diff --git a/batch/reviewcsv.php b/batch/reviewcsv.php
index 2a0967df0..c4e037f9e 100644
--- a/batch/reviewcsv.php
+++ b/batch/reviewcsv.php
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ class ReviewCSV_Batch {
     function __construct($conf) {
         $this->conf = $conf;
         $this->user = $conf->root_user();
-        $this->fr = new FieldRender(FieldRender::CFLIST | FieldRender::CFCSV | FieldRender::CFHTML, $this->user);
+        $this->fr = new FieldRender(FieldRender::CFHTML | FieldRender::CFVERBOSE, $this->user);
         $this->csv = new CsvGenerator;
         $this->rfseen = $conf->review_form()->order_array(false);
     }
diff --git a/src/fieldrender.php b/src/fieldrender.php
index 3b263b2a5..735c81e39 100644
--- a/src/fieldrender.php
+++ b/src/fieldrender.php
@@ -3,11 +3,14 @@
 // Copyright (c) 2006-2022 Eddie Kohler; see LICENSE.
 
 class FieldRender {
-    /** @var ?Contact */
+    /** @var ?Contact
+     * @readonly */
     public $user;
-    /** @var ?PaperTable */
+    /** @var ?PaperTable
+     * @readonly */
     public $table;
-    /** @var int */
+    /** @var int
+     * @readonly */
     public $context;
     /** @var null|false|string */
     public $title;
@@ -19,28 +22,39 @@ class FieldRender {
     public $value_long;
 
     const CFHTML = 0x1;
-    const CFPAGE = 0x2;
-    const CFLIST = 0x4;
-    const CFCOLUMN = 0x8;
-    const CFSUGGEST = 0x10;
-    const CFCSV = 0x20;
-    const CFMAIL = 0x40;
-    const CFFORM = 0x80;
-    const CFVERBOSE = 0x100;
+    const CFTEXT = 0x2;
 
-    const CTEXT = 0;
-    const CPAGE = 3;
+    const CFPAGE = 0x10;
+    const CFFORM = 0x20;
+    const CFLIST = 0x40;
+    const CFMAIL = 0x80;
+    const CFSUGGEST = 0x100;
+
+    const CFCSV = 0x1000;
+    const CFROW = 0x2000;
+    const CFCOLUMN = 0x4000;
+    const CFVERBOSE = 0x8000;
 
