SmartTables.js

Smarter Tables, Less Hassle!

SmartTables.js is a powerful, feature-rich JavaScript plugin designed to enhance HTML tables with advanced functionality such as sorting, searching, pagination, responsive behavior, and data export capabilities. It is built with modern web development practices in mind, offering a flexible and extensible API for developers to customize and extend its functionality.

This plugin is ideal for developers who need to manage large datasets in a user-friendly way, providing a seamless experience for end-users while maintaining a high level of customization and control.

Pro Tip: SmartTables works with your existing HTML tables and automatically adapts to different screen sizes by hiding less important columns on smaller screens.

Installation

SmartTables.js is now available as an ES6 module. You can include it in your project in several ways:

1. Using ES6 Modules (Recommended)

// Import the SmartTables class
import { SmartTables } from './pathTo/smartTables.bundle.js';

// Initialize with empty options object (required)
const myTable = new SmartTables('tableId', {});

// Or with custom options
const myTable = new SmartTables('tableId', {
    perPage: 15,
    search: true,
    sort: true,
    pagination: true,
    export: true
});
Important:
  • You must pass an empty options object ({}) as the second parameter when initializing SmartTables, even if you don't need any custom options.
  • This is required because the constructor expects an options object to properly initialize default values.
  • If you don't pass the options object, you'll get an error: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'responsive').

2. Using NPM (for modern build systems)

// Install via npm
npm install smarttables

// Import in your JavaScript/TypeScript file
import { SmartTables } from 'smarttables';

// Use in your component
const myTable = new SmartTables('tableId', {
    data: {
        type: 'json',
        source: myData,
        columns: [
            { data: 'id', title: 'ID' },
            { data: 'name', title: 'Name' },
            { data: 'position', title: 'Position' }
        ]
    }
});

3. Using with TypeScript

import { SmartTables, SmartTablesOptions } from 'smarttables';

interface CustomOptions extends SmartTablesOptions {
    customFeature?: boolean;
}

const options: CustomOptions = {
    perPage: 10,
    search: true,
    customFeature: true
};

const myTable = new SmartTables('tableId', options);

HTML Structure

<table id="myTable" class="table">
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th data-priority="1">ID</th>
            <th data-priority="2">Name</th>
            <th data-priority="3">Position</th>
            <th data-priority="4">Office</th>
            <th data-priority="5">Age</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td>1</td>
            <td>John Doe</td>
            <td>Developer</td>
            <td>New York</td>
            <td>32</td>
        </tr>
        <!-- More rows... -->
    </tbody>
</table>
Important:
  • Use the data-priority attribute on table headers to control which columns are hidden first when the table becomes too narrow for the viewport.
  • When using ES6 modules, make sure your server is configured to serve JavaScript files with the correct MIME type (application/javascript).
  • For older browsers, you'll need to use a bundler like Webpack, Rollup, or Parcel to transpile the ES6 code.

Configuration Options

SmartTables.js provides extensive configuration options to customize its behavior. All options are optional and will fall back to sensible defaults.

// Basic configuration
const table = new SmartTables('myTable', {
    perPage: 10,
    search: true,
    sort: true
});

// Advanced configuration with TypeScript
interface CustomOptions extends SmartTablesOptions {
    customFeature?: boolean;
}

const options: CustomOptions = {
    perPage: 25,
    search: true,
    sort: true,
    pagination: true,
    export: true,
    loading: {
        enabled: true,
        duration: 500,
        minDuration: 300
    },
    responsive: {
        enabled: true,
        breakpoint: 992,
        columnPriorities: {
            0: 1,  // ID column - highest priority
            1: 2,  // Name column - second highest priority
            2: 3,  // Position
            3: 4,  // Office
            4: 5   // Age - lowest priority
        }
    },
    debug: false,
    fuzzyMatch: {
        threshold: 0.6,
        minMatchLength: 2,
        multiWordThreshold: 0.5,
        maxDistance: 3
    },
    customFeature: true
};

