diff --git a/packages/client/src/createApp.js b/packages/client/src/createApp.js
index f279cda5ae..accad9f51e 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/createApp.js
+++ b/packages/client/src/createApp.js
@@ -1,59 +1,13 @@
-import { 
-    split,
-    last
-} from "lodash/fp";
 import {writable} from "svelte/store";
-import { $ } from "./core/common";
-import { 
-    setupBinding 
-} from "./state/stateBinding";
 import { createCoreApi } from "./core";
 import { getStateOrValue } from "./state/getState";
 import { setState, setStateFromBinding } from "./state/setState";
 import { trimSlash } from "./common/trimSlash";
 import { isBound } from "./state/isState";
+import { _initialiseChildren } from "./render/initialiseChildren";
 
-export const createApp = (componentLibraries, appDefinition, user) => {
-
-    const _initialiseChildren = (parentContext, hydrate) => (childrenProps, htmlElement, context, anchor=null) => {
-
-        const childComponents = [];
-
-        if(hydrate) {
-            while (htmlElement.firstChild) {
-                htmlElement.removeChild(htmlElement.firstChild);
-            }
-        }
-        
-        for(let childProps of childrenProps) {        
-            const {componentName, libName} = splitName(childProps._component);
-
-            if(!componentName || !libName) return;
-
-            const {initialProps, bind} = setupBinding(
-                    store, childProps, coreApi, 
-                    context || parentContext, appDefinition.appRootPath);
-
+export const createApp = (componentLibraries, appDefinition, user, uiFunctions) => {
     
-            const componentProps = {
-                ...initialProps, 
-                _bb:bb(context || parentContext, childProps)
-            };
-
-            const component = new (componentLibraries[libName][componentName])({
-                target: htmlElement,
-                props: componentProps,
-                hydrate:false,
-                anchor
-            });
-
-            bind(component);
-            childComponents.push(component);
-        }
-
-        return childComponents;
-    }
-
     const coreApi = createCoreApi(appDefinition, user);
     appDefinition.hierarchy = coreApi.templateApi.constructHierarchy(appDefinition.hierarchy);
     const store = writable({
@@ -82,10 +36,10 @@ export const createApp = (componentLibraries, appDefinition, user) => {
         });
 
     const api = {
-        post: apiCall("POST"), 
-        get: apiCall("GET"), 
-        patch: apiCall("PATCH"), 
-        delete:apiCall("DELETE")
+        post: apiCall("POST"),
+        get: apiCall("GET"),
+        patch: apiCall("PATCH"),
+        delete: apiCall("DELETE")
     };
 
     const safeCallEvent = (event, context) => {
@@ -96,11 +50,18 @@ export const createApp = (componentLibraries, appDefinition, user) => {
         if(isFunction(event)) event(context);
     }
 
+    const initialiseChildrenParams = (parentContext, hydrate) =>  ({
+        bb, coreApi, store, 
+        componentLibraries, appDefinition, 
+        parentContext, hydrate, uiFunctions
+    });
+
     const bb = (context, props) => ({
-        hydrateChildren: _initialiseChildren(context, true), 
-        appendChildren: _initialiseChildren(context, false), 
+        hydrateChildren: _initialiseChildren(initialiseChildrenParams(context, true)), 
+        appendChildren: _initialiseChildren(initialiseChildrenParams(context, false)), 
         insertChildren: (props, htmlElement, anchor, context) => 
-            _initialiseChildren(context, false)(props, htmlElement, context, anchor), 
+            _initialiseChildren(initialiseChildrenParams(context, false))
+                                (props, htmlElement, context, anchor), 
         store,
         relativeUrl,
         api,
@@ -160,17 +121,3 @@ const buildBindings = (boundProps, boundArrays, contextBoundProps) => {
     return bindings;
 }
 
-
-const splitName = fullname => {
-    const componentName = $(fullname, [
-        split("/"),
-        last
-    ]);
-
-    const libName =fullname.substring(
-        0, fullname.length - componentName.length - 1);
-
-    return {libName, componentName}; 
-}
-
-
diff --git a/packages/client/src/index.js b/packages/client/src/index.js
index f7003b816b..e75f9a08ab 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/client/src/index.js
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 import { createApp } from "./createApp";
 import { trimSlash } from "./common/trimSlash";
 
-export const loadBudibase = async ({componentLibraries, props, window, localStorage}) => {
+export const loadBudibase = async ({
+    componentLibraries, props, 
+    window, localStorage, uiFunctions }) => {
 
     const appDefinition = window["##BUDIBASE_APPDEFINITION##"];
 