     /** @param int $context */
     function __construct($context, Contact $user = null) {
+        assert(($context & 3) !== 0 && ($context & 3) !== 3);
+        assert((($context & 0xFF0) & (($context & 0xFF0) - 1)) === 0);
         $this->context = $context;
         $this->user = $user;
     }
-    /** @param ?int $context */
-    function clear($context = null) {
-        if ($context !== null) {
-            $this->context = $context;
-        }
+    /** @param PaperTable $table
+     * @return $this
+     * @suppress PhanAccessReadOnlyProperty */
+    function make_table($table) {
+        assert(($this->context & self::CFHTML) === self::CFHTML);
+        assert(($this->context & (self::CFPAGE | self::CFFORM)) !== 0);
+        assert(!$this->table && (!$this->user || $this->user === $table->user));
+        $this->user = $table->user;
+        $this->table = $table;
+        return $this;
+    }
+
+    function clear() {
         $this->title = null;
         $this->value = $this->value_format = $this->value_long = null;
     }
@@ -48,31 +62,43 @@ function clear($context = null) {
     function is_empty() {
         return (string) $this->title === "" && (string) $this->value === "";
     }
-    /** @return bool */
+    /** @param int $context
+     * @return bool */
+    function want($context) {
+        return ($this->context & $context) === $context;
+    }
+    /** @return bool
+     * @deprecated */
     function for_page() {
         return ($this->context & self::CFPAGE) !== 0;
     }
-    /** @return bool */
+    /** @return bool
+     * @deprecated */
     function for_form() {
         return ($this->context & self::CFFORM) !== 0;
     }
-    /** @return bool */
+    /** @return bool
+     * @deprecated */
     function want_text() {
         return ($this->context & self::CFHTML) === 0;
     }
-    /** @return bool */
+    /** @return bool
+     * @deprecated */
     function want_html() {
         return ($this->context & self::CFHTML) !== 0;
     }
-    /** @return bool */
+    /** @return bool
+     * @deprecated */
     function want_list() {
         return ($this->context & self::CFLIST) !== 0;
     }
-    /** @return bool */
+    /** @return bool
+     * @deprecated */
     function want_list_row() {
         return ($this->context & (self::CFLIST | self::CFCOLUMN)) === self::CFLIST;
     }
-    /** @return bool */
+    /** @return bool
+     * @deprecated */
     function want_list_column() {
         return ($this->context & (self::CFLIST | self::CFCOLUMN)) ===
             (self::CFLIST | self::CFCOLUMN);
@@ -98,13 +124,12 @@ function set_html($t) {
     /** @param bool $b
      * @return $this */
     function set_bool($b) {
-        $v = $this->verbose();
-        if ($this->context & self::CFHTML) {
-            $this->set_text($b ? "✓" : ($v ? "✗" : ""));
-        } else if ($this->context & self::CFCSV) {
-            $this->set_text($b ? "Y" : ($v ? "N" : ""));
+        if (($this->context & self::CFHTML) !== 0) {
+            $this->set_text($b ? "✓" : "✗");
+        } else if (($this->context & self::CFCSV) !== 0) {
+            $this->set_text($b ? "Y" : "N");
         } else {
-            $this->set_text($b ? "Yes" : ($v ? "No" : ""));
+            $this->set_text($b ? "Yes" : "No");
         }
         return $this;
     }
diff --git a/src/formula.php b/src/formula.php
index 5b29bc134..852b632cf 100644
--- a/src/formula.php
+++ b/src/formula.php
@@ -2608,7 +2608,7 @@ function unparse_text($x, $real_format) {
                 return $this->_format_detail->unparse_computed($rx, $real_format);
             } else if ($this->_format === Fexpr::FSUBFIELD) {
                 $prow = $this->placeholder_prow();
-                $fr = new FieldRender(FieldRender::CFCSV);
+                $fr = new FieldRender(FieldRender::CFTEXT | FieldRender::CFCSV | FieldRender::CFVERBOSE);
                 $this->_format_detail->render($fr, new PaperValue($prow, $x));
                 return $fr->value; // XXX
             } else if ($this->_format === Fexpr::FPREFEXPERTISE) {
diff --git a/src/hotcrpmailer.php b/src/hotcrpmailer.php
index fb9147a37..46ba41f7d 100644
--- a/src/hotcrpmailer.php
+++ b/src/hotcrpmailer.php
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ function kw_paperfield($args, $isbool, $uf) {
             || !($ov = $this->row->option($uf->option))) {
             return $isbool ? false : "";
         } else {
-            $fr = new FieldRender(FieldRender::CFMAIL, $this->permuser);
+            $fr = new FieldRender(FieldRender::CFTEXT | FieldRender::CFMAIL, $this->permuser);
             $uf->option->render($fr, $ov);
             if ($isbool) {
                 return ($fr->value ?? "") !== "";
diff --git a/src/listactions/la_getabstracts.php b/src/listactions/la_getabstracts.php
index 279e6f461..d1d6f829a 100644
--- a/src/listactions/la_getabstracts.php
+++ b/src/listactions/la_getabstracts.php
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ static function render(PaperInfo $prow, Contact $user) {
         $n = prefix_word_wrap("", "Submission #{$prow->paperId}: {$prow->title}", 0, self::WIDTH);
         $text = $n . str_repeat("=", min(self::WIDTH, strlen($n) - 1)) . "\n\n";
 
