diff --git a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ClosureComponentFactory.java b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ClosureComponentFactory.java
index 537e399..2428788 100644
--- a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ClosureComponentFactory.java
+++ b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ClosureComponentFactory.java
@@ -2,18 +2,52 @@ package groowt.view.component;
 
 import groovy.lang.Closure;
 
-final class ClosureComponentFactory<T extends ViewComponent> extends AbstractComponentFactory<T> {
+import static groowt.view.component.ComponentFactoryUtil.flatten;
+
+final class ClosureComponentFactory<T extends ViewComponent> extends ComponentFactoryBase<T> {
 
     private final Closure<T> closure;
+    private final Class<?> firstParamType;
 
     public ClosureComponentFactory(Closure<T> closure) {
         this.closure = closure;
+        if (this.closure.getParameterTypes().length < 2) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+                    "Closures for " + getClass().getName() + " require at least two parameters"
+            );
+        }
+        this.firstParamType = this.closure.getParameterTypes()[0];
+        if (this.firstParamType != Object.class
+                && !(this.firstParamType == String.class || this.firstParamType == Class.class)) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+                    "The first closure parameter must be any of type Object (i.e, dynamic), String, or Class"
+            );
+        }
+        final var secondParamType = this.closure.getParameterTypes()[1];
+        if (secondParamType != Object.class && !ComponentContext.class.isAssignableFrom(secondParamType)) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+                    "The second closure parameter must be of type Object (i.e., dynamic) or " +
+                            "ComponentContext or a subclass thereof."
+            );
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
-    public T create(Object type, ComponentContext componentContext, Object... args) {
-        final Object[] flattened = ComponentFactoryUtil.flatten(type, componentContext, args);
-        return this.closure.call(flattened);
+    public T create(String type, ComponentContext componentContext, Object... args) {
+        if (this.firstParamType != Object.class && this.firstParamType != String.class) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Cannot call this ClosureComponentFactory " +
+                    "with a String component type argument.");
+        }
+        return this.closure.call(flatten(type, componentContext, args));
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public T create(Class<?> type, ComponentContext componentContext, Object... args) {
+        if (this.firstParamType != Object.class && this.firstParamType != Class.class) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Cannot call this ClosureComponentFactory " +
+                    "with a Class component type argument.");
+        }
+        return this.closure.call(flatten(type, componentContext, args));
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentContext.java b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentContext.java
index 477e255..a5a3a0f 100644
--- a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentContext.java
+++ b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentContext.java
@@ -10,20 +10,36 @@ import java.util.function.Predicate;
 
 public interface ComponentContext {
 
+    /**
+     * For use only by compiled templates.
+     */
     @ApiStatus.Internal
     interface Resolved {
         String getTypeName();
         ComponentFactory<?> getComponentFactory();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * For use only by compiled templates.
+     */
     @ApiStatus.Internal
     Resolved resolve(String component);
 
+    /**
+     * For use only by compiled templates.
+     */
     @ApiStatus.Internal
     ViewComponent create(Resolved resolved, Object... args);
 
+    /**
+     * For use only by compiled templates.
+     */
+    @ApiStatus.Internal
     void beforeComponentRender(ViewComponent component);
 
+    /**
+     * For use only by compiled templates.
+     */
     @ApiStatus.Internal
     void afterComponentRender(ViewComponent component);
 
diff --git a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentCreateException.java b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentCreateException.java
index 3e0db81..3b8bfc2 100644
--- a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentCreateException.java
+++ b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentCreateException.java
@@ -1,13 +1,25 @@
 package groowt.view.component;
 
+/**
+ * An exception which signals that a component of the given type
+ * could not be created in the given template.
+ */
 public class ComponentCreateException extends RuntimeException {
 
+    private final Object componentType;
     private final ComponentTemplate template;
     private final int line;
     private final int column;
 
-    public ComponentCreateException(ComponentTemplate template, int line, int column, Throwable cause) {
+    public ComponentCreateException(
+            Object componentType,
+            ComponentTemplate template,
+            int line,
+            int column,
+            Throwable cause
+    ) {
         super(cause);
+        this.componentType = componentType;
         this.template = template;
         this.line = line;
         this.column = column;
@@ -15,8 +27,8 @@ public class ComponentCreateException extends RuntimeException {
 
