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.

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 types definitions.

Examples of column enable configurations

Define all enablecolumn fields

The conference table uses all enable columns:

EXT:my_extension/Configuration/TCA/tx_myextension_conference.php

<?php

return [
  'ctrl' => [
    'title' => 'my_extension.db:conference',
    'label' => 'title',
    'descriptionColumn' => 'internal_notes',
    'default_sortby' => 'conference_date DESC',
    'tstamp' => 'tstamp',
    'crdate' => 'crdate',
    'delete' => 'deleted',
    'editlock' => 'editlock',
    'enablecolumns' => [
      'disabled' => 'hidden',
      'starttime' => 'starttime',
      'endtime' => 'endtime',
      'fe_group' => 'fe_group',
    ],
    'languageField' => 'sys_language_uid',
    'transOrigPointerField' => 'l10n_parent',
    'transOrigDiffSourceField' => 'l10n_diffsource',
    'translationSource' => 'l10n_source',
    'versioningWS' => true,
    'origUid' => 't3_origuid',
    'iconfile' => 'EXT:my_extension/Resources/Public/Icons/Conference.svg',
    'security' => [
      'ignorePageTypeRestriction' => true,
    ],
  ],
  'columns' => [
    'title' => [
      'label' => 'my_extension.db:conference.title',
      'config' => [
        'type' => 'input',
        'required' => true,
        'max' => 255,
        'eval' => 'trim',
      ],
    ],
    'conference_date' => [
      'label' => 'my_extension.db:conference.conference_date',
      'config' => [
        'type' => 'datetime',
        'format' => 'date',
        'required' => true,
      ],
    ],
    'internal_notes' => [
      'label' => 'my_extension.db:conference.internal_notes',
      'config' => [
        'type' => 'text',
        'rows' => 3,
      ],
    ],
  ],
  // The fields of the other tabs are added in Configuration/TCA/Overrides/
  'types' => [
    '0' => [
      'showitem' => '
        title, conference_date,
        --div--;my_extension.db:tab.program,
        --div--;my_extension.db:tab.details,
        --div--;core.form.tabs:categories,
        --div--;core.form.tabs:access,
          hidden, --palette--;;access, fe_group, editlock,
        --div--;core.form.tabs:language,
          --palette--;;language,
        --div--;my_extension.db:tab.comments,
        --div--;core.form.tabs:notes,
          internal_notes,
      ',
    ],
  ],
  'palettes' => [
    'access' => [
      'label' => 'core.form.palettes:access',
      'showitem' => 'starttime, endtime',
    ],
    'language' => [
      'showitem' => 'sys_language_uid, l10n_parent',
    ],
  ],
];

The access tab of its form shows the fields, starttime and endtime in a palette:

EXT:my_extension/Configuration/TCA/tx_myextension_conference.php

<?php

return [
  'ctrl' => [
    'title' => 'my_extension.db:conference',
    'label' => 'title',
    'descriptionColumn' => 'internal_notes',
    'default_sortby' => 'conference_date DESC',
    'tstamp' => 'tstamp',
    'crdate' => 'crdate',
    'delete' => 'deleted',
    'editlock' => 'editlock',
    'enablecolumns' => [
      'disabled' => 'hidden',
      'starttime' => 'starttime',
      'endtime' => 'endtime',
      'fe_group' => 'fe_group',
    ],
    'languageField' => 'sys_language_uid',
    'transOrigPointerField' => 'l10n_parent',
    'transOrigDiffSourceField' => 'l10n_diffsource',
    'translationSource' => 'l10n_source',
    'versioningWS' => true,
    'origUid' => 't3_origuid',
    'iconfile' => 'EXT:my_extension/Resources/Public/Icons/Conference.svg',
    'security' => [
      'ignorePageTypeRestriction' => true,
    ],
  ],
  'columns' => [
    'title' => [
      'label' => 'my_extension.db:conference.title',
      'config' => [
        'type' => 'input',
        'required' => true,
        'max' => 255,
        'eval' => 'trim',
      ],
    ],
    'conference_date' => [
      'label' => 'my_extension.db:conference.conference_date',
      'config' => [
        'type' => 'datetime',
        'format' => 'date',
        'required' => true,
      ],
    ],
    'internal_notes' => [
      'label' => 'my_extension.db:conference.internal_notes',
      'config' => [
        'type' => 'text',
        'rows' => 3,
      ],
    ],
  ],
  // The fields of the other tabs are added in Configuration/TCA/Overrides/
  'types' => [
    '0' => [
      'showitem' => '
        title, conference_date,
        --div--;my_extension.db:tab.program,
        --div--;my_extension.db:tab.details,
        --div--;core.form.tabs:categories,
        --div--;core.form.tabs:access,
          hidden, --palette--;;access, fe_group, editlock,
        --div--;core.form.tabs:language,
          --palette--;;language,
        --div--;my_extension.db:tab.comments,
        --div--;core.form.tabs:notes,
          internal_notes,
      ',
    ],
  ],
  'palettes' => [
    'access' => [
      'label' => 'core.form.palettes:access',
      'showitem' => 'starttime, endtime',
    ],
    'language' => [
      'showitem' => 'sys_language_uid, l10n_parent',
    ],
  ],
];

Make table hideable

A talk can only be hidden:

