diff --git a/packages/cx/src/data/View.js b/packages/cx/src/data/View.js
index 70e1fe712..388978b3b 100644
--- a/packages/cx/src/data/View.js
+++ b/packages/cx/src/data/View.js
@@ -170,6 +170,17 @@ export class View {
       this.store = store;
       this.meta = store.getMeta();
    }
+
+   getMethods() {
+      return {
+         getData: ::this.getData,
+         set: ::this.set,
+         get: ::this.get,
+         update: ::this.update,
+         delete: ::this.delete,
+         toggle: ::this.toggle
+      }
+   }
 }
 
 View.prototype.sealed = false; //indicate that data should be copied before virtual items are added
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/cx/src/ui/Component.d.ts b/packages/cx/src/ui/Component.d.ts
index d14fd5fe1..d273288ff 100644
--- a/packages/cx/src/ui/Component.d.ts
+++ b/packages/cx/src/ui/Component.d.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ interface DecoratorFactory<T> {
 
 export class Component {
 
+   constructor(config?: Cx.Config);
+
    init();
 
    /**
diff --git a/packages/cx/src/ui/Controller.js b/packages/cx/src/ui/Controller.js
index acf862b48..9d976407d 100644
--- a/packages/cx/src/ui/Controller.js
+++ b/packages/cx/src/ui/Controller.js
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import {computable} from '../data/computable';
 import {Component} from './Component';
 import {isArray} from '../util/isArray';
+import {isFunction} from '../util/isFunction';
+import {View} from "../data/View";
 
 const computablePrefix = 'computable-';
 const triggerPrefix = 'trigger-';
@@ -87,3 +89,49 @@ export class Controller extends Component {
 
 Controller.namespace = 'ui.controller.';
 Controller.lazyInit = true;
+
+Controller.factory = function(alias, config, more) {
+   if (isFunction(alias)) {
+      let cfg = {
+         ...config,
+         ...more
+      };
+
+      if (cfg.instance) {
+         //in rare cases instance.store may change, so we cannot rely on the store passed through configuration
+         cfg.store = new InstanceStoreProxy(cfg.instance);
+         Object.assign(cfg, cfg.store.getMethods());
+      }
+
+      let result = alias(cfg);
+      if (result instanceof Controller)
+         return result;
+
+      return new Controller({
+         ...config,
+         ...more,
+         ...result
+      });
+   }
+
+   return new Controller({
+      ...config,
+      ...more
+   });
+};
+
+class InstanceStoreProxy extends View {
+   constructor(instance) {
+      super({
+         store: instance.store
+      });
+
+      Object.defineProperty(this, "store", {
+         get: () => instance.store
+      });
+   }
+
+   getData() {
+      return this.store.getData();
+   }
+}
diff --git a/packages/cx/src/ui/Controller.spec.js b/packages/cx/src/ui/Controller.spec.js
index c069800c7..2136c63d7 100644
--- a/packages/cx/src/ui/Controller.spec.js
+++ b/packages/cx/src/ui/Controller.spec.js
@@ -35,13 +35,13 @@ describe('Controller', () => {
       }
 
       let widget = <cx>
-         <div controller={TestController} />
+         <div controller={TestController}/>
       </cx>;
 
       let store = new Store();
 
       const component = renderer.create(
-         <Cx widget={widget} store={store} subscribe immediate />
+         <Cx widget={widget} store={store} subscribe immediate/>
       );
 
       let tree = component.toJSON();
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ describe('Controller', () => {
 
       const component = renderer.create(
          <Cx store={store} subscribe immediate>
-            <Cmp controller={TestController} onTest="callback" />
+            <Cmp controller={TestController} onTest="callback"/>
          </Cx>
       );
 