const table = new SmartTables('myTable', options);
Option Default Value Description Type
perPage 10 Number of rows to display per page in pagination. number
search true Enables or disables the search functionality for the table. boolean
sort true Enables or disables sorting functionality for table columns. boolean
pagination true Enables or disables pagination controls for the table. boolean
export true Enables or disables export functionality (e.g., Excel, CSV, Copy). boolean
loading.enabled true Enables or disables the loading spinner/indicator during data loading or processing. boolean
loading.duration 0 Duration (in milliseconds) of an artificial delay for the loading indicator. number
loading.minDuration 300 Minimum duration (in milliseconds) to display the loading indicator. number
responsive.enabled true Enables or disables responsive behavior (e.g., hiding columns on small screens). boolean
responsive.breakpoint 768 Breakpoint (in pixels) at which responsive behavior starts. number
responsive.columnPriorities {} Object mapping column indices to their priority (1 being highest). Object<number, number>
responsive.details.type 'column' Type of detail display for hidden columns. string
responsive.details.target 0 Target column index for the detail control. number
debug false Enables or disables debug logging for development and troubleshooting. boolean
fuzzyMatch.threshold 0.7 Threshold for fuzzy matching (0.0–1.0). number
fuzzyMatch.minMatchLength 2 Minimum number of characters required for fuzzy matching. number
fuzzyMatch.multiWordThreshold 0.5 Threshold for multi-word search matches. number
fuzzyMatch.maxDistance 2 Maximum Levenshtein distance allowed for typo tolerance. number
classes.wrapper 'st-wrapper' Class for the wrapper div containing the table. string
classes.table 'st-table table table-striped table-hover' Class for the table element. string
classes.toolbar 'st-toolbar d-flex justify-content-between mb-3' Class for the toolbar containing controls. string
classes.search 'st-search form-control' Class for the search input field. string
classes.pagination 'st-pagination pagination justify-content-center' Class for the pagination controls. string
classes.export 'st-export btn-group' Class for the export button group. string
data.type null Type of data source ('json', 'csv', 'ajax', or null for DOM-based tables). string|null
data.source null Source of the data (URL, string, or object depending on type). string|null|Object
data.columns [] Array of column definitions. Array
data.processing false Enables or disables a processing indicator during data operations. boolean
data.serverSide false Enables or disables server-side processing for large datasets. boolean
data.method 'GET' HTTP method for AJAX requests. string
data.headers {} Custom headers for AJAX requests. Object
data.params {} Additional parameters for AJAX requests. Object
data.parser null Custom parser function for transforming raw data. Function|null
data.prefetch true Enables prefetching of the next page data for smoother pagination. boolean
data.cacheDuration 300000 Duration in milliseconds to keep cached data (default: 5 minutes). number
data.withCredentials false Whether to include credentials in cross-domain requests. boolean
data.url null The URL to fetch data from (aliased with source for compatibility). string|null
hooks {} Object containing various lifecycle and event hooks. Object
plugins [] Array of plugin objects to extend functionality. Array
Pro Tip: You can extend the default options by creating a custom interface that extends SmartTablesOptions when using TypeScript. This provides better type safety and autocompletion.

Advanced Configuration Example

Here's an example of how to configure SmartTables with advanced options:

var myTable = new SmartTables('tableId', {
    perPage: 25,
    search: true,
    sort: true,
    pagination: true,
    export: true,
    loading: {
        enabled: true,
        duration: 500, // Show loading for at least 500ms
        minDuration: 300
    },
    responsive: {
        enabled: true,
        breakpoint: 992,
        columnPriorities: {
            0: 1,  // ID column - highest priority
            1: 2,  // Name column - second highest priority
            2: 3,  // Position
            3: 4,  // Office
            4: 5   // Age - lowest priority
        }
    },
    debug: false,
    fuzzyMatch: {
        threshold: 0.6,      // Lower threshold = more matches
        minMatchLength: 2,   // Minimum characters to match
        multiWordThreshold: 0.5,
        maxDistance: 3       // Higher distance = more tolerance for typos
    }
});

Data Loading Methods

SmartTables supports various data loading methods:

// Load from JSON data
var myTable = new SmartTables('tableId', {
    data: {
        type: 'json',
        source: [
            { id: 1, name: 'John Doe', position: 'Developer', office: 'New York', age: 32 },
            { id: 2, name: 'Jane Smith', position: 'Designer', office: 'London', age: 28 }
        ],
        columns: [
            { data: 'id', title: 'ID' },
            { data: 'name', title: 'Name' },
            { data: 'position', title: 'Position' },
            { data: 'office', title: 'Office' },
            { data: 'age', title: 'Age' }
        ]
    }
});

// Load from AJAX
var myTable = new SmartTables('tableId', {
    data: {
        type: 'ajax',
        source: 'api/users',
        method: 'GET',
        headers: { 'Authorization': 'Bearer token123' },
        params: { limit: 100 }
    }
});

// Load from CSV
var myTable = new SmartTables('tableId', {
    data: {
        type: 'csv',
        source: 'data/employees.csv'
    }
});

Data Import Functionality

SmartTables provides built-in data import capabilities that allow users to import data from various file formats directly into the table. This feature can be enabled by setting the import: true option.

