Column Management

TableBuilder provides multiple ways to control which columns are displayed and in what order. This guide covers all available methods for managing table columns.

Quick Reference

Method	Description	Scope	Use Case
->hide() (RuleBuilder)	Hide field from lists, forms and detail view	Model-level	Passwords, sensitive data
->hideFromList() (RuleBuilder)	Hide field only from list/table view	Model-level	Long text fields shown only in forms
->resetFields()	Hide all existing columns, start fresh	Table-level	Show only specific columns
->field() / ->column()	Define visible columns in order	Table-level	Control order and visibility
->hide() (only TableBuilder)	Hide specific column in this table	Table-level	Hide one or few columns
->hideColumns()	Hide multiple columns at once	Table-level	Hide several columns
->moveBefore()	Move current field before another	Table-level	Adjust single column position
->reorderColumns()	Completely reorder all columns (use at the end!)	Table-level	Full control of column order

Model-Level Column Control (RuleBuilder)

In your Model's configure($rule) method, you can use RuleBuilder methods to control field visibility across the entire application.

1. Hide Field Completely

Use hide() in RuleBuilder to hide fields from lists, edit forms, and detail views.

class UserModel extends AbstractModel
{
    protected function configure($rule): void
    {
        $rule->table('#__users')
            ->id()
            ->string('username', 100)
            ->string('password', 255)->hide()  // Hidden everywhere
            ->email('email');
    }
}

2. Hide From List Only

Use hideFromList() in RuleBuilder to hide fields from table views while keeping them available in forms.

class PostModel extends AbstractModel
{
    protected function configure($rule): void
    {
        $rule->table('#__posts')
            ->id()
            ->string('title', 200)
            ->text('description')->hideFromList()  // Hidden from tables only
            ->text('content')->hideFromList()      // Hidden from tables only
            ->datetime('created_at');
    }
}

// These fields won't appear in tables but are available in forms

3. Other RuleBuilder Visibility Methods

protected function configure($rule): void
{
    $rule->table('#__posts')
        ->id()

        // Hide from edit form only
        ->datetime('created_at')->hideFromEdit()

        // Hide from detail view only
        ->string('internal_notes', 255)->hideFromView()

        // Virtual field (not in database)
        ->string('full_name', 100)->excludeFromDatabase();
}

TableBuilder Column Control

1. Reset and Rebuild Columns

Use resetFields() to start with a clean slate and show only the columns you explicitly define.

$table = TableBuilder::create($model, 'posts_table')
    ->resetFields()  // Hide ALL existing columns

    // Only these columns will be shown, in this exact order:
    ->field('id')
        ->label('ID')

    ->field('title')
        ->label('Article Title')
        ->link('?page=posts&action=edit&id=%id%')

    ->field('status')
        ->label('Status')

    ->field('created_at')
        ->label('Published')

    ->getTable();

// Result: Table shows only id, title, status, created_at (in that order)
// All other model columns are hidden

2. Define Columns in Order

Simply calling field() or column() automatically positions new columns in sequence.

$table = TableBuilder::create($model, 'users_table')
    // Columns appear in the order you define them
    ->field('id')           // 1st column
    ->field('username')     // 2nd column (automatically after 'id')
    ->field('email')        // 3rd column (automatically after 'username')
    ->field('status')       // 4th column (automatically after 'email')
    ->field('created_at')   // 5th column (automatically after 'status')

    ->getTable();

3. Hide Specific Columns

Use hide() in the field chain or hideColumns() for multiple columns.

$table = TableBuilder::create($model, 'posts_table')
    // Hide single column
    ->field('id')
        ->hide()  // Column exists in query but not displayed

    // Hide multiple columns at once
    ->hideColumns(['internal_notes', 'draft_content', 'temp_data'])

    ->getTable();

4. Move Column Before Another

Use moveBefore() to reposition a single column.

$table = TableBuilder::create($model, 'posts_table')
    ->field('id')           // Position: 1st
    ->field('title')        // Position: 2nd (after 'id')
    ->field('status')       // Position: 3rd (after 'title')
        ->moveBefore('id')  // Move 'status' before 'id'
                            // New order: status, id, title

    ->field('created_at')   // Position: after 'title' (not after 'status'!)
                            // Final order: status, id, title, created_at

    ->getTable();

5. Complete Column Reordering

Use reorderColumns() to specify the exact order of all columns.

$table = TableBuilder::create($model, 'courses_table')
    // First: Configure all your fields
    ->field('ATTIVO_CRS')
        ->label('Active')
        ->type('select')
        ->options(['0' => 'No', '1' => 'Yes'])

    ->field('CORSO')
        ->label('Course Name')

    // Last: Define the exact column order
    ->reorderColumns(['ATTIVO_CRS', 'CORSO', 'DESCRIZIONE', 'DATA_INIZIO', 'DATA_FINE'])

    ->getTable();

// Columns will appear in the exact order specified in reorderColumns()