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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 API that lets you focus on building great user experiences rather than managing complex table state.

The library uses a “headless” approach - it handles all the table logic and state management while giving you complete control over styling and presentation.

Powered by Svelte’s Reactivity

The library leverages Svelte’s reactivity system (including Svelte 5 runes) to create tables that automatically update when your data changes:

  • Add, remove, or modify data and your table instantly reflects these changes
  • Toggle column visibility with 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 plugin-based architecture:

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. Extensible Plugin System

Enhance your tables with plugins for specific features:

  • Pagination Plugin: Navigate through large datasets with page size controls and navigation
  • Column Visibility Plugin: Show or hide columns dynamically
  • Sorting Plugin: Sort data with single or multi-column capabilities
  • More Coming Soon: Additional plugins for filtering, row selection, and other capabilities are planned

This plugin-based approach keeps your bundle size small and your tables fast by only including what your application actually uses. Plugins can be added easily with a fluent API:

			const table = reactiveTable(data, columns)
	.use(reactivePagination({ pageSize: 10 }))
	.use(reactiveColumnVisibility())
	.use(reactiveSorting({ multiSort: true }));

// Access plugin functionality
const { pagination, columnVisibility, sorting } = table.plugins;

3. Future Extensions

We’re actively developing additional features to make Svelte Reactive Table even more powerful:

  • Advanced Filtering: Multi-criteria filtering with custom filter functions
  • Row Selection: Single and multi-select capabilities
  • Server-Side Operations: Support for server-driven pagination, sorting, and filtering
  • Virtual Scrolling: Efficiently handle thousands of rows
  • And much more: Column resizing, sticky headers, expandable rows

Each feature maintains our headless philosophy - you get the functionality without losing control over your UI.

📋 Want to see what’s coming next? Check out our roadmap for detailed information about upcoming features and timelines.

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.

Ready to Get Started?

Now that you understand what Svelte Reactive Table offers, here’s how to begin:

  1. Install the library - Get up and running in minutes
  2. Follow the Quick Start guide - Build your first reactive table
  3. Explore the examples - See real implementations in action