-        $fr = new FieldRender(FieldRender::CTEXT, $user);
+        $fr = new FieldRender(FieldRender::CFTEXT, $user);
         foreach ($user->conf->options()->page_fields($prow) as $o) {
             if (($o->id <= 0 || $user->allow_view_option($prow, $o))
                 && $o->on_page()) {
diff --git a/src/options/o_abstract.php b/src/options/o_abstract.php
index 00af142c1..2187e53b6 100644
--- a/src/options/o_abstract.php
+++ b/src/options/o_abstract.php
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ function print_web_edit(PaperTable $pt, $ov, $reqov) {
         $this->print_web_edit_text($pt, $ov, $reqov, ["rows" => 5]);
     }
     function render(FieldRender $fr, PaperValue $ov) {
-        if ($fr->for_page()) {
+        if ($fr->want(FieldRender::CFPAGE)) {
             $fr->table->render_abstract($fr, $this);
         } else {
             $text = $ov->prow->abstract();
diff --git a/src/options/o_attachments.php b/src/options/o_attachments.php
index 0e845ba6a..565151158 100644
--- a/src/options/o_attachments.php
+++ b/src/options/o_attachments.php
@@ -173,13 +173,14 @@ function print_web_edit(PaperTable $pt, $ov, $reqov) {
     function render(FieldRender $fr, PaperValue $ov) {
         $ts = [];
         foreach ($ov->document_set() as $d) {
-            if ($fr->want_text()) {
+            if ($fr->want(FieldRender::CFTEXT)) {
                 $ts[] = $d->member_filename();
             } else {
                 $linkname = htmlspecialchars($d->member_filename());
-                if ($fr->want_list()) {
+                $dif = 0;
+                if ($fr->want(FieldRender::CFLIST)) {
                     $dif = DocumentInfo::L_SMALL | DocumentInfo::L_NOSIZE;
-                } else if ($fr->for_form()) {
+                } else if ($fr->want(FieldRender::CFFORM)) {
                     $dif = 0;
                 } else if ($this->display() === PaperOption::DISP_TOP) {
                     $dif = 0;
@@ -194,24 +195,26 @@ function render(FieldRender $fr, PaperValue $ov) {
                 $ts[] = $t;
             }
         }
-        if (!empty($ts)) {
-            if ($fr->want_text()) {
-                $fr->set_text(join("; ", $ts));
-            } else if ($fr->want_list_row()) {
-                $fr->set_html('<ul class="semi"><li>' . join("</li><li>", $ts) . '</li></ul>');
-            } else {
-                $fr->set_html('<ul class="x"><li class="od">' . join('</li><li class="od">', $ts) . '</li></ul>');
+        if (empty($ts)) {
+            if ($fr->verbose()) {
+                $fr->set_text("None");
             }
-            if ($fr->for_page() && $this->display() === PaperOption::DISP_TOP) {
-                $fr->title = false;
-                $v = '';
-                if ($fr->table && $fr->user->view_option_state($ov->prow, $this) === 1) {
-                    $v = ' fx8';
-                }
-                $fr->value = "<div class=\"pgsm{$v}\">{$fr->value}</div>";
+            return;
+        }
+        if ($fr->want(FieldRender::CFTEXT)) {
+            $fr->set_text(join("; ", $ts));
+        } else if ($fr->want(FieldRender::CFLIST | FieldRender::CFROW)) {
+            $fr->set_html('<ul class="semi"><li>' . join("</li><li>", $ts) . '</li></ul>');
+        } else {
+            $fr->set_html('<ul class="x"><li class="od">' . join('</li><li class="od">', $ts) . '</li></ul>');
+        }
+        if ($fr->want(FieldRender::CFPAGE) && $this->display() === PaperOption::DISP_TOP) {
+            $fr->title = false;
+            $v = '';
+            if ($fr->table && $fr->user->view_option_state($ov->prow, $this) === 1) {
+                $v = ' fx8';
             }
-        } else if ($fr->verbose()) {
-            $fr->set_text("None");
+            $fr->value = "<div class=\"pgsm{$v}\">{$fr->value}</div>";
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/options/o_authors.php b/src/options/o_authors.php
index 171ce2981..e7b2aaeb6 100644
--- a/src/options/o_authors.php
+++ b/src/options/o_authors.php
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ function print_web_edit(PaperTable $pt, $ov, $reqov) {
     }
 
