Bitrix highloadblock

Highload Blocks (highloadblock)

Highload blocks (HL) are ORM-backed flat tables with columns as user fields. No sections/tree, no iblock SEO/permissions model. Baseline: main 23.0+ (module present on typical installs).

\Bitrix\Main\Loader::includeModule('highloadblock');

When HL vs Iblock vs Custom Tablet

Need	Prefer
Flat dictionary / reference list, admin UF UI, link from iblock as “directory”	Highload block
Sections, SEO, complex properties, public catalog/news UX	Iblock (bitrix-iblocks)
Strict typed domain model, migrations, no UF dependency	Custom ORM tablet in your module (bitrix-orm)

HL fits colors, brands, simple lookups. Do not use HL as a substitute for a full content tree or commerce catalog.

Core Concepts

Term	Meaning
HL entity	Row in b_hlblock_entity (NAME, TABLE_NAME)
Physical table	Created on HighloadBlockTable::add from TABLE_NAME
Fields	User fields with ENTITY_ID = HLBLOCK_{id}
Dynamic DataManager	Class {NAME}Table built by compileEntity()

NAME must be a valid PHP class prefix (e.g. BrandDict → BrandDictTable).

Create HL Block

<?php declare(strict_types=1);

use Bitrix\Highloadblock\HighloadBlockTable;
use Bitrix\Main\Loader;

Loader::includeModule('highloadblock');

$result = HighloadBlockTable::add([
    'NAME' => 'BrandDict',
    'TABLE_NAME' => 'b_hlbd_brand',
]);
if (!$result->isSuccess()) {
    // $result->getErrorMessages()
}

$hlId = (int)$result->getId();
// ENTITY_ID for UF: HighloadBlockTable::compileEntityId($hlId) → 'HLBLOCK_12'

Add fields via CUserTypeEntity::Add with ENTITY_ID = HLBLOCK_{id} (USER_TYPE_ID: string, integer, enumeration, file, hlblock, …).

Lang titles: HighloadBlockLangTable (reference LANG on HighloadBlockTable).

Compile Entity and CRUD

compileEntity($hlblock) accepts array, ID, or NAME. Returns Bitrix\Main\ORM\Entity. Generated class extends Bitrix\Highloadblock\DataManager (UF checks on add/update/delete).

<?php declare(strict_types=1);

use Bitrix\Highloadblock\HighloadBlockTable;
use Bitrix\Main\Loader;

Loader::includeModule('highloadblock');

$entity = HighloadBlockTable::compileEntity('BrandDict');
/** @var class-string<\Bitrix\Highloadblock\DataManager> $dataClass */
$dataClass = $entity->getDataClass();

$add = $dataClass::add([
    'UF_NAME' => 'Acme',
    'UF_XML_ID' => 'acme',
]);

$row = $dataClass::getList([
    'select' => ['ID', 'UF_NAME', 'UF_XML_ID'],
    'filter' => ['=UF_XML_ID' => 'acme'],
    'limit' => 1,
])->fetch();

$dataClass::update((int)$row['ID'], ['UF_NAME' => 'Acme Ltd']);
$dataClass::delete((int)$row['ID']);

Object API also works after compile (fetchObject / collections) when annotations/IDE support are available (orm:annotate helps surrounding code; HL classes are runtime-generated).

Recompile after UF map changes: compileEntity($hl, force: true) or destroy entity instance as kernel does on UF events.

Directory Property (Iblock ↔ HL)

Iblock property user type directory (CIBlockPropertyDirectory, USER_TYPE = directory) stores values as links into an HL table (often prefixed b_hlbd_). Settings live in USER_TYPE_SETTINGS (table name, size, etc.).

Typical use: product “brand/color” as a dictionary in HL, selected on catalog elements. Resolve rows via compiled HL DataManager by UF_XML_ID / ID — do not invent join APIs beyond UF/iblock property values.

Also: UF type hlblock (CUserTypeHlblock) references HL rows from other UF entities. Field names ending with _REF are reserved for HL internal references.

Rights and Admin

• Rights table: HighloadBlockRightsTable.
• Admin UI / components: highloadblock.list, highloadblock.view (under module install components).
• Entity selector integration may be present in module .settings.php — optional for custom code.

Anti-Patterns

• Treating HL as iblock (no sections, no API_CODE element ORM).
• Hardcoding generated class names without compileEntity / Loader::includeModule.
• Putting complex business graphs only in HL when a module tablet is clearer.
• Raw SQL against TABLE_NAME bypassing UF validation in DataManager.

Checklist

• Loader::includeModule('highloadblock') before API use.
• NAME / TABLE_NAME valid; table created via HighloadBlockTable::add.
• UF attached to HLBLOCK_{id} (compileEntityId).
• CRUD goes through compileEntity() → getDataClass().
• Directory properties point at the correct HL table settings.
• Choice vs iblock/custom ORM is intentional.

Related skills

bitrix-iblocks, bitrix-orm, bitrix-cms-basics, bitrix-catalog (directory props on products).