Building Tables & Data Grids

Purpose

This skill enables systematic creation of tables and data grids from simple HTML tables to enterprise-scale virtualized grids handling millions of rows. It provides clear decision frameworks based on data volume and required features, ensuring optimal performance, accessibility, and responsive design across all implementations.

When to Use

Activate this skill when:

• Creating tables, data grids, or spreadsheet-like interfaces
• Displaying tabular or structured data
• Implementing sorting, filtering, or pagination features
• Handling large datasets or addressing performance concerns
• Building inline editing or data entry interfaces
• Requiring row selection or bulk operations
• Implementing data export (CSV, Excel, PDF)
• Ensuring table accessibility or responsive behavior

Quick Decision Framework

Select implementation tier based on data volume:

<100 rows        → Simple HTML table with progressive enhancement
100-1,000 rows   → Client-side features (sort, filter, paginate)
1,000-10,000     → Server-side operations with API pagination
10,000-100,000   → Virtual scrolling with windowing
>100,000 rows    → Enterprise grid with streaming and workers

For detailed selection criteria, reference references/selection-framework.md.

Core Implementation Patterns

Tier 1: Basic Tables (<100 rows)

For simple, read-only data display:

• Use semantic HTML <table> structure
• Add responsive behavior via CSS
• Implement client-side sorting if needed
• Reference references/basic-tables.md for patterns

Example: examples/simple-responsive-table.tsx

Tier 2: Interactive Tables (100-10K rows)

For feature-rich interactions:

• Add filtering, pagination, and selection
• Implement inline or modal editing
• Use client-side operations up to 1K rows
• Switch to server-side beyond 1K rows
• Reference references/interactive-tables.md

Example: examples/sortable-filtered-table.tsx

Tier 3: Advanced Grids (10K+ rows)

For massive datasets:

• Implement virtual scrolling
• Use server-side aggregation
• Add grouping and hierarchies
• Consider enterprise solutions
• Reference references/advanced-grids.md

Example: examples/virtual-scrolling-grid.tsx

Performance Optimization

Critical performance thresholds:

• Client-side operations: <1,000 rows (instant, <50ms)
• Server-side operations: 1,000-10,000 rows (<200ms API)
• Virtual scrolling: 10,000+ rows (60fps, constant memory)
• Streaming: 100,000+ rows (progressive rendering)

To benchmark performance:

# Generate test data
python scripts/generate_mock_data.py --rows 10000

# Analyze rendering performance
node scripts/analyze_performance.js

For optimization strategies, reference references/performance-optimization.md.

Feature Implementation

Sorting

• Single or multi-column sorting
• Custom sort logic (numeric, date, natural)
• Visual indicators and keyboard support
• Reference references/sorting-filtering.md

Filtering & Search

• Column-specific filters (text, range, select)
• Global search across all columns
• Advanced filter logic (AND/OR)
• Reference references/sorting-filtering.md

Pagination

• Client-side for small datasets
• Server-side for large datasets
• Infinite scroll alternative
• Reference references/pagination-strategies.md

Selection & Bulk Actions

• Single or multi-row selection
• Range selection (Shift+click)
• Bulk operations toolbar
• Reference references/selection-patterns.md

Inline Editing

• Cell-level or row-level editing
• Validation and error handling
• Optimistic updates
• Reference references/editing-patterns.md

Export

• CSV, Excel, PDF formats
• Preserve formatting and encoding
• Stream large exports
• Run scripts/export_table_data.py

Accessibility Requirements

Essential WCAG compliance:

• Semantic HTML with proper structure
• ARIA grid pattern for interactive tables
• Full keyboard navigation
• Screen reader announcements

To validate accessibility:

node scripts/validate_accessibility.js

For complete requirements, reference references/accessibility-patterns.md.

Responsive Design

Four proven strategies:

1. Horizontal scroll - Simple, preserves structure
2. Card stack - Transform rows to cards on mobile
3. Priority columns - Hide less important columns
4. Truncate & expand - Compact with details on demand

See examples/responsive-patterns.tsx for implementations. Reference references/responsive-strategies.md for details.

Library Recommendations

Primary: TanStack Table (Headless)

Best for custom designs and complete control:

• TypeScript-first with excellent DX
• Small bundle size (~15KB)
• Framework agnostic
• Virtual scrolling support

npm install @tanstack/react-table

See examples/tanstack-basic.tsx for setup.

Enterprise: AG Grid

Best for feature-complete solutions:

• Handles millions of rows
• Built-in advanced features
• Community (free) + Enterprise (paid)
• Excel-like user experience

npm install ag-grid-react

See examples/ag-grid-enterprise.tsx for setup.

For detailed comparison, reference references/library-comparison.md.

Design Token Integration

Tables use the design-tokens skill for consistent theming:

• Color tokens for backgrounds, borders, and states
• Spacing tokens for cell padding
• Typography tokens for text styling
• Shadow tokens for elevation

Supports light, dark, high-contrast, and custom themes. Reference the design-tokens skill for theme switching.

Working Examples

Start with the example matching the requirements:

simple-responsive-table.tsx    # Basic HTML table
sortable-filtered-table.tsx    # With sorting and filtering
paginated-server-table.tsx      # Server-side pagination
virtual-scrolling-grid.tsx      # High-performance for 100K+ rows
editable-data-grid.tsx         # Inline editing with validation
grouped-aggregated-table.tsx   # Hierarchical with aggregations

Testing Tools

Generate test data:

python scripts/generate_mock_data.py --rows 100000 --columns 20

Benchmark performance:

node scripts/analyze_performance.js --rows 10000

Validate accessibility:

node scripts/validate_accessibility.js

Next Steps

1. Determine the data volume and feature requirements
2. Select the appropriate implementation tier
3. Choose between TanStack Table (flexibility) or AG Grid (features)
4. Start with the matching example file
5. Implement core features progressively
6. Test performance and accessibility
7. Apply responsive strategy for mobile