Implicit Controls vs Explicit Controls

Explicit controls are those that you add explicitly, for example by inserting an extra query. Explicit controls are inserted with esi-insert-control().

Implicit controls are controls that are created spontaneously in the run-time environment:

•Column displays (see below)

•Embedded details

•Groups

•Windows (or shells)

•Grid Boxes

•Columns that are created by extra queries

To be able to set properties on implicit controls, you must first use the esi-add-component() action to register these controls.

For column displays, esi-add-component() is only required if the underlying query has been changed. Such components are best registered at base-table level, all classes below that will then know of their existence.