// Initialize table with import enabled
var myTable = new SmartTables('tableId', {
    import: true,  // Enable import functionality
    data: {
        type: 'json',
        source: initialData,
        columns: [
            { data: 'id', title: 'ID' },
            { data: 'name', title: 'Name' },
            { data: 'position', title: 'Position' }
        ]
    }
});

Supported Import Formats

  • CSV Files: Import data from comma-separated value files
  • JSON Files: Import data from JSON format files
  • Excel Files: Import data from Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx)
  • Text Files: Import data from plain text files with custom delimiters

Import Options

var myTable = new SmartTables('tableId', {
    import: {
        enabled: true,
        formats: ['csv', 'json', 'xlsx'],  // Specify allowed formats
        maxFileSize: 5 * 1024 * 1024,      // 5MB max file size
        onImportStart: function() {
            console.log('Import started');
        },
        onImportComplete: function(data) {
            console.log('Import completed', data);
        },
        onImportError: function(error) {
            console.error('Import failed', error);
        }
    }
});

Example Usage

<!-- HTML Structure -->
<table id="myTable" class="table">
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th data-priority="1">ID</th>
            <th data-priority="2">Name</th>
            <th data-priority="3">Position</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <!-- Data will be populated by SmartTables -->
    </tbody>
</table>

<!-- JavaScript -->
import { SmartTables } from 'smarttables';

const table = new SmartTables('myTable', {
    import: true,
    data: {
        type: 'json',
        source: [],  // Start with empty data
        columns: [
            { data: 'id', title: 'ID' },
            { data: 'name', title: 'Name' },
            { data: 'position', title: 'Position' }
        ]
    }
});
Pro Tip: When importing data, SmartTables automatically detects the column structure and maps the imported data to the appropriate columns. You can also provide custom column mappings for more control over the import process.
Important:
  • Make sure your server is configured to handle file uploads if you're using the file import feature
  • Consider implementing file size limits and format validation on both client and server side
  • For large files, consider implementing chunked uploads or progress indicators
  • Always validate imported data before processing to prevent security issues

Event Hooks

SmartTables provides hooks for various events in the table lifecycle:

var myTable = new SmartTables('tableId', {
    hooks: {
        // Table lifecycle hooks
        beforeInit: function(instance) {
            console.log('Before table initialization');
        },
        afterInit: function(instance) {
            console.log('Table initialized!');
        },
        
        // Data hooks
        beforeDataLoad: function(data, instance) {
            console.log('About to load data');
        },
        afterDataLoad: function(data, instance) {
            console.log('Data loaded successfully');
        },
        
        // Action hooks
        onSort: function(column, direction, instance) {
            console.log('Table sorted by column', column, 'in', direction, 'direction');
        },
        onFilter: function(searchTerm, filteredRows, instance) {
            console.log('Table filtered with term:', searchTerm);
        },
        onPaginate: function(pageNumber, instance) {
            console.log('Page changed to', pageNumber);
        }
    }
});

Search Capabilities

SmartTables includes powerful search capabilities with support for:

  • Fuzzy matching: Finds results even with typos or partial matches
  • Special data types: Intelligently searches dates, numbers, emails, phone numbers
  • Comparison operators: Support for >, <, = with numeric values
  • Multi-word search: Matches records containing any or all search terms
Pro Tip: Users can search with operators like ">30" to find all numeric values greater than 30, or use "@gmail.com" to find all Gmail addresses.

Responsive Behavior

SmartTables automatically adapts to different screen sizes by:

  • Hiding less important columns on smaller screens based on priority
  • Providing an expand/collapse interface to view hidden column data
  • Automatically measuring and optimizing column widths
<!-- Set column priorities with data attributes -->
<th data-priority="1">ID</th> <!-- Highest priority (last to hide) -->
<th data-priority="2">Name</th>
<th data-priority="3">Position</th>
<th data-priority="4">Office</th>
<th data-priority="5">Age</th> <!-- Lowest priority (first to hide) -->

<!-- Force columns to always remain visible -->
<th class="always-visible">Actions</th>

Export Options

SmartTables provides built-in export functionality:

  • Excel: Export to XLSX format
  • CSV: Export to CSV format
  • Copy: Copy table data to clipboard
// Get table instance
var table = document.getElementById('myTable').__smartTable;

// Export to different formats
table.exportData('excel');
table.exportData('csv');
table.exportData('copy');

API Methods

SmartTables exposes several methods for programmatic control:

// Get table instance
var table = document.getElementById('myTable').__smartTable;

// Redraw the table
table.draw();

// Sort by column
table.sortBy(2, 'asc'); // Sort by 3rd column ascending

// Filter the table
table.handleSearch('developer');