@@ -33,7 +35,7 @@ export const loadBudibase = async ({componentLibraries, props, window, localStor
         props = appDefinition.props;
     }
 
-    const _app = createApp(componentLibraries, appDefinition,  user);
+    const _app = createApp(componentLibraries, appDefinition,  user, uiFunctions);
     _app.hydrateChildren(
         [props],
         window.document.body);
diff --git a/packages/client/src/render/initialiseChildren.js b/packages/client/src/render/initialiseChildren.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..50a0052642
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/client/src/render/initialiseChildren.js
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+import { 
+    setupBinding 
+} from "../state/stateBinding";
+import { 
+    split,
+    last
+} from "lodash/fp";
+import { $ } from "../core/common";
+import { renderComponent } from "./renderComponent";
+
+export const _initialiseChildren = (initialiseOpts) => 
+                            (childrenProps, htmlElement, context, anchor=null) => {
+
+    const { uiFunctions, bb, coreApi, 
+        store, componentLibraries, 
+        appDefinition, parentContext, hydrate } = initialiseOpts;
+        
+    const childComponents = [];
+
+    if(hydrate) {
+        while (htmlElement.firstChild) {
+            htmlElement.removeChild(htmlElement.firstChild);
+        }
+    }
+    
+    for(let childProps of childrenProps) {       
+        
+        const {componentName, libName} = splitName(childProps._component);
+
+        if(!componentName || !libName) return;
+        
+        const {initialProps, bind} = setupBinding(
+                store, childProps, coreApi, 
+                context || parentContext, appDefinition.appRootPath);
+
+        /// here needs to go inside renderComponent ???
+        const componentProps = {
+            ...initialProps, 
+            _bb:bb(context || parentContext, childProps)
+        };
+
+        const componentConstructor = componentLibraries[libName][componentName];
+
+        const {component} = renderComponent({
+            componentConstructor,uiFunctions, 
+            htmlElement, anchor, 
+            parentContext, componentProps});
+
+
+        bind(component);
+        childComponents.push(component);
+    }
+
+    return childComponents;
+}
+
+const splitName = fullname => {
+    const componentName = $(fullname, [
+        split("/"),
+        last
+    ]);
+
+    const libName =fullname.substring(
+        0, fullname.length - componentName.length - 1);
+
+    return {libName, componentName}; 
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/client/src/render/renderComponent.js b/packages/client/src/render/renderComponent.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..890ed4037f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/client/src/render/renderComponent.js
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+
+export const renderComponent = ({
+    componentConstructor, uiFunctions,
+    htmlElement, anchor, parentContext,
+    componentProps}) => {
+
+    const func = uiFunctions[componentProps._id];
+    let component;
+    let componentContext;
+    const render = (context) => {
+        
+        if(context) {
+            componentContext = {...componentContext};
+            componentContext.$parent = parentContext;
+        } else {
+            componentContext = parentContext;
+        }
+
+        component = new componentConstructor({
+            target: htmlElement,
+            props: componentProps,
+            hydrate:false,
+            anchor
+        });
+    }
+
+    if(func) {
+        func(render, parentContext);        
+    } else {
+        render();
+    }
+
+    return ({
+        context: componentContext,
+        component
+    });
+}
+
diff --git a/packages/client/src/state/stateBinding.js b/packages/client/src/state/stateBinding.js
index 57e9b82c92..86089a413a 100644
--- a/packages/client/src/state/stateBinding.js
+++ b/packages/client/src/state/stateBinding.js
@@ -15,6 +15,12 @@ import {
 const doNothing = () => {};
 doNothing.isPlaceholder=true;
 
+const isMetaProp = (propName) => 
+    propName === "_component"
+    || propName === "_children"
+    || propName === "_id"
+    || propName === "_style";
+
 export const setupBinding = (store, rootProps, coreApi, context, rootPath) => {
 
     const rootInitialProps = {...rootProps};
@@ -24,13 +30,12 @@ export const setupBinding = (store, rootProps, coreApi, context, rootPath) => {
         const boundProps = [];
         const contextBoundProps = [];
         const componentEventHandlers = [];
-        const boundArrays = [];
 
         for(let propName in props) {
             
-            if(propName === "_component") continue;
+            if(isMetaProp(propName)) continue;
 
