How to use `enablecolumns` in the `ctrl` section of TCA

All enable column definitions (hidden, starttime, endtime, fe_groups) are automatically created if they are registered in the ctrl section in the main TCA (not in the overrides) of a table.

Grouping fields (palettes) as known from Core TCA definitions have to be defined in the TCA of a custom table however. If the fields should be editable by backend users, the also have to be added to the Record types definitions.

Examples of column enable configurations

EXT:my_extension/Configuration/TCA/tx_myextension_domain_model_something.php

<?php

return [
    'ctrl' => [
        'enablecolumns' => [
            'disabled' => 'hidden',
            'starttime' => 'starttime',
            'endtime' => 'endtime',
        ],
        // ...
    ],
    'palettes' => [
        'paletteHidden' => [
            'showitem' => '
                hidden
            ',
        ],
        'paletteAccess' => [
            'showitem' => '
                starttime, endtime,
                --linebreak--,
                fe_group',
        ],
    ],
    'types' => [
        0 => [
            'showitem' => '
                --div--;core.form.tabs:general,
                    [...],
                --div--;core.form.tabs:access,
                    --palette--;;paletteHidden,
                    --palette--;;paletteAccess,
            ',
        ],
    ],
];

Define all enablecolumn fields

Make table hideable

EXT:my_extension/Configuration/TCA/tx_myextension_domain_model_something.php

<?php

return [
    'ctrl' => [
        'enablecolumns' => [
            'disabled' => 'hidden',
        ],
        // ...
    ],
    'palettes' => [
        'visibility' => [
            'showitem' => 'hidden',
        ],
    ],
    'types' => [
        0 => [
            'showitem' => '
                --div--;core.form.tabs:general,
                    [...],
                --div--;core.form.tabs:access,
                    --palette--;;visibility,
            ',
        ],
    ],
];

Common enable fields

Record information shown editing an example record

EXT:styleguide/Configuration/TCA/tx_styleguide_ctrl_common.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',
        'enablecolumns' => [
            'disabled' => 'hidden',
            'starttime' => 'starttime',
            'endtime' => 'endtime',
        ],
        'security' => [
            'ignorePageTypeRestriction' => true,
        ],
    ],
]

Enablecolumns / enablefields usage

Most ways of retrieving records in the frontend automatically respect the ctrl->enablecolumns settings:

Enablecolumns in TypoScript

Records retrieved in TypoScript via the objects RECORDS, CONTENT automatically respect the settings in section ctrl->enablecolumns.

Enablecolumns / enablefields in 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.

Enablecolumns in queries

Using the QueryBuilder enable columns restrictions are automatically applied.

The same is true when select() is called on the connection.

See the Restriction builder for details.

How to use enablecolumns in the ctrl section of TCA