// Export data
table.exportData('excel');

// Hide/show columns
table.hideColumn(3);
table.showColumn(3);

// Clear AJAX cache for server-side tables
table.clearAjaxCache();

// Manually trigger prefetch of next page
table.prefetchNextPage();

// Generate a unique cache key for current parameters
const cacheKey = table.generateCacheKey();

// Destroy the instance
table.destroy();
Method Description Parameters Return Value
draw() Redraws the table with current settings None void
sortBy(columnIndex, direction) Sorts the table by specified column columnIndex: number, direction: 'asc'|'desc' void
handleSearch(query) Filters the table using the search query query: string void
exportData(format) Exports table data in the specified format format: 'excel'|'csv'|'copy' void
hideColumn(index) Hides the specified column index: number void
showColumn(index) Shows the specified column index: number void
clearAjaxCache() Clears all cached AJAX responses None void
prefetchNextPage() Manually fetches and caches the next page data None void
generateCacheKey() Generates a unique cache key for current parameters None string
destroy() Destroys the table instance and removes event listeners None void

Plugin System

SmartTables supports plugins to extend its functionality:

// Define a plugin
var myPlugin = {
    name: 'myPlugin',
    init: function() {
        console.log('Plugin initialized for table:', this.instance.table.id);
    },
    afterDraw: function() {
        console.log('Table was redrawn');
    }
};

// Initialize table with the plugin
var myTable = new SmartTables('tableId', {
    plugins: [myPlugin]
});

Performance Tips

  • For large datasets (1000+ rows), consider using server-side processing
  • Set appropriate perPage values to limit the number of rows rendered at once
  • Use the loading.duration option to show a loading indicator for long operations
  • Disable features you don't need (search, sort, pagination) for simpler tables

Framework Integrations

SmartTables.js can be seamlessly integrated with various modern frameworks and backend technologies. Here's how to implement it in different environments:

React Integration

import { useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
import { SmartTables } from 'smarttables';

const DataTable = ({ data, columns }) => {
    const tableRef = useRef(null);
    const tableInstance = useRef(null);

    useEffect(() => {
        if (tableRef.current) {
            // Initialize table
            tableInstance.current = new SmartTables(tableRef.current, {
                data: {
                    type: 'json',
                    source: data,
                    columns
                },
                hooks: {
                    afterDraw: () => {
                        console.log('Table redrawn');
                    }
                }
            });

            // Cleanup on unmount
            return () => {
                if (tableInstance.current) {
                    tableInstance.current.destroy();
        }
            };
        }
    }, [data, columns]);

    return (
        '' +
            '' +
                '' +
                    '{columns.map(column => (' +
                        '' +
                    '))}' +
                '' +
            '' +
            '' +
                '{/* Data will be populated by SmartTables */}' +
            '' +
        '
' + '{column.title}' + '
' ); }; // Usage example const App = () => { const columns = [ { data: 'id', title: 'ID', priority: 1 }, { data: 'name', title: 'Name', priority: 2 }, { data: 'position', title: 'Position', priority: 3 } ]; const data = [ { id: 1, name: 'John Doe', position: 'Developer' }, { id: 2, name: 'Jane Smith', position: 'Designer' } ]; return };
React-Specific Tips:
  • Use useRef to maintain a stable reference to both the table element and instance
  • Initialize the table in useEffect to ensure the DOM is ready
  • Clean up the table instance in the effect's cleanup function
  • Consider using React's Context API for global table state management
  • Use TypeScript for better type safety

Vue.js Integration (Composition API)

import { onMounted, onBeforeUnmount, ref } from 'vue';
import { SmartTables } from 'smarttables';

export default {
    setup(props) {
        const tableRef = ref(null);
        const tableInstance = ref(null);

        onMounted(() => {
            if (tableRef.value) {
                tableInstance.value = new SmartTables(tableRef.value, {
                    data: {
                        type: 'json',
                        source: props.data,
                        columns: props.columns
                    },
                    hooks: {
                        afterDraw: () => {
                            console.log('Table redrawn');
                        }
                    }
                });
            }
        });

        onBeforeUnmount(() => {
            if (tableInstance.value) {
                tableInstance.value.destroy();
            }
        });

        return {
            tableRef
        };
    }
}

// Usage example
const App = {
    template: '',
    setup() {
        const columns = [
            { data: 'id', title: 'ID', priority: 1 },
            { data: 'name', title: 'Name', priority: 2 },
            { data: 'position', title: 'Position', priority: 3 }
        ];

        const tableData = ref([
            { id: 1, name: 'John Doe', position: 'Developer' },
            { id: 2, name: 'Jane Smith', position: 'Designer' }
        ]);

        return {
            columns,
            tableData
        };
    }
};
Vue.js-Specific Tips:
  • Use ref for template references and instance management
  • Initialize in onMounted hook
  • Clean up in onBeforeUnmount hook
  • Consider using Pinia for state management
  • Use TypeScript for better type safety

