Webix UI library allows temporarily disabling functionality of any component. It remains visible yet becomes dim, and none of its elements work.
The functions to disable and enable components are as follows:
$$("cell").enable();
...
$$("cell").disable();
Related sample: Disabling Components
When can it be useful?
For instance, if you have a DataView and a Form and want to disable a form until an item from the nearby dataview is selected.
Or you want to temporarily disable a component until a server operation is performed (e.g. data saving), so that users couldn't click buttons and make selection.
To check whether the component is enabled or disabled, use the appropriate method:
$$("cell").isEnabled(); // returns boolean values