     function render(FieldRender $fr, PaperValue $ov) {
-        if ($fr->for_page()) {
+        if ($fr->want(FieldRender::CFPAGE)) {
             $fr->table->render_authors($fr, $this);
         } else {
             $names = ["<ul class=\"x namelist\">"];
diff --git a/src/papercolumns/pc_option.php b/src/papercolumns/pc_option.php
index 2fab1adc3..fbf3ddbb8 100644
--- a/src/papercolumns/pc_option.php
+++ b/src/papercolumns/pc_option.php
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ function prepare(PaperList $pl, $visible) {
             return false;
         }
         $pl->qopts["options"] = true;
-        $this->fr = new FieldRender(0, $pl->user);
+        $this->fr = new FieldRender($pl->render_context | ($this->as_row ? FieldRender::CFROW : FieldRender::CFCOLUMN), $pl->user);
         if ($this->as_row) {
             $this->className = ltrim(preg_replace('/(?: +|\A)(?:plrd|plr|plc)(?= |\z)/', "", $this->className));
         }
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ function content(PaperList $pl, PaperInfo $row) {
         }
 
         $fr = $this->fr;
-        $fr->clear(FieldRender::CFLIST | FieldRender::CFHTML | ($this->as_row ? 0 : FieldRender::CFCOLUMN));
+        $fr->clear();
         $this->opt->render($fr, $ov);
         if ((string) $fr->value === "") {
             return "";
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ function text(PaperList $pl, PaperInfo $row) {
             return "";
         }
 
-        $this->fr->clear(FieldRender::CFCSV | FieldRender::CFVERBOSE);
+        $this->fr->clear();
         $this->opt->render($this->fr, $ov);
         return (string) $this->fr->value;
     }
diff --git a/src/paperlist.php b/src/paperlist.php
index 886499a75..dc49c856e 100644
--- a/src/paperlist.php
+++ b/src/paperlist.php
@@ -290,6 +290,9 @@ class PaperList {
 
     // columns access
     public $qopts; // set by PaperColumn::prepare
+    /** @var int
+     * @readonly */
+    public $render_context;
     /** @var array<string,string|list<string>> */
     public $table_attr;
     /** @var array */
@@ -760,8 +763,6 @@ function apply_view_qreq(Qrequest $qreq) {
     /** @param bool $report_diff
      * @return list<string> */
     function unparse_view($report_diff = false) {
-        $this->_prepare();
-
         // views
         $res = [];
         $nextpos = 1000000;
@@ -1254,8 +1255,17 @@ static function vcolumn_order_compare($f1, $f2) {
         return strnatcasecmp($f1->name, $f2->name);
     }
 
-    private function _set_vcolumns() {
+    /** @param int $context */
+    private function _reset_vcolumns($context) {
+        // reset
+        $this->_has = [];
+        $this->count = 0;
+        $this->_bulkwarn_count = 0;
+        $this->need_render = false;
+        $this->_vcolumns = [];
         $this->table_attr = [];
+        /** @phan-suppress-next-line PhanAccessReadOnlyProperty */
+        $this->render_context = $context;
         assert(empty($this->row_attr));
 
         // extract columns from _viewf
@@ -1767,14 +1777,6 @@ private function _analyze_folds() {
         $this->table_attr["data-columns"] = $jscol; /* XXX backward compat */
     }
 