Angular Integration

import { Component, OnInit, OnDestroy, ViewChild, ElementRef } from '@angular/core';
import { SmartTables } from 'smarttables';

@Component({
    selector: 'app-data-table',
    template: '
{{column.title}}
' }) export class DataTableComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy { @ViewChild('dataTable') tableRef: ElementRef; private tableInstance: SmartTables; columns = [ { data: 'id', title: 'ID', priority: 1 }, { data: 'name', title: 'Name', priority: 2 }, { data: 'position', title: 'Position', priority: 3 } ]; tableData = [ { id: 1, name: 'John Doe', position: 'Developer' }, { id: 2, name: 'Jane Smith', position: 'Designer' } ]; ngOnInit() { if (this.tableRef.nativeElement) { this.tableInstance = new SmartTables(this.tableRef.nativeElement, { data: { type: 'json', source: this.tableData, columns: this.columns }, hooks: { afterDraw: () => { console.log('Table redrawn'); } } }); } } ngOnDestroy() { if (this.tableInstance) { this.tableInstance.destroy(); } } }
Angular-Specific Tips:
  • Use @ViewChild for template references
  • Initialize in ngOnInit lifecycle hook
  • Clean up in ngOnDestroy lifecycle hook
  • Consider using NgRx for state management
  • Use TypeScript for better type safety

ASP.NET Core Integration

// Controller
[ApiController]
[Route("api/[controller]")]
public class DataController : ControllerBase
{
    private readonly IDataService _service;

    public DataController(IDataService service)
    {
        _service = service;
    }

    [HttpGet]
    public async Task GetData([FromQuery] DataTableRequest request)
    {
        var data = await _service.GetDataAsync();
        
        // Apply server-side processing
        var result = data
            .Skip(request.Start)
            .Take(request.Length)
            .ToList();

        return Ok(new {
            draw = request.Draw,
            recordsTotal = data.Count,
            recordsFiltered = data.Count,
            data = result
        });
    }
}

// JavaScript/TypeScript
import { SmartTables } from 'smarttables';

const table = new SmartTables('myTable', {
    data: {
        type: 'ajax',
        source: '/api/data',
        serverSide: true,
        method: 'GET',
        headers: {
            'X-CSRF-TOKEN': document.querySelector('meta[name="csrf-token"]').content
        }
    }
});
ASP.NET Core-Specific Tips:
  • Use dependency injection for services
  • Implement proper error handling and logging
  • Consider using Entity Framework Core for data access
  • Use middleware for authentication and authorization
  • Consider using SignalR for real-time updates

Pro Tip: When integrating with any framework, always ensure proper cleanup by calling the destroy() method when the component is unmounted or the table is no longer needed. This prevents memory leaks and ensures proper event cleanup.

Framework-Specific Considerations:

  • Modern JavaScript: Use ES6+ features like arrow functions, destructuring, and async/await for cleaner code.
  • TypeScript: Leverage TypeScript for better type safety and developer experience.
  • State Management: Consider using your framework's state management solution (Redux, Vuex, etc.) to handle table data and state.
  • CSRF Protection: Include appropriate CSRF tokens in AJAX requests when required by your backend framework.
  • Error Handling: Implement proper error handling both on the frontend and backend.
  • Performance: Use appropriate caching strategies and optimize database queries.
  • Security: Implement proper authentication and authorization mechanisms.
  • Testing: Write unit tests for both frontend and backend components.
  • Real-time Updates: Consider using WebSocket or similar technologies for real-time data updates.
  • Accessibility: Ensure your table implementation follows WCAG guidelines for accessibility.

Server-side Processing

SmartTables provides robust server-side processing for handling large datasets efficiently. By enabling data.serverSide: true, data filtering, sorting, and pagination are offloaded to the server, ideal for datasets with thousands or millions of records. The server processes requests and returns only the necessary data for display, ensuring fast performance.