-            const val = initialProps[propName];
+            const val = props[propName];
             
             if(isBound(val) && takeStateFromStore(val)) {
 
@@ -76,21 +81,10 @@ export const setupBinding = (store, rootProps, coreApi, context, rootPath) => {
                 }
                 
                 initialProps[propName] = doNothing;
-            } else if(Array.isArray(val)) {
-                const arrayOfBindings = [];
-                for(let element of val){
-                    arrayOfBindings.push(getBindings(element, {...element}));
-                }
-
-                boundArrays.push({ 
-                    arrayOfBindings,
-                    propName
-                });
-            }
-            
+            }             
         }
 
-        return {contextBoundProps, boundProps, componentEventHandlers, boundArrays, initialProps};
+        return {contextBoundProps, boundProps, componentEventHandlers, initialProps};
     }
 
 
@@ -98,8 +92,7 @@ export const setupBinding = (store, rootProps, coreApi, context, rootPath) => {
     const bind = (rootBindings) => (component) => {
 
         if(rootBindings.boundProps.length === 0 
-            && rootBindings.componentEventHandlers.length === 0
-            && rootBindings.boundArrays.length === 0) return;
+            && rootBindings.componentEventHandlers.length === 0) return;
 
         const handlerTypes = eventHandlers(store, coreApi, rootPath);
 
@@ -108,7 +101,7 @@ export const setupBinding = (store, rootProps, coreApi, context, rootPath) => {
 
             const getPropsFromBindings = (s, bindings) => {
 
-                const {boundProps, componentEventHandlers, boundArrays} = bindings;
+                const {boundProps, componentEventHandlers} = bindings;
                 const newProps = {...bindings.initialProps};
             
                 for(let boundProp of boundProps) {
@@ -159,18 +152,6 @@ export const setupBinding = (store, rootProps, coreApi, context, rootPath) => {
 
                 }
 
-                for(let boundArray of boundArrays) {
-                    let index = 0;
-                    if(!newProps[boundArray.propName])
-                        newProps[boundArray.propName] = [];
-                    for(let bindings of boundArray.arrayOfBindings){
-                        newProps[boundArray.propName][index] = getPropsFromBindings(
-                            s,
-                            bindings);
-                        index++;
-                    }   
-                }
-
                 return newProps;
 
             }
@@ -189,7 +170,6 @@ export const setupBinding = (store, rootProps, coreApi, context, rootPath) => {
         initialProps:rootInitialProps, 
         bind:bind(bindings), 
         boundProps:bindings.boundProps,
-        boundArrays: bindings.boundArrays,
         contextBoundProps: bindings.contextBoundProps
     };
 
diff --git a/packages/client/tests/domControlFlow.spec.js b/packages/client/tests/domControlFlow.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7239480ca9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/client/tests/domControlFlow.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+import { load } from "./testAppDef";
+
+describe("controlFlow", () => {
+
+    it("should display simple div, with always true render function", async () => {
+
+        const {dom} = await load({
+            _component: "testlib/div",
+            className: "my-test-class",
+            _id: "always_render"
+        });
+
+        expect(dom.window.document.body.children.length).toBe(1);
+        const child = dom.window.document.body.children[0];
+        expect(child.className).toBe("my-test-class");
+
+    })
+
+    it("should not display div, with always false render function", async () => {
+
+        const {dom} = await load({
+            _component: "testlib/div",
+            className: "my-test-class",
+            _id: "never_render"
+        });
+
+        expect(dom.window.document.body.children.length).toBe(0);
+
+    })
+
+    it("should display 3 divs in a looped render function", async () => {
+
+        const {dom} = await load({
+            _component: "testlib/div",
+            className: "my-test-class",
+            _id: "three_clones"
+        });
+
+        expect(dom.window.document.body.children.length).toBe(3);
+
+        const child0 = dom.window.document.body.children[0];
+        expect(child0.className).toBe("my-test-class");
+
+        const child1 = dom.window.document.body.children[1];
+        expect(child1.className).toBe("my-test-class");
+
+        const child2 = dom.window.document.body.children[2];
+        expect(child2.className).toBe("my-test-class");
+
+    })
+
+    it("should display 3 div, in a looped render, as children", async () => {
+        const {dom} = await load({
+            _component: "testlib/div",
+            _children: [
+                {
+                    _component: "testlib/div",
+                    className: "my-test-class",
+                    _id: "three_clones" 
+                }
+            ]
+        });
+
+        expect(dom.window.document.body.children.length).toBe(1);
+
+        const rootDiv = dom.window.document.body.children[0];
+        expect(rootDiv.children.length).toBe(3);
+        
+        expect(rootDiv.children[0].className).toBe("my-test-class");
+        expect(rootDiv.children[1].className).toBe("my-test-class");
+        expect(rootDiv.children[2].className).toBe("my-test-class");
+    })
+
+});
diff --git a/packages/client/tests/stateBinding.spec.js b/packages/client/tests/stateBinding.spec.js
index f34be14419..b5f33a9fd6 100644
--- a/packages/client/tests/stateBinding.spec.js
+++ b/packages/client/tests/stateBinding.spec.js
@@ -74,59 +74,6 @@ describe("setupBinding", () => {
 
