DataTables

DataTables is a plug-in for the jQuery Javascript library. It is a highly flexible tool, based upon the foundations of progressive enhancement, which will add advanced interaction controls to any HTML table. Key features:

• Variable length pagination
• On-the-fly filtering
• Multi-column sorting with data type detection
• Smart handling of column widths
• Display data from almost any data source
  • DOM, Javascript array, Ajax file and server-side processing (PHP, C#, Perl, Ruby, AIR, Gears etc)
• Scrolling options for table viewport
• Fully internationalizable
• jQuery UI ThemeRoller support
• Wide variety of plug-ins inc. Editor, TableTools, FixedColumns and more

Links:

• http://datatables.net/ - DataTables home
• http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/194916/Enhancing-HTML-tables-using-a-JQuery-DataTables-pl - overview and how-to article

-- Contributors: Peter Thoeny - 2013-10-25

Discussion

Discussed in KampalaReleaseMeeting2013x10x24:

• Better usability:
  • Google docs are pretty much the standard/expectation nowadays; that is, we should strive to have at least as good capabilities
  • Spreadsheet: We have all the power and more but not the usability
    • Goal: Have a sexy looking spreadsheet like Google Docs or Excel
    • Need functional combination of EditTablePlugin and SpreadSheetPlugin where a lot of the magic happens in Javascript
    • Fronted magic, possibly use the DataTables jQuery plugin

-- Peter Thoeny - 2013-10-25