Server-side Configuration

Configure SmartTables to fetch data from a server endpoint using AJAX with server-side processing enabled:

import { SmartTables } from 'smarttables';
const serverTable = new SmartTables('serverTable', {
    data: {
        type: 'ajax',
        source: '/api/employees',
        serverSide: true,
        method: 'GET',
        prefetch: true,
        cacheDuration: 300000, // 5 minutes cache duration
        columns: [
            { data: 'id', title: 'ID' },
            { data: 'name', title: 'Name' },
            { data: 'department', title: 'Department' },
            { data: 'age', title: 'Age' },
            { data: 'salary', title: 'Salary' },
            { data: 'bonus', title: 'Bonus' }
        ]
    }
});

Server Response Format

The server must return data in the following JSON format, compatible with SmartTables' expectations:

{
    "data": [
        { "id": 1, "name": "John Doe", "department": "Finance", "age": 32, "salary": 85000, "bonus": 5000 },
        { "id": 2, "name": "Jane Smith", "department": "HR", "age": 28, "salary": 65000, "bonus": 3000 }
        // ... more records
    ],
    "total": 1000 // Total records after filtering
}
Important: Unlike some table libraries, SmartTables expects total instead of recordsTotal or recordsFiltered. Ensure your server returns the correct field to avoid pagination issues.

Request Parameters

SmartTables sends the following query parameters in GET requests to the server:

Parameter Description Example
page Current page number (1-based) 2
perPage Number of records per page 10
search Global search value Finance
sortColumn Name of the column being sorted department
sortDirection Direction of sort asc or desc
Pro Tip: Use the data.params option to customize parameter names if your server expects different ones (e.g., limit instead of perPage):
data: {
    type: 'ajax',
    source: '/api/employees',
    serverSide: true,
    params: {
        limit: function() { return this.perPage; },
        offset: function() { return (this.currentPage - 1) * this.perPage; },
        query: 'search'
    }
}

Advanced Caching for Server-side Data

SmartTables enhances performance with client-side caching and prefetching:

  • Cache Keys: Unique keys are generated based on page, search, sortColumn, and sortDirection.
  • Prefetching: Automatically loads the next page when prefetch: true, reducing wait times.
  • Cache Invalidation: Clears cache on parameter changes (e.g., new search term).
  • Cache Duration: Configurable via cacheDuration (default: 5 minutes).
const serverTable = new SmartTables('serverTable', {
    data: {
        type: 'ajax',
        source: '/api/employees',
        serverSide: true,
        prefetch: true,
        cacheDuration: 600000, // 10 minutes
        withCredentials: true,
        headers: { 'X-API-Key': 'your-api-key' }
    },
    debug: true // Log cache operations
});

Implementing a Server-side Endpoint

Below are example implementations in multiple languages to demonstrate flexibility. Your server should handle pagination, filtering, and sorting based on the request parameters and return the expected response format.

This example uses ASP.NET Core with Entity Framework Core for database access, implementing server-side processing with caching.

using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
using Microsoft.EntityFrameworkCore;
using Microsoft.Extensions.Caching.Memory;
using System;
using System.Linq;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

public class Employee
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public string Department { get; set; }
    public int Age { get; set; }
    public decimal Salary { get; set; }
    public decimal Bonus { get; set; }
}

public class PaginatedResponse<T>
{
    public T[] Data { get; set; }
    public int Total { get; set; }
}

[ApiController]
[Route("api/[controller]")]
public class EmployeesController : ControllerBase
{
    private readonly AppDbContext _context;
    private readonly IMemoryCache _cache;

    public EmployeesController(AppDbContext context, IMemoryCache cache)
    {
        _context = context;
        _cache = cache;
    }

    [HttpGet]
    public async Task<IActionResult> GetEmployees(
        [FromQuery] int page = 1,
        [FromQuery] int perPage = 10,
        [FromQuery] string search = "",
        [FromQuery] string sortColumn = "",
        [FromQuery] string sortDirection = "asc")
    {
        try
        {
            // Generate cache key
            string cacheKey = $"employees_{page}_{perPage}_{search}_{sortColumn}_{sortDirection}";

            // Try to get from cache
            if (!_cache.TryGetValue(cacheKey, out PaginatedResponse<Employee> response))
            {
                // Base query
                var query = _context.Employees.AsQueryable();

                // Apply search
                if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(search))
                {
                    query = query.Where(e =>
                        e.Name.Contains(search, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) ||
                        e.Department.Contains(search, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase) ||
                        e.Age.ToString().Contains(search) ||
                        e.Salary.ToString().Contains(search) ||
                        e.Bonus.ToString().Contains(search));
                }

                // Get total count
                int total = await query.CountAsync();

                // Apply sorting
                if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(sortColumn))
                {
                    query = sortDirection.ToLower() == "asc"
                        ? query.OrderBy(e => EF.Property<object>(e, sortColumn))
                        : query.OrderByDescending(e => EF.Property<object>(e, sortColumn));
                }