     });
 
-    it("should update bound array props when updated ", () => {
-
-        const {component, store, props} = testSetup();
-
-        const {bind} = testSetupBinding(store, props, component);
-        bind(component);
-
-        store.update(s => {
-            s.FirstName = "Bobby";
-            s.LastName = "Thedog";
-            s.Customer = {
-                Name: "ACME inc",
-                Address: ""
-            };
-            s.addressToSet = "123 Main Street";
-            s.ArrayVal1 = "item 1 - version 1";
-            s.ArrayVal2 = "item 2 - version 1";
-            s.ArrayVal3 = "inner array item";
-            return s;
-        });
-
-        expect(component.props.arrayWithInnerBinding[0].innerBound).toBe("item 1 - version 1");
-        expect(component.props.arrayWithInnerBinding[1].innerBound).toBe("item 2 - version 1");
-        expect(component.props.arrayWithInnerBinding[0].innerUnbound).toBe("not bound 1");
-        expect(component.props.arrayWithInnerBinding[1].innerUnbound).toBe("not bound 2");
-
-    });
-
-    it("should update bound nested (2nd level) array props when updated ", () => {
-
-        const {component, store, props} = testSetup();
-
-        const {bind} = testSetupBinding(store, props, component);
-        bind(component);
-
-        store.update(s => {
-            s.FirstName = "Bobby";
-            s.LastName = "Thedog";
-            s.Customer = {
-                Name: "ACME inc",
-                Address: ""
-            };
-            s.addressToSet = "123 Main Street";
-            s.ArrayVal1 = "item 1 - version 1";
-            s.ArrayVal2 = "item 2 - version 1";
-            s.ArrayVal3 = "inner array item";
-            return s;
-        });
-
-        expect(component.props.arrayWithInnerBinding[2].innerArray[0].innerInnerBound).toBe("inner array item");
-
-    });
-
     it("should update event handlers on state change", () => {
 
         const {component, store, props} = testSetup();
@@ -235,23 +182,6 @@ const testSetup = () => {
                 path: "Customer.Address",
                 value: binding("addressOverride", "", "event")
             })
-        ],
-        arrayWithInnerBinding: [
-            {
-                innerBound: binding("ArrayVal1"),
-                innerUnbound: "not bound 1"
-            },
-            {
-                innerBound: binding("ArrayVal2"),
-                innerUnbound: "not bound 2"
-            },
-            {
-                innerArray: [
-                    {
-                        innerInnerBound: binding("ArrayVal3")
-                    }
-                ]
-            }
         ]
     }
 
diff --git a/packages/client/tests/testAppDef.js b/packages/client/tests/testAppDef.js
index 0a08978784..e028730890 100644
--- a/packages/client/tests/testAppDef.js
+++ b/packages/client/tests/testAppDef.js
@@ -3,16 +3,32 @@ import { loadBudibase } from "../src/index";
 
 export const load = async (props) => {
     const dom = new JSDOM(`<!DOCTYPE html><html><body></body><html>`);
+    autoAssignIds(props);
     setAppDef(dom.window, props);
     const app = await loadBudibase({
         componentLibraries: allLibs(dom.window), 
         window: dom.window,
         localStorage: createLocalStorage(),
-        props
+        props,
+        uiFunctions
     });
     return {dom, app};
 }
 
+// this happens for real by the builder... 
+// ..this only assigns _ids when missing
+const autoAssignIds = (props, count=0) => {
+    if(!props._id) {
+        props._id = `auto_id_${count}`;
+    }
+    if(props._children) {
+        for(let child of props._children) {
+            count += 1;
+            autoAssignIds(child, count);
+        }
+    }
+} 
+
 const setAppDef = (window, props) => {
     window["##BUDIBASE_APPDEFINITION##"] = ({
         componentLibraries: [],
@@ -87,5 +103,18 @@ const maketestlib = (window) => ({
     }
 });
 
+const uiFunctions = ({
 
+    never_render : (render, parentContext) => {},
+
+    always_render : (render, parentContext) => {
+        render();
+    },
+
+    three_clones : (render, parentContext) => {
+        for(let i = 0; i<3; i++) {
+            render();
+        }
+    }
+});