Introduction to Svelte Reactive Table
What is Svelte Reactive Table?
Svelte Reactive Table is a headless, fully reactive table library built specifically for Svelte applications. It provides essential table functionality with a clean, straightforward API that lets you focus on building great user experiences rather than managing complex table state.
What makes this library different is its “headless” approach - it handles all the complex state management and table logic behind the scenes while giving you complete freedom to design your tables exactly how you want them to look and behave.
Powered by Svelte’s Reactivity
The library leverages Svelte’s powerful reactivity system (including Svelte 5 runes) to create tables that automatically update when your data changes. This means:
- Add, remove, or modify data items, and your table instantly reflects these changes
- Toggle column visibility and see immediate UI updates
- Change pagination settings with real-time page recalculation
All of this happens automatically without you having to write extra code to sync your UI with your data state.
Modular and Flexible Design
Svelte Reactive Table follows a modular design philosophy:
1. Core Table Functionality
The foundation is a simple, reactive table with column definitions and row generation. This covers your basic table needs with minimal setup.
2. Optional Feature Extensions
Add just the features you need:
- Pagination: Navigate through large datasets with page size controls and navigation
- Column Visibility: Show or hide columns dynamically
- More Coming Soon: Sorting, filtering, row selection, and other capabilities are planned
This approach keeps your bundle size small and your tables fast by only including what your application actually uses.
3. Future Extensions
The roadmap for Svelte Reactive Table includes powerful capabilities that maintain the library’s commitment to reactivity and flexibility:
- Advanced Sorting: Multi-column sorting with custom comparators and sort direction toggling
- Comprehensive Filtering: Filter by multiple criteria with customizable filter functions
- Row Selection: Single, multi-select, and range selection capabilities with selection events
- Server-Side Operations: Support for server-driven data operations including:
- Server-side pagination with total count indicators
- Server-side filtering with custom query parameter formatting
- Server-side sorting with flexible API integration
- Request debouncing and loading states
- Virtual Scrolling: Efficiently render thousands of rows with minimal performance impact
- Sticky Headers and Columns: Keep important table elements visible during scrolling
- Expandable Rows: Reveal additional details or nested tables with expand/collapse functionality
- Column Resizing and Reordering: Let users customize their table layout
Each extension will maintain the library’s headless philosophy, giving you complete control over the UI while handling the complex state management behind the scenes.
Key Features
- Fully Reactive: Your table updates automatically whenever data changes
- Headless by Design: No predefined styles or components - you control the presentation
- Type-Safe API: Comprehensive TypeScript support for reliable developer experience
- Optimized Performance: Efficient reactivity that minimizes unnecessary re-renders
- Intuitive API: Simple functions and patterns that feel natural to Svelte developers
When to Use Svelte Reactive Table
Svelte Reactive Table is ideal when you need:
- A table solution built specifically for Svelte with its reactivity system in mind
- Complete styling freedom without fighting against predefined components
- A lightweight table implementation focused on performance
- TypeScript support for safe development
- A flexible solution that can grow from simple tables to complex data grids
If you want a table library that embraces Svelte’s philosophy of simplicity and reactivity while giving you full control over your UI, Svelte Reactive Table is designed for exactly that purpose.