The Most Common Mistakes People Make With Javascript Grid Libraries

Your ability to adapt is perhaps one of the most significant skills you can cultivate in yourself as a web developer. The rapid pace of technological advancement means that new technologies and methodologies are always coming up for use. Each advancement comes with a learning curve that you have to overcome, and overcoming it most effectively can determine your success within the web development industry.

While you should always look for tools and tricks that help you improve as a developer, you also shouldn’t be afraid of failures. The mistakes you make can be precious learning opportunities. However, you should ensure that you make significant mistakes at an earlier stage of development since they could cause major loss if done later.

When it comes to using JavaScript grid libraries, most developers mainly choose one popular choice or the other. However, they end up making several errors throughout the process of selecting and using the library. Such mistakes can be easily avoided if paid attention to earlier and by using an industry-leading choice like Sencha Ext JS for your data grid applications. 

This article takes you through some major yet common mistakes developers tend to make when working a JavaScript grid library and how you can avoid them.

Why Do Developers Use Grid Libraries In The First Place?

Modern web applications are becoming increasingly data-intensive. Most of them involve working with data in one way or the other. It is majorly back-end processing for some with not much to show on the front-end. However, some intend to work with the data and allow for a satisfactory user experience that involves interacting with the data. Such web applications need tools for such requirements, and it is preferred that a single technology can manage both. 

While developers can potentially look into their preferred front-end development framework and investigate whether it has data-handling capabilities, this option won’t necessarily work for all. In most cases, developers would decide to go with a dedicated library that manages the data and makes it available for users to shuffle through and use. Therefore, developer communities and enterprises started to make JavaScript grid libraries for such a cause.

Using a grid library for your data-intensive web applications has several advantages over other options. Some of them are briefly described below:

• Better Modularity: By separating your front-end and back-end technologies from the data handling, you give your application a more modular nature. It comes in handy when scaling and maintaining the application and ensures more minor performance sacrifices.
• More Functionality: Dedicated JavaScript grid libraries would have more data-related features to offer than other technologies. Whether data processing operations or how it’s presented in the grid, you get more options to choose from.
• Better Performance: Since the grid libraries focus on only data, they offer much better performance when working with it. Incorporating such a library ensures your overall application performance and your data grid responsiveness are optimal.
• Easy Integration: Since these JavaScript grid libraries are intended for use with other development frameworks, you can easily integrate them with most options. Most of them you can import and start using immediately.

With pros such as the above, it makes sense why most developers look for a suitable JavaScript grid library for their use. However, not all options on the market deliver such advantages consistently. It would be best to consider a choice like Sencha ExtJS, the premier data grid library for most enterprises.

What Are Some Common Grid Library Mistakes Developers Make? 

Why Should You Avoid Choosing Libraries That Lack Big Data Capabilities?

The days when your datasets were a few hundred thousand records at most are long gone. We are living through the era of big data, and every data-intensive tool of any sort will need to have the ability to work with it. Besides, your application will need to scale eventually, and as it does so, it will need to accommodate different collections of data. Therefore, you shouldn’t resort to a JavaScript grid library without extensive data support.

Thankfully, Sencha ExtJS understands the growing need for robust grid libraries with big data capabilities. It is packed with features that work as smoothly for millions of records as it does for smaller datasets. Additionally, the user experience doesn’t suffer when working with huge data groups, as the UI allows you to explore the data grid in whatever capacity you require.

How Does a Library With Fixed Details Hinder Scalability?

Most web developers always prefer working with technologies that offer significant flexibility and personalization. The application and user experience requirements can vary widely between projects, and the JavaScript data grid library should allow for modifications required. However, individuals end up selecting libraries with very rigid functionalities and little room for and customization. Such a library can prove challenging to adapt according to your project.

Sencha ExtJS understands this need for customization and gives you the ability to add or remove details as you require. You can bring in widgets to help with adding functionalities. You can also personalize the user experience by modifying the UI to fit with your project’s overall front-end. Such details make ExtJS popular among the developer community and a preferred choice for data grids.

Why Should You Avoid Selecting Libraries With Low External Support?

When selecting a JavaScript grid library, choosing one just after viewing its promised features and going through a few demos can be tempting. However, it is also crucial to research the experiences of other developers that had opted for the library. It would be best to look for relevant documentation accompanying the library, so you always have a handy reference beside you. Ignoring such details can have severe consequences in the long term.

Sencha ExtJS aims to build your confidence when you select it to build robust data grids that handle your data. It offers extensive documentation that thoroughly explains its functionalities and even provides workable demos. Additionally, you can utilize the active user community Sencha ExtJS enjoys and seek specific help whenever you need it. With such support and learning resources at your disposal, you can confidently develop the best data grids.

How Does Bad Display Enable Poor User Experience?

The whole idea of going with a JavaScript data grid is to allow your users a chance to interact with data sets and explore them as they please. The best kinds of data grids are the ones that offer users all the functionalities they may need to understand datasets and process them. Therefore, you should be sure about the grid library you choose and ensure that it has powerful back-end capabilities and a robust UI.

With Sencha ExtJS, you get to witness a premium user experience in all aspects. The data grids you will build will offer features like filtering, pivoting, and extensive row operations. Additionally, you can customize the user experience to satisfy your criteria and become best suited for your application’s needs. The visual elements of Sencha ExtJS’s UI make it a solid option for developers who want to build appealing data grids.

Feel like Sencha ExtJS can help you develop the right data grids for your web application? Head on to their website to see their features and try out their examples to see them work.