Item templates can be dynamically created during runtime. They can then be added to item classes, or to action bars or pull-downs. These item definitions are global; they appear outside of any action bar template.

The add item statement adds an item template to the collection of item templates available to the ESL developer. No item will appear on the screen until it is added to a region with a visible action bar (see Adding Items to Action Bars and Adding Items to Pull-downs).

Like any dynamically created ESL object, an item must be added to a predefined item class in order to trigger a response.