Columns & Fields Basics

The grid and the create/edit form are configured completely independently - ->columns() controls one, ->fields() controls the other.

->columns() controls the grid

->columns($columns, $reverse = false) restricts and orders which fields the LIST (grid) view shows. $columns is a comma-separated string or an array of field names, shown in exactly that order. Never called at all: the grid shows every column, in the table's natural order.

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`$columns`	`string\|array`	-	Comma-separated field list, or an array of field names, in display order
`$reverse`	`bool`	`false`	When `true`, `$columns` means "every field EXCEPT these" instead of "only these"

Setting $reverse = true is handy for a wide table where you only want to hide one or two noisy columns rather than re-list everything else:

$xcrud->columns('internalNotes', true); // show every column except internalNotes

->fields() controls the form

->fields($fieldList, $useTabs = false, $sectionName = '') restricts and orders which columns the CREATE/EDIT FORM shows - a completely separate concern from ->columns(). A field can appear in the grid but not the form, or the form but not the grid; each method only ever affects its own surface.

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`$fieldList`	`string`	-	Comma-separated field list, in the order the form should show them
`$useTabs`	`bool`	`false`	When multiple `fields()` calls each pass a `$sectionName`, turns those sections into a tab switcher instead of stacked labeled sections
`$sectionName`	`string`	`''`	Groups this call's `$fieldList` under a named section/tab label

See Field Grouping, Tabs & Rich Text for the full tabs/sections write-up.

Sorting and labeling

->order_by($field, $direction = 'asc') sets the grid's initial sort - visitors can still click a column header to re-sort afterward.

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`$field`	`string`	-	Column to sort by initially
`$direction`	`string`	`'asc'`	`'asc'` or `'desc'`

->label($field, $label) sets a custom display name for a field, used in BOTH the grid's column header and the form's field label - one call covers both surfaces.

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`$field`	`string`	-	The underlying column name
`$label`	`string`	-	Display text shown instead of the raw column name

Putting it together

$xcrud = Xcrud::get_instance();
$xcrud->table('customers');
$xcrud->route('customers');

// Grid: only these three columns, customerName first
$xcrud->columns('customerName,city,creditLimit');
$xcrud->order_by('customerName', 'asc');

// Form: a different, larger field set
$xcrud->fields('customerName,contactFirstName,contactLastName,city,creditLimit,phone');

$xcrud->label('creditLimit', 'Credit Limit ($)');

$xcrud->render();