-    private function _prepare() {
-        $this->_has = [];
-        $this->count = 0;
-        $this->_bulkwarn_count = 0;
-        $this->need_render = false;
-        $this->_vcolumns = [];
-    }
-
     /** @param PaperListTableRender $rstate
      * @return string */
     private function _statistics_rows($rstate) {
@@ -2021,14 +2023,13 @@ private function _drag_action() {
 
     /** @return PaperListTableRender */
     private function _table_render() {
-        $this->_prepare();
         // need tags for row coloring
         if ($this->user->can_view_tags(null)) {
             $this->qopts["tags"] = true;
         }
 
         // get column list
-        $this->_set_vcolumns();
+        $this->_reset_vcolumns(FieldRender::CFLIST | FieldRender::CFHTML);
         if (empty($this->_vcolumns)) {
             return PaperListTableRender::make_error("Nothing to show");
         }
@@ -2264,8 +2265,7 @@ function table_html() {
     /** @return array{fields:array<string,array>,data:array<int,array{id:int}>,attr?:array,stat?:array} */
     function table_html_json() {
         // get column list, check sort
-        $this->_prepare();
-        $this->_set_vcolumns();
+        $this->_reset_vcolumns(FieldRender::CFLIST | FieldRender::CFHTML);
         if (empty($this->_vcolumns)) {
             return ["fields" => [], "data" => []];
         }
@@ -2327,8 +2327,7 @@ function table_html_json() {
     /** @return array<int,array<string,mixed>> */
     function text_json() {
         // get column list, check sort
-        $this->_prepare();
-        $this->_set_vcolumns();
+        $this->_reset_vcolumns(FieldRender::CFTEXT | FieldRender::CFCSV | FieldRender::CFVERBOSE);
         $data = [];
         if (!empty($this->_vcolumns)) {
             foreach ($this->rowset() as $row) {
@@ -2380,8 +2379,7 @@ private function _mark_groups_csv($grouppos, &$body) {
     /** @return array{array<string,string>,list<array<string,string>>} */
     function text_csv() {
         // get column list, check sort
-        $this->_prepare();
-        $this->_set_vcolumns();
+        $this->_reset_vcolumns(FieldRender::CFTEXT | FieldRender::CFCSV | FieldRender::CFVERBOSE);
 
         // collect row data
         $body = [];
diff --git a/src/paperoption.php b/src/paperoption.php
index bf7f396b5..4a20473b9 100644
--- a/src/paperoption.php
+++ b/src/paperoption.php
@@ -756,7 +756,7 @@ function export_setting() {
         if (strcasecmp($this->description, "none") === 0) {
             $sfs->description = "none";
         } else {
-            $fr = new FieldRender(FieldRender::CFPAGE | FieldRender::CFHTML);
+            $fr = new FieldRender(FieldRender::CFHTML);
             $this->render_description($fr);
             $sfs->description = $fr->value_html();
         }
@@ -1052,11 +1052,13 @@ function print_web_edit(PaperTable $pt, $ov, $reqov) {
     }
 
     function render(FieldRender $fr, PaperValue $ov) {
-        if ($fr->for_page() && $ov->value) {
-            $fr->title = "";
-            $fr->set_html('✓ <span class="pavfn">' . $this->title_html() . '</span>');
-        } else {
+        if ($ov->value || $fr->verbose()) {
             $fr->set_bool(!!$ov->value);
+            if ($fr->want(FieldRender::CFPAGE)) {
+                $fr->title = "";
+                $th = $this->title_html();
+                $fr->value .= " <span class=\"pavfn\">{$th}</span>";
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -1537,24 +1539,37 @@ function validate_document(DocumentInfo $doc) {
     }
 