                // Apply pagination
                query = query.Skip((page - 1) * perPage).Take(perPage);

                // Execute query
                var data = await query.ToArrayAsync();

                response = new PaginatedResponse<Employee>
                {
                    Data = data,
                    Total = total
                };

                // Cache the result
                _cache.Set(cacheKey, response, TimeSpan.FromMinutes(5));
            }

            return Ok(response);
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            return StatusCode(500, new { data = Array.Empty<Employee>(), total = 0, error = "Internal server error" });
        }
    }
}
ASP.NET Core Tips:
  • Use IMemoryCache or IDistributedCache for caching responses.
  • Validate sortColumn to prevent SQL injection when using dynamic sorting.
  • Consider using dependency injection for database context and logging.

A simple Express.js implementation with in-memory data, adaptable to any database.

const express = require('express');
const cors = require('cors');
const app = express();

app.use(cors());
app.use(express.json());

// Mock data (replace with database)
const employees = [
    { id: 1, name: 'John Doe', department: 'Engineering', age: 32, salary: 85000, bonus: 5000 },
    { id: 2, name: 'Jane Smith', department: 'Marketing', age: 28, salary: 65000, bonus: 3000 }
    // ... more records
];

app.get('/api/employees', async (req, res) => {
    try {
        const { page = 1, perPage = 10, search = '', sortColumn = '', sortDirection = 'asc' } = req.query;
        const pageNum = parseInt(page);
        const perPageNum = parseInt(perPage);

        // Filter data
        let filteredData = employees;
        if (search) {
            const searchLower = search.toLowerCase();
            filteredData = employees.filter(item =>
                Object.values(item).some(val =>
                    String(val).toLowerCase().includes(searchLower)
                )
            );
        }

        // Get total
        const total = filteredData.length;

        // Sort data
        if (sortColumn) {
            filteredData.sort((a, b) => {
                const aVal = a[sortColumn];
                const bVal = b[sortColumn];
                if (typeof aVal === 'number' && typeof bVal === 'number') {
                    return sortDirection === 'asc' ? aVal - bVal : bVal - aVal;
                }
                const aStr = String(aVal).toLowerCase();
                const bStr = String(bVal).toLowerCase();
                return sortDirection === 'asc' ? aStr.localeCompare(bStr) : bStr.localeCompare(aStr);
            });
        }

        // Paginate
        const offset = (pageNum - 1) * perPageNum;
        const paginatedData = filteredData.slice(offset, offset + perPageNum);

        res.json({
            data: paginatedData,
            total
        });
    } catch (error) {
        console.error(error);
        res.status(500).json({ data: [], total: 0, error: 'Internal server error' });
    }
});

app.listen(3000, () => console.log('Server running on port 3000'));
Node.js Tips:
  • Integrate with a database like MongoDB or PostgreSQL for production.
  • Use a caching layer like Redis for better performance.
  • Add middleware for authentication if needed.

A FastAPI implementation using SQLAlchemy for database operations.

from fastapi import FastAPI, Depends
from sqlalchemy.orm import Session
from sqlalchemy import or_, desc, asc
from typing import Optional
from pydantic import BaseModel
import models
from database import SessionLocal

app = FastAPI()

# Pydantic model for response
class PaginatedResponse(BaseModel):
    data: list
    total: int

def get_db():
    db = SessionLocal()
    try:
        yield db
    finally:
        db.close()

@app.get("/api/employees", response_model=PaginatedResponse)
async def get_employees(
    page: int = 1,
    perPage: int = 10,
    search: Optional[str] = None,
    sortColumn: Optional[str] = None,
    sortDirection: str = "asc",
    db: Session = Depends(get_db)
):
    try:
        # Base query
        query = db.query(models.Employee)

        # Apply search
        if search:
            query = query.filter(
                or_(
                    models.Employee.name.ilike(f"%{search}%"),
                    models.Employee.department.ilike(f"%{search}%"),
                    models.Employee.age.cast(str).ilike(f"%{search}%"),
                    models.Employee.salary.cast(str).ilike(f"%{search}%"),
                    models.Employee.bonus.cast(str).ilike(f"%{search}%")
                )
            )

        # Get total
        total = query.count()

        # Apply sorting
        if sortColumn:
            column = getattr(models.Employee, sortColumn, None)
            if column:
                query = query.order_by(asc(column) if sortDirection == "asc" else desc(column))

        # Apply pagination
        offset = (page - 1) * perPage
        query = query.offset(offset).limit(perPage)

        # Execute
        data = query.all()

        return {
            "data": data,
            "total": total
        }
    except Exception as e:
        return {"data": [], "total": 0, "error": str(e)}
Python Tips:
  • Use Pydantic models for response validation.
  • Implement caching with libraries like cachetools.
  • Secure endpoints with FastAPI's security utilities.