     @Override
     public String getMessage() {
-        return "Exception while rendering " + this.template.getClass()
-                + " at line " + this.line + ", column " + this.column + ".";
+        return "Exception in " +  this.template.getClass() + " while creating " + this.componentType.getClass() +
+                " at line " + this.line + ", column " + this.column + ".";
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentFactory.java b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentFactory.java
index 21080ad..99fd2f7 100644
--- a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentFactory.java
+++ b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentFactory.java
@@ -5,8 +5,23 @@ import groovy.lang.GroovyObject;
 
 import java.util.function.Supplier;
 
-public interface ComponentFactory<T extends ViewComponent> extends GroovyObject {
+@FunctionalInterface
+public interface ComponentFactory<T extends ViewComponent> {
 
+    /**
+     * @param closure A closure with the following signature:
+     * <p>
+     * {@code Object componentType, ComponentContext context, ... -> T }
+     * <p>
+     * where '{@code ...}' represents any additional parameters (or none).
+     * <p>
+     * The first two parameters are not optional and must be present
+     * or else this method will not work. The first parameter may be either
+     * a {@link String} or a {@link Class}.
+     *
+     * @return A factory which will create type {@code T}.
+     * @param <T> The desired {@link ViewComponent} type.
+     */
     static <T extends ViewComponent> ComponentFactory<T> ofClosure(Closure<T> closure) {
         return new ClosureComponentFactory<>(closure);
     }
@@ -15,6 +30,10 @@ public interface ComponentFactory<T extends ViewComponent> extends GroovyObject
         return new SupplierComponentFactory<>(supplier);
     }
 
-    T create(Object type, ComponentContext componentContext, Object... args);
+    T create(String typeName, ComponentContext componentContext, Object... args);
+
+    default T create(Class<?> type, ComponentContext componentContext, Object... args) {
+        return this.create(type.getName(), componentContext, args);
+    }
 
 }
diff --git a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/AbstractComponentFactory.java b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentFactoryBase.java
similarity index 52%
rename from view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/AbstractComponentFactory.java
rename to view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentFactoryBase.java
index 5abc9ce..d41aa27 100644
--- a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/AbstractComponentFactory.java
+++ b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentFactoryBase.java
@@ -1,19 +1,53 @@
 package groowt.view.component;
 
 import groovy.lang.GroovyObjectSupport;
+import groovy.lang.MetaClass;
 import groovy.lang.MetaMethod;
 import groovy.lang.MissingMethodException;
 
-import java.util.*;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
 
-public abstract class AbstractComponentFactory<T extends ViewComponent> extends GroovyObjectSupport
+/**
+ * This class can be used to create custom implementations {@link ComponentFactory}.
+ *
+ * @implSpec All implementations must simply provide one or more {@code doCreate()} methods,
+ * which will be found by this class via the Groovy meta object protocol. The method(s) may
+ * have any of the following signatures:
+ * <ul>
+ *     <li>{@code String | Class, ComponentContext, ... -> T}</li>
+ *     <li>{@code ComponentContext, ... -> T}</li>
+ *     <li>{@code String | Class, ... -> T}</li>
+ *     <li>{@code ... -> }</li>
+ * </ul>
+ * where '{@code ...}' represents zero or more additional arguments.
+ *
+ * @implNote In most cases, the implementation does not need to consume the
+ * {@link ComponentContext} argument, as the compiled template is required to contain
+ * {@code component.setContext(context)} statements following the component
+ * creation call. However, if the component <strong>needs</strong> the context
+ * (for example, to do custom scope logic), then it is more than okay to consume it.
+ *
+ * @implNote In the case Web View Components, the first additional argument will be
+ * a {@link Map} containing the attributes of the component, followed by any additional
+ * component constructor args.
+ *
+ * @param <T> The type of the ViewComponent produced by this factory.
+ */
+public abstract class ComponentFactoryBase<T extends ViewComponent> extends GroovyObjectSupport
         implements ComponentFactory<T> {
 
+    protected static final String DO_CREATE = "doCreate";
+
+    protected static MetaMethod findDoCreateMethod(MetaClass metaClass, Class<?>[] types) {
+        return metaClass.getMetaMethod(DO_CREATE, types);
+    }
+
     protected final Map<Class<?>[], MetaMethod> cache = new HashMap<>();
 
     protected MetaMethod findDoCreateMethod(Object[] allArgs) {
         return this.cache.computeIfAbsent(ComponentFactoryUtil.asTypes(allArgs), types ->
-                ComponentFactoryUtil.findDoCreateMethod(this.getMetaClass(), types)
+                findDoCreateMethod(this.getMetaClass(), types)
         );
     }
 
@@ -54,15 +88,16 @@ public abstract class AbstractComponentFactory<T extends ViewComponent> extends
             return (T) argsOnlyMethod.invoke(this, args);
         }
 
