diff --git a/api/js/etemplate/et2_core_baseWidget.js b/api/js/etemplate/et2_core_baseWidget.js
index 985c3f70cd..5d7d17dfca 100644
--- a/api/js/etemplate/et2_core_baseWidget.js
+++ b/api/js/etemplate/et2_core_baseWidget.js
@@ -267,6 +267,9 @@ var et2_baseWidget = /** @class */ (function (_super) {
 exports.et2_baseWidget = et2_baseWidget;
 /**
  * Simple container object
+ *
+ * There is no tag to put this in a template.  By convention we only make one of these per etemplate,
+ * and it's the top level object.
  */
 var et2_container = /** @class */ (function (_super) {
     __extends(et2_container, _super);
@@ -297,6 +300,90 @@ var et2_container = /** @class */ (function (_super) {
             }
         }
     };
+    /**
+     * Searches for a DOM widget by id in the tree, descending into the child levels.
+     *
+     * @param _id is the id you're searching for
+     */
+    et2_container.prototype.getDOMWidgetById = function (_id) {
+        var widget = this.getWidgetById(_id);
+        if (widget && widget.instanceOf(et2_core_DOMWidget_1.et2_DOMWidget)) {
+            return widget;
+        }
+        return null;
+    };
+    /**
+     * Searches for a Value widget by id in the tree, descending into the child levels.
+     *
+     * @param _id is the id you're searching for
+     */
+    et2_container.prototype.getValueWidgetById = function (_id) {
+        var widget = this.getWidgetById(_id);
+        if (widget && widget.instanceOf(et2_valueWidget)) {
+            return widget;
+        }
+        return null;
+    };
+    /**
+     * Set the value for a child widget, specified by the given ID
+     *
+     * @param id  string The ID you're searching for
+     * @param value Value for the widget
+     *
+     * @return Returns the result of widget's set_value(), though this is usually undefined
+     *
+     * @throws Error If the widget cannot be found or it does not have a set_value() function
+     */
+    et2_container.prototype.setValueById = function (id, value) {
+        var widget = this.getWidgetById(id);
+        if (!widget)
+            throw 'Could not find widget ' + id;
+        // Don't care about what class it is, just that it has the function
+        // @ts-ignore
+        if (typeof widget.set_value !== 'function') {
+            throw 'Widget ' + id + ' does not have a set_value() function';
+        }
+        // @ts-ignore
+        return widget.set_value(value);
+    };
+    /**
+     * Get the current value of a child widget, specified by the given ID
+     *
+     * This is the current value of the widget, which may be different from the original value given in content
+     *
+     * @param id  string The ID you're searching for
+     * @throws Error If the widget cannot be found or it does not have a set_value() function
+     */
+    et2_container.prototype.getValueById = function (id) {
+        var widget = this.getWidgetById(id);
+        if (!widget)
+            throw 'Could not find widget ' + id;
+        // Don't care about what class it is, just that it has the function
+        // @ts-ignore
+        if (typeof widget.get_value !== 'function') {
+            throw 'Widget ' + id + ' does not have a get_value() function';
+        }
+        // @ts-ignore
+        return widget.get_value();
+    };
+    /**
+     * Set the value for a child widget, specified by the given ID
+     *
+     * @param id  string The ID you're searching for
+     * @throws Error If the widget cannot be found or it does not have a set_value() function
+     */
+    et2_container.prototype.setDisabledById = function (id, value) {
+        var widget = this.getWidgetById(id);
+        if (!widget)
+            throw 'Could not find widget ' + id;
+        // Don't care about what class it is, just that it has the function
+        // @ts-ignore
+        if (typeof widget.set_disabled !== 'function') {
+            throw 'Widget ' + id + ' does not have a set_disabled() function';
+        }
+        // @ts-ignore
+        return widget.set_disabled(value);
+    };
     return et2_container;
 }(et2_baseWidget));
 exports.et2_container = et2_container;
diff --git a/api/js/etemplate/et2_core_baseWidget.ts b/api/js/etemplate/et2_core_baseWidget.ts
index 4077159733..156a2a2a7b 100644
--- a/api/js/etemplate/et2_core_baseWidget.ts
+++ b/api/js/etemplate/et2_core_baseWidget.ts
@@ -327,6 +327,9 @@ export class et2_baseWidget extends et2_DOMWidget implements et2_IAligned
 
 /**
  * Simple container object
+ *
+ * There is no tag to put this in a template.  By convention we only make one of these per etemplate,
+ * and it's the top level object.
  */
 export class et2_container extends et2_baseWidget
 {
@@ -363,6 +366,108 @@ export class et2_container extends et2_baseWidget
 			}
 		}
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Searches for a DOM widget by id in the tree, descending into the child levels.
+	 *
+	 * @param _id is the id you're searching for
+	 */
+	getDOMWidgetById(_id) : et2_DOMWidget | null
+	{
+		let widget = this.getWidgetById(_id);
+		if(widget && widget.instanceOf(et2_DOMWidget))
+		{
+			return <et2_DOMWidget>widget;
+		}
+		return null
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Searches for a Value widget by id in the tree, descending into the child levels.
+	 *
+	 * @param _id is the id you're searching for
+	 */
+	getValueWidgetById(_id) : et2_valueWidget | null
+	{
+		let widget = this.getWidgetById(_id);
+		if(widget && widget.instanceOf(et2_valueWidget))
+		{
+			return <et2_valueWidget>widget;
+		}
+		return null
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Set the value for a child widget, specified by the given ID
+	 *
+	 * @param id  string The ID you're searching for
+	 * @param value Value for the widget
+	 *
+	 * @return Returns the result of widget's set_value(), though this is usually undefined
+	 *
+	 * @throws Error If the widget cannot be found or it does not have a set_value() function
+	 */
+	setValueById(id: string, value): any
+	{
+		let widget = this.getWidgetById(id);
+		if(!widget) throw 'Could not find widget ' + id;
+
+		// Don't care about what class it is, just that it has the function
+		// @ts-ignore
+		if(typeof widget.set_value !== 'function')
+		{
+			throw 'Widget ' + id + ' does not have a set_value() function';
+		}
+
+		// @ts-ignore
+		return widget.set_value(value);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Get the current value of a child widget, specified by the given ID
+	 *
+	 * This is the current value of the widget, which may be different from the original value given in content
+	 *
+	 * @param id  string The ID you're searching for
+	 * @throws Error If the widget cannot be found or it does not have a set_value() function
+	 */
+	getValueById(id: string)
+	{
+		let widget = this.getWidgetById(id);
+		if(!widget) throw 'Could not find widget ' + id;
+
+		// Don't care about what class it is, just that it has the function
+		// @ts-ignore
+		if(typeof widget.get_value !== 'function')
+		{
+			throw 'Widget ' + id + ' does not have a get_value() function';
+		}
+
+		// @ts-ignore
+		return widget.get_value();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Set the value for a child widget, specified by the given ID
+	 *
+	 * @param id  string The ID you're searching for
+	 * @throws Error If the widget cannot be found or it does not have a set_value() function
+	 */
+	setDisabledById(id: string, value : boolean)
+	{
+		let widget = this.getWidgetById(id);
+		if(!widget)  throw 'Could not find widget ' + id;
+
+		// Don't care about what class it is, just that it has the function
+		// @ts-ignore
+		if(typeof widget.set_disabled !== 'function')
+		{
+			throw 'Widget ' + id + ' does not have a set_disabled() function';
+		}
+
+		// @ts-ignore
+		return widget.set_disabled(value);
+	}
 }
 // Register widget for attributes, but not for any xml tags
 et2_register_widget(et2_container, []);