A Beginner’s Guide To JavaScript Grid Libraries

Nowadays, businesses generate a tremendous amount of data. Sometimes you may need to show this data on your website. An HTML table is a typical technique used for displaying data on a website. However, it lacks most of the features that users expect from a table. Besides, it slows down the process if there’s a massive amount of data. Thus, a grid is an ideal option for displaying a huge volume of data in a table. So, here, we will provide a beginner’s guide to JavaScript Grid libraries in this article.

What is a JS grid?

Among the HTML elements, the grid is identical to the table. Yet, the grid has some additional features which let you quickly retrieve, scroll, organize, sort, and select a significant set of data rows. Grids are made up of two major components as Ext.data.Store and Ext.grid.The panel. The following is a simple syntax used to create a grid:

Ext.create('Ext.grid.Panel',{
   grid properties..
   columns : [Columns]
});

What are the components of JS grids?

JS grids have two main components as described below.

• Ext.data.Store

The store holds the data as well as the columns within the grid that needs to be shown. Ext Js grids can now fetch data inline and dynamically on-demand. They also support hierarchical data loading, filtering, and sorting. The following is the syntax used by Ext JS grids.

Ext.create('Ext.data.Store', {
    storeId: "myEmployeeInfo",

    fields: ['employeeid', 'name'],
    data: [{
        'employeeid': '1',
        "name": "Sam"
    }, {
        'employeeid': '2',
        "name": "Sara"
    },]
});

• Ext.grid.Panel

Ext.grid.Panel is the main component of JS grids that allows a large amount of table data to be displayed on the client-side. The following is the syntax used for this component.

var cols = [{
    text: 'employeeid',
    dataIndex: 'employeeid',
    flex: 1
}, {
    text: 'name',
    dataIndex: 'name',
    flex: 1
}];

var grid = Ext.create('Ext.grid.Grid', {
    title: 'Employees',
    store: "myEmployeeInfo",
    columns: cols,
    layout: 'fit',
    renderTo: document.body,
    width: '100%',
    height: 500
});

The above code creates a grid with two columns and it will retrieve the data mentioned in the above store. The data will fit inside the columns accordingly.

What are the properties of JS grids?

• Collapsible –  This property is used to make the grid collapsible. Add “Collapsible: true” to the grid properties to enable this functionality.
• Sorting – This parameter is used to provide a sorting option for the grid. Insert the column attribute “sortable: true” to the grid to implement ASC/DESC sorting. It is true by default.
• Column hidden – Add Column property “hideable: true” in a grid to make the column visible or hide it. It is true by default.
• Column resizing – The grid attribute “enableColumnResize: true” can be used to scale a column.
• Renderer – This property allows us to adapt the grid data view depending on the data provided by the store.
• Column dragging  – The grid property “enableColumnMove: true” allows us to move the columns in the grid.

What are the benefits of having basic data analysis skills for JS grids?

Before working with JS grids, you should know the data operations supported by the data grids. Since these grids are primarily used for data analysis, knowing how to use them will be advantageous. Understanding operations like row operations, filtering, and column operations will help you create and test grids more effectively. JS grid libraries, such as Sencha ExtJS, even provide live examples for you to learn skills. You can also understand how to use the library to develop them as well.

What roles do widgets and plugins play in functioning with JS grids?

Most developers and teams tend to look for inbuilt functionalities to make their developments easier. Therefore widgets and plugins come into play in this scenario to integrate different functionalities into our system. Integrating widgets and plugins into the application can be done in many ways. You can delegate more minor chores to them and focus on the more important aspects. Sencha ExtJS offers you the freedom to execute this strategy with ease.

Why do you need to be aware of the codebase of the JS grid?

As data operations aren’t the only feature of JS grids, you’ll have to know how the code works. Please read the JS grid documentation to get further information on how this library implements a data grid. You can build optimized code that provides greater speed and a better user experience if you have stronger insight into the library. It also helps gain the maximum benefits of the grid by using all the available features. Sencha ExtJS comes with documentation support, community support, and examples you’ll need to learn how to use it.

What does it mean to grasp the fundamentals of user experience to work with JS grids?

User experience is a must when developing products as those products should support multiple devices and offer a similar user experience across all devices. The same scenario applies when creating a JS grid, and you must grasp the components of a good user experience. It’s not enough to rely solely on technical proficiency and you should also focus on offering a better user experience and competing in the market. You’ll have to look over existing JS grids as it’s a more conceptual and graphical design-oriented field. Furthermore, it is critical to research and comprehends to create a successful JS grid.

Ready to try Sencha and boost productivity?

Sencha is the most comprehensive JavaScript framework with so many features. Gris feature is only one of many amazing components. Using Ext JS, you can reduce development time and cost significantly. If you are now excited to use Ext JS, head over to the website and start with the free trial.