-        throw new MissingMethodException(
-                ComponentFactoryUtil.DO_CREATE,
-                this.getClass(),
-                args
-        );
+        throw new MissingMethodException(DO_CREATE, this.getClass(), args);
     }
 
     @Override
-    public T create(Object type, ComponentContext componentContext, Object... args) {
+    public T create(String type, ComponentContext componentContext, Object... args) {
+        return this.findAndDoCreate(type, componentContext, args);
+    }
+
+    @Override
+    public T create(Class<?> type, ComponentContext componentContext, Object... args) {
         return this.findAndDoCreate(type, componentContext, args);
     }
 
diff --git a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentFactoryUtil.java b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentFactoryUtil.java
index da504e7..7520667 100644
--- a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentFactoryUtil.java
+++ b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentFactoryUtil.java
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 package groowt.view.component;
 
+import groovy.lang.GroovyObject;
 import groovy.lang.MetaClass;
 import groovy.lang.MetaMethod;
+import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nullable;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
@@ -9,7 +11,6 @@ import java.util.List;
 
 public final class ComponentFactoryUtil {
 
-    public static final String DO_CREATE = "doCreate";
     public static final Class<?>[] EMPTY_CLASSES = new Class[0];
 
     public static Object[] flatten(Object... args) {
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@ public final class ComponentFactoryUtil {
         } else {
             final List<Object> result = new ArrayList<>(args.length);
             for (final var arg : args) {
-                if (arg instanceof Object[] arr) {
+                if (arg instanceof Object[] arr && arr.length > 0) {
                     result.addAll(Arrays.asList(arr));
                 } else {
                     result.add(arg);
@@ -44,10 +45,6 @@ public final class ComponentFactoryUtil {
         return result;
     }
 
-    public static MetaMethod findDoCreateMethod(MetaClass metaClass, Class<?>[] types) {
-        return metaClass.getMetaMethod(DO_CREATE, types);
-    }
-
     private ComponentFactoryUtil() {}
 
 }
diff --git a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentRenderException.java b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentRenderException.java
index 3810ab7..f03a866 100644
--- a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentRenderException.java
+++ b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentRenderException.java
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 package groowt.view.component;
 
+/**
+ * An exception which represents an error during rendering of a component.
+ */
 public class ComponentRenderException extends RuntimeException {
 
     private static String formatMessage(int line, int column) {
diff --git a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentTemplateCreateException.java b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentTemplateCreateException.java
index 4226662..eff73b4 100644
--- a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentTemplateCreateException.java
+++ b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ComponentTemplateCreateException.java
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@ package groowt.view.component;
 
 import java.io.Reader;
 
+/**
+ * Represents an exception thrown while attempting to instantiate a ComponentTemplate during compilation.
+ */
 public class ComponentTemplateCreateException extends RuntimeException {
 
     private final Class<? extends ViewComponent> forClass;
diff --git a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/MissingComponentException.java b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/MissingComponentException.java
index 527567a..e32a0de 100644
--- a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/MissingComponentException.java
+++ b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/MissingComponentException.java
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 package groowt.view.component;
 
+/**
+ * An exception which represents that a component type could not be
+ * found by the {@link ComponentContext}.
+ */
 public abstract class MissingComponentException extends RuntimeException {
 
     private final ComponentTemplate template;
diff --git a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/SupplierComponentFactory.java b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/SupplierComponentFactory.java
index 534c82c..a975ef8 100644
--- a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/SupplierComponentFactory.java
+++ b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/SupplierComponentFactory.java
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ package groowt.view.component;
 
 import java.util.function.Supplier;
 
-final class SupplierComponentFactory<T extends ViewComponent> extends AbstractComponentFactory<T> {
+final class SupplierComponentFactory<T extends ViewComponent> extends ComponentFactoryBase<T> {
 
     private final Supplier<T> tSupplier;
 
diff --git a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ViewComponent.java b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ViewComponent.java
index cfbd7a0..66c8941 100644
--- a/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ViewComponent.java
+++ b/view-components/src/main/java/groowt/view/component/ViewComponent.java
@@ -9,9 +9,24 @@ public interface ViewComponent extends View {
         return this.getClass().getName();
     }
 
-    @ApiStatus.Internal
+    /**
+     * <em>Note:</em> compiled templates are required to automatically
+     * call this method after the component is constructed. One
+     * only needs to use this if doing custom rendering logic
+     * where the component is not rendered inside a compiled
+     * template.
+     */
     void setContext(ComponentContext context);
 
