablecolumns` settings: ### Enablecolumns in TypoScript {#enablefields-usage-typoscript} Records retrieved in TypoScript via the objects [RECORDS](https://docs.typo3.org/m/typo3/reference-typoscript/13.4/en-us/ContentObjects/Records/Index.html#cobj-records), [CONTENT](https://docs.typo3.org/m/typo3/reference-typoscript/13.4/en-us/ContentObjects/Content/Index.html#cobj-content) automatically respect the settings in section [ctrl->enablecolumns](https://docs.typo3.org/permalink/t3tca:ctrl-reference-enablecolumns@13.4). ### Enablecolumns / enablefields in Extbase {#enablefields-usage-extbase} In Extbase repositories the records are hidden in the frontend by default, however this behaviour can be disabled by setting `$querySettings->setIgnoreEnableFields(true)` in the [repository](https://docs.typo3.org/m/typo3/reference-coreapi/13.4/en-us/ExtensionArchitecture/Extbase/Reference/Domain/Repository/Index.html#extbase-repository). ### Enablecolumns in queries {#enablefields-usage-queries} Using the QueryBuilder [enable columns restrictions are automatically applied](https://docs.typo3.org/m/typo3/reference-coreapi/13.4/en-us/ApiOverview/Database/DoctrineDbal/BasicCrud/Index.html#database-select). The same is true when [select() is called on the connection](https://docs.typo3.org/m/typo3/reference-coreapi/13.4/en-us/ApiOverview/Database/DoctrineDbal/Connection/Index.html#database-connection-select). See the [restriction builder](https://docs.typo3.org/m/typo3/reference-coreapi/13.4/en-us/ApiOverview/Database/DoctrineDbal/RestrictionBuilder/Index.html#database-restriction-builder) for details.