     function render(FieldRender $fr, PaperValue $ov) {
-        if ($this->id <= 0 && $fr->for_page()) {
+        if ($this->id <= 0 && $fr->want(FieldRender::CFPAGE)) {
             if ($this->id === 0) {
                 $fr->table->render_submission($fr, $this);
             }
-        } else if (($d = $ov->document(0))) {
-            if ($fr->want_text()) {
-                $fr->set_text($d->filename);
-            } else if ($fr->for_form()) {
-                $fr->set_html($d->link_html(htmlspecialchars($d->filename), 0));
-            } else if ($fr->for_page()) {
-                $th = $this->title_html();
-                $dif = $this->display() === PaperOption::DISP_TOP ? 0 : DocumentInfo::L_SMALL;
-                $fr->title = "";
-                $fr->set_html($d->link_html("<span class=\"pavfn\">{$th}</span>", $dif));
+            return;
+        }
+
+        $d = $ov->document(0);
+        if (!$d) {
+            if ($fr->verbose()) {
+                $fr->set_text("None");
+            }
+            return;
+        }
+
+        if ($fr->want(FieldRender::CFTEXT)) {
+            $fr->set_text($d->export_filename());
+        } else if ($fr->want(FieldRender::CFFORM)) {
+            $fr->set_html($d->link_html(htmlspecialchars($d->filename), 0));
+        } else if ($fr->want(FieldRender::CFPAGE)) {
+            $th = $this->title_html();
+            $dif = $this->display() === PaperOption::DISP_TOP ? 0 : DocumentInfo::L_SMALL;
+            $fr->title = "";
+            $fr->set_html($d->link_html("<span class=\"pavfn\">{$th}</span>", $dif));
+        } else {
+            if ($fr->verbose() || $fr->want(FieldRender::CFLIST | FieldRender::CFROW)) {
+                $th = $d->export_filename();
             } else {
-                $th = $fr->verbose() ? $d->export_filename() : "";
-                $fr->set_html($d->link_html($th, DocumentInfo::L_SMALL | DocumentInfo::L_NOSIZE));
+                $th = "";
             }
+            $fr->set_html($d->link_html($th, DocumentInfo::L_SMALL | DocumentInfo::L_NOSIZE));
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/papertable.php b/src/papertable.php
index 9d672a253..054d76762 100644
--- a/src/papertable.php
+++ b/src/papertable.php
@@ -1248,8 +1248,7 @@ private function _print_normal_body() {
             htmlspecialchars($name), "</span></p>";
 
         $renders = [];
-        $fr = new FieldRender(FieldRender::CPAGE, $this->user);
-        $fr->table = $this;
+        $fr = (new FieldRender(FieldRender::CFHTML | FieldRender::CFPAGE))->make_table($this);
         foreach ($this->prow->page_fields() as $o) {
             if ($o->display() < PaperOption::DISP_TOP
                 || $o->display() > PaperOption::DISP_REST
@@ -2317,8 +2316,7 @@ private function _print_editable_form() {
     }
 
     private function _print_editable_fields() {
-        $fr = new FieldRender(FieldRender::CFHTML | FieldRender::CFFORM | FieldRender::CFVERBOSE, $this->user);
-        $fr->table = $this;
+        $fr = (new FieldRender(FieldRender::CFHTML | FieldRender::CFFORM | FieldRender::CFVERBOSE))->make_table($this);
         foreach ($this->prow->form_fields() as $o) {
             if (!$this->user->can_view_option($this->prow, $o)) {
                 continue;
diff --git a/src/settings/s_options.php b/src/settings/s_options.php
index 6dd0b06a9..11e8248d3 100644
--- a/src/settings/s_options.php
+++ b/src/settings/s_options.php
@@ -795,7 +795,7 @@ private function _intrinsic_member_defaults($sv, $mname, $oopt, $nopt, $isfs) {
         if ($mname === "name") {
             return [$oopt->default_edit_title(), $nopt->default_edit_title()];
         } else if ($mname === "description") {
-            $fr = new FieldRender(FieldRender::CFPAGE | FieldRender::CFHTML);
+            $fr = new FieldRender(FieldRender::CFHTML);
             $oopt->render_default_description($fr);
             $d1 = $fr->value_html();
             $fr->clear();