EXT:my_extension/Configuration/TCA/tx_myextension_talk.php

<?php

return [
  'ctrl' => [
    'title' => 'my_extension.db:talk',
    'label' => 'title',
    'type' => 'talk_type',
    'typeicon_column' => 'talk_type',
    'typeicon_classes' => [
      'default' => 'my-extension-talk',
      'workshop' => 'my-extension-talk-workshop',
      'keynote' => 'my-extension-talk-keynote',
    ],
    'sortby' => 'sorting',
    'useColumnsForDefaultValues' => 'talk_type,room',
    'copyAfterDuplFields' => 'room',
    'hideTable' => true,
    'tstamp' => 'tstamp',
    'crdate' => 'crdate',
    'delete' => 'deleted',
    'enablecolumns' => [
      'disabled' => 'hidden',
    ],
    'languageField' => 'sys_language_uid',
    'transOrigPointerField' => 'l10n_parent',
    'versioningWS' => true,
  ],
  'columns' => [
    'talk_type' => [
      'label' => 'my_extension.db:talk.talk_type',
      'config' => [
        'type' => 'select',
        'renderType' => 'selectSingle',
        'items' => [
          [
            'label' => 'my_extension.db:talk.talk_type.talk',
            'value' => 'talk',
          ],
          [
            'label' => 'my_extension.db:talk.talk_type.workshop',
            'value' => 'workshop',
          ],
          [
            'label' => 'my_extension.db:talk.talk_type.keynote',
            'value' => 'keynote',
          ],
        ],
        'default' => 'talk',
      ],
    ],
    'title' => [
      'label' => 'my_extension.db:talk.title',
      'config' => [
        'type' => 'input',
        'required' => true,
      ],
    ],
    'room' => [
      'label' => 'my_extension.db:talk.room',
      'config' => [
        'type' => 'input',
        'valuePicker' => [
          'items' => [
            ['label' => 'Main hall', 'value' => 'Main hall'],
            ['label' => 'Room A', 'value' => 'Room A'],
            ['label' => 'Room B', 'value' => 'Room B'],
          ],
        ],
      ],
    ],
  ],
  'types' => [
    'talk' => [
      'showitem' => '
        talk_type, title, room,
        --div--;core.form.tabs:access, hidden,
      ',
    ],
    'workshop' => [
      'showitem' => '
        talk_type, title, room,
        --div--;core.form.tabs:access, hidden,
      ',
    ],
    'keynote' => [
      'showitem' => '
        talk_type, title, room,
        --div--;core.form.tabs:access, hidden,
      ',
    ],
  ],
];

Each type of talk shows the field in the access tab:

EXT:my_extension/Configuration/TCA/tx_myextension_talk.php

<?php

return [
  'ctrl' => [
    'title' => 'my_extension.db:talk',
    'label' => 'title',
    'type' => 'talk_type',
    'typeicon_column' => 'talk_type',
    'typeicon_classes' => [
      'default' => 'my-extension-talk',
      'workshop' => 'my-extension-talk-workshop',
      'keynote' => 'my-extension-talk-keynote',
    ],
    'sortby' => 'sorting',
    'useColumnsForDefaultValues' => 'talk_type,room',
    'copyAfterDuplFields' => 'room',
    'hideTable' => true,
    'tstamp' => 'tstamp',
    'crdate' => 'crdate',
    'delete' => 'deleted',
    'enablecolumns' => [
      'disabled' => 'hidden',
    ],
    'languageField' => 'sys_language_uid',
    'transOrigPointerField' => 'l10n_parent',
    'versioningWS' => true,
  ],
  'columns' => [
    'talk_type' => [
      'label' => 'my_extension.db:talk.talk_type',
      'config' => [
        'type' => 'select',
        'renderType' => 'selectSingle',
        'items' => [
          [
            'label' => 'my_extension.db:talk.talk_type.talk',
            'value' => 'talk',
          ],
          [
            'label' => 'my_extension.db:talk.talk_type.workshop',
            'value' => 'workshop',
          ],
          [
            'label' => 'my_extension.db:talk.talk_type.keynote',
            'value' => 'keynote',
          ],
        ],
        'default' => 'talk',
      ],
    ],
    'title' => [
      'label' => 'my_extension.db:talk.title',
      'config' => [
        'type' => 'input',
        'required' => true,
      ],
    ],
    'room' => [
      'label' => 'my_extension.db:talk.room',
      'config' => [
        'type' => 'input',
        'valuePicker' => [
          'items' => [
            ['label' => 'Main hall', 'value' => 'Main hall'],
            ['label' => 'Room A', 'value' => 'Room A'],
            ['label' => 'Room B', 'value' => 'Room B'],
          ],
        ],
      ],
    ],
  ],
  'types' => [
    'talk' => [
      'showitem' => '
        talk_type, title, room,
        --div--;core.form.tabs:access, hidden,
      ',
    ],
    'workshop' => [
      'showitem' => '
        talk_type, title, room,
        --div--;core.form.tabs:access, hidden,
      ',
    ],
    'keynote' => [
      'showitem' => '
        talk_type, title, room,
        --div--;core.form.tabs:access, hidden,
      ',
    ],
  ],
];

Common enable fields

Most tables use the fields hidden, starttime and endtime. The backend shows them in the record information:

The enable columns of a conference in the Access tab

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