+    /**
+     * <em>Note:</em> compiled templates call the
+     * related {@link #setContext} method <strong>after</strong>
+     * the component is instantiated. If one needs access to the
+     * {@link ComponentContext} in the component constructor,
+     * ask for it in the constructor parameters.
+     *
+     * @return the component context
+     */
     ComponentContext getContext();
 
 }
diff --git a/web-views/src/main/groovy/groowt/view/web/lib/Echo.groovy b/web-views/src/main/groovy/groowt/view/web/lib/Echo.groovy
index 9f4f34d..9f015c2 100644
--- a/web-views/src/main/groovy/groowt/view/web/lib/Echo.groovy
+++ b/web-views/src/main/groovy/groowt/view/web/lib/Echo.groovy
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package groowt.view.web.lib
 
 import groowt.view.StandardGStringTemplateView
 import groowt.view.View
-import groowt.view.component.AbstractComponentFactory
 import groowt.view.component.ComponentContext
 import groowt.view.component.ComponentFactory
 import groowt.view.web.WebViewChildComponentRenderer
@@ -34,10 +33,7 @@ class Echo extends DelegatingWebViewComponent {
         }
 
         @Override
-        Echo create(Object type, ComponentContext componentContext, Object... args) {
-            if (!type instanceof String) {
-                throw new IllegalArgumentException('<Echo> can only be used with String types.')
-            }
+        Echo create(String type, ComponentContext componentContext, Object... args) {
             if (args == null || args.length < 1) {
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException(
                         '<Echo> must have at least one attribute. ' +
@@ -47,6 +43,11 @@ class Echo extends DelegatingWebViewComponent {
             this.invokeMethod('doCreate', type as String, componentContext, *args) as Echo
         }
 
+        @Override
+        Echo create(Class<?> type, ComponentContext componentContext, Object... args) {
+            throw new UnsupportedOperationException('<Echo> can only be used with String types.')
+        }
+
     }
 
     String typeName
diff --git a/web-views/src/main/java/groowt/view/web/transpile/DefaultComponentTranspiler.java b/web-views/src/main/java/groowt/view/web/transpile/DefaultComponentTranspiler.java
index f7eccc0..7d09c20 100644
--- a/web-views/src/main/java/groowt/view/web/transpile/DefaultComponentTranspiler.java
+++ b/web-views/src/main/java/groowt/view/web/transpile/DefaultComponentTranspiler.java
@@ -341,11 +341,22 @@ public class DefaultComponentTranspiler implements ComponentTranspiler {
         final Parameter exceptionParam = new Parameter(EXCEPTION, exceptionName);
         final VariableExpression exceptionVar = new VariableExpression(exceptionName);
 
+        final ConstantExpression componentTypeExpression = switch (componentNode) {
+            case TypedComponentNode typedComponentNode -> switch (typedComponentNode.getArgs().getType()) {
+                case StringComponentTypeNode stringComponentTypeNode ->
+                        makeStringLiteral(stringComponentTypeNode.getIdentifier());
+                case ClassComponentTypeNode classComponentTypeNode ->
+                        makeStringLiteral(classComponentTypeNode.getFullyQualifiedName());
+            };
+            case FragmentComponentNode ignored -> makeStringLiteral(FRAGMENT_FQN);
+        };
+
         final var lineAndColumn = lineAndColumn(componentNode.getTokenRange().getStartPosition());
 
         final ConstructorCallExpression cce = new ConstructorCallExpression(
                 COMPONENT_CREATE,
                 new ArgumentListExpression(List.of(
+                        componentTypeExpression,
                         VariableExpression.THIS_EXPRESSION,
                         lineAndColumn.getV1(),
                         lineAndColumn.getV2(),
diff --git a/web-views/src/test/groovy/groowt/view/web/DefaultWebComponentTemplateCompilerTests.java b/web-views/src/test/groovy/groowt/view/web/DefaultWebComponentTemplateCompilerTests.java
index 11626c0..e1f0635 100644
--- a/web-views/src/test/groovy/groowt/view/web/DefaultWebComponentTemplateCompilerTests.java
+++ b/web-views/src/test/groovy/groowt/view/web/DefaultWebComponentTemplateCompilerTests.java
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ public class DefaultWebComponentTemplateCompilerTests {
 
     }
 
-    private static final class GreeterFactory extends AbstractComponentFactory<Greeter> {
+    private static final class GreeterFactory extends ComponentFactoryBase<Greeter> {
 
         public Greeter doCreate(Map<String, Object> attr) {
             return new Greeter(attr);