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ describe('Controller', () => {
       const component = renderer.create(
          <Cx store={store} subscribe immediate>
             <div controller={TestController1}>
-               <Cmp controller={TestController2} onTest="callback1" />
+               <Cmp controller={TestController2} onTest="callback1"/>
             </div>
          </Cx>
       );
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ describe('Controller', () => {
       const component = renderer.create(
          <Cx store={store} subscribe immediate>
             <div controller={TestController1}>
-               <div controller={TestController2} />
+               <div controller={TestController2}/>
             </div>
          </Cx>
       );
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@ describe('Controller', () => {
       const component = renderer.create(
          <Cx store={store} subscribe immediate>
             <div controller={TestController1}>
-               <div visible={false} controller={TestController2} />
+               <div visible={false} controller={TestController2}/>
             </div>
          </Cx>
       );
@@ -187,6 +187,7 @@ describe('Controller', () => {
 
    it('invokes triggers and computables in order of definition', () => {
       let log = [];
+
       class TestController extends Controller {
          onInit() {
             this.addTrigger('t1', [], () => {
@@ -205,13 +206,13 @@ describe('Controller', () => {
       }
 
       let widget = <cx>
-         <div controller={TestController} />
+         <div controller={TestController}/>
       </cx>;
 
       let store = new Store();
 
       const component = renderer.create(
-         <Cx widget={widget} store={store} subscribe immediate />
+         <Cx widget={widget} store={store} subscribe immediate/>
       );
 
       let tree = component.toJSON();
@@ -220,6 +221,7 @@ describe('Controller', () => {
 
    it('is recreated if a component is hidden and shown', () => {
       let initCount = 0;
+
       class TestController extends Controller {
          onInit() {
             initCount++;
@@ -231,7 +233,7 @@ describe('Controller', () => {
 
       const component = renderer.create(
          <Cx store={store} subscribe immediate>
-            <div visible:bind="visible" controller={TestController} />
+            <div visible:bind="visible" controller={TestController}/>
          </Cx>
       );
 
@@ -246,5 +248,113 @@ describe('Controller', () => {
       let tree3 = component.toJSON();
       assert.equal(initCount, 2);
    });
+
+   it('allows creation through a factory', () => {
+      let store = new Store({ data: { x: 0}});
+
+      const controllerFactory = ({store}) => {
+         return {
+            increment() {
+               store.update("x", x => x + 1);
+            }
+         }
+      };
+
+      let c = Controller.create(controllerFactory, {store});
+
+      c.increment();
+      assert.equal(store.get("x"), 1);
+   });
+
+   it('lifetime methods of a functional controller are properly invoked', () => {
+      let initCount = 0,
+         destroyCount = 0;
+
+      const testController = () => ({
+         onInit() {
+            initCount++;
+         },
+
+         onDestroy() {
+            destroyCount++;
+         }
+      });
+
+      let store = new Store();
+      store.set('visible', true);
+
+      const component = renderer.create(
+         <Cx store={store} subscribe immediate>
+            <div visible:bind="visible" controller={testController}/>
+         </Cx>
+      );
+
+      let tree1 = component.toJSON();
+      assert.equal(initCount, 1);
+
+      store.set('visible', false);
+      let tree2 = component.toJSON();
+      assert.equal(destroyCount, 1);
+
+      store.set('visible', true);
+      let tree3 = component.toJSON();
+      assert.equal(initCount, 2);
+   });
+
+   it('widgets can easily define controller methods', () => {
+      let store = new Store({ data: { x: 0}});
+
+      const component = renderer.create(
+         <Cx store={store} subscribe immediate>
+            <div
+               controller={{
+                  increment(count) {
+                     this.store.update("x", x => x + count);
+                  }
+               }}
+            >
+               <div
+                  controller={{
+                     onInit() {
+                        this.invokeParentMethod("increment", 1);
+                     }
+                  }}
+               />
+            </div>
+
+
+         </Cx>
+      );
+
+      let tree1 = component.toJSON();
+      assert.equal(store.get("x"), 1);
+   });
+
+   it('functional controllers get store methods through configuration', () => {
+      let store = new Store({ data: { x: 0}});
+
+      const component = renderer.create(
+         <Cx store={store} subscribe immediate>
+            <div
+               controller={({update}) => ({
+                  increment(count) {
+                     update("x", x => x + count);
+                  }
+               })}
+            >
+               <div
+                  controller={{
+                     onInit() {
+                        this.invokeParentMethod("increment", 1);
+                     }
+                  }}
+               />
+            </div>
+         </Cx>
+      );
+
+      let tree1 = component.toJSON();
+      assert.equal(store.get("x"), 1);
+   });
 });