Handling Pagination with Search

Ensure consistent total counts across requests to prevent pagination issues:

const table = new SmartTables('myTable', {
    data: {
        serverSide: true,
        source: '/api/employees',
        method: 'GET'
    },
    hooks: {
        afterDataLoad: function(response) {
            console.log('Total records:', response.total);
        }
    }
});
Important Considerations:
  • Calculate total after applying filters but before pagination.
  • Reset to page 1 when search changes to avoid invalid page requests.
  • Validate sortColumn to ensure it matches valid fields.
  • Use logging to debug inconsistencies in counts or data.

Real-time Debugging

Enable debug: true to log AJAX requests, responses, and cache operations:

  • Request parameters sent to the server.
  • Cache hits, misses, and key generation.
  • Prefetching status and errors.
  • Total counts and pagination calculations.
Pro Tip: Combine client-side debug logs with server-side logging to troubleshoot issues. Check that total remains consistent across pages for the same search query.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues:
  • Table not responsive? Make sure you've set data-priority attributes on your table headers.
  • Search not working as expected? Check your fuzzyMatch settings and try adjusting the threshold.
  • Export not working? Ensure you have the required dependencies for Excel export.
  • Performance issues? Try reducing the number of rows per page or use server-side processing.

Server-side Processing Issues

When working with server-side processing, you might encounter these common challenges:

Symptoms: The table shows different total counts when navigating between pages. For example, page 1 shows "Showing 1 to 10 of 25 entries" but page 2 shows "Showing 11 to 20 of 13 entries".

Solutions:

  • Server-side: Ensure the search filter is applied consistently before calculating the total count. Apply the search once to the entire dataset before pagination.
  • Client-side: Clear the cache when search parameters change using clearAjaxCache(), and ensure the total from the server response is stored consistently.
  • Debug: Add logging on both server and client to track the search term, filtered count, and total count across requests.
// Server-side fix (PHP example)
// Apply search filter once to get consistent count
$filteredData = [];
$totalRecords = count($data);

if (!empty($search)) {
    $searchLower = strtolower($search);
    foreach ($data as $item) {
        $found = false;
        foreach ($item as $key => $value) {
            $strValue = strtolower((string)$value);
            if (strpos($strValue, $searchLower) !== false) {
                $found = true;
                break;
            }
        }
        if ($found) {
            $filteredData[] = $item;
        }
    }
} else {
    $filteredData = $data;
}

// Get TOTAL filtered count BEFORE pagination
$totalFiltered = count($filteredData);

// Now apply pagination
$offset = ($page - 1) * $perPage;
$paginatedData = array_slice($filteredData, $offset, $perPage);

// Return consistent counts
return [
    'recordsTotal' => $totalRecords,
    'recordsFiltered' => $totalFiltered,
    'data' => $paginatedData
];

Symptoms: Stale data appears after changing search parameters, or prefetching doesn't seem to work.

Solutions:

  • Cache keys: Ensure cache keys include all relevant parameters (search term, sort column, sort direction)
  • Cache invalidation: Clear the cache when search or sort parameters change
  • Cache debugging: Enable debug mode to see cache operations in the console
// Client-side cache key generation
generateCacheKey() {
    // Include ALL parameters that affect the results in the key
    const params = {
        url: this.options.data.url,
        page: this.currentPage,
        perPage: this.options.perPage,
        search: this.searchQuery || '',
        sort: this.currentSort
    };
    
    this.log('Generating cache key with params:', JSON.stringify(params));
    return JSON.stringify(params);
}

Symptoms: Columns sort incorrectly, especially numeric, date, or special format columns.

Solutions:

  • Column mapping: Implement direct column mapping between column indices and field names
  • Data type detection: Sort different data types appropriately (numbers, dates, strings)
  • Normalization: Normalize values before comparison for consistent sorting
// Server-side sorting solution (PHP)
// Define column map for sorting
$columnMap = [
    0 => 'id',
    1 => 'name',
    2 => 'position',
    3 => 'office',
    4 => 'age',
    5 => 'startDate',
    6 => 'salary'
];

// Identify data types for special handling
$numericFields = ['id', 'age', 'salary', 'bonus', 'progress'];
$dateFields = ['startDate', 'hireDate'];

// Apply sorting with data type awareness
if ($order) {
    $columnIndex = $order['column'];
    $columnKey = isset($columnMap[$columnIndex]) ? $columnMap[$columnIndex] : null;
    $direction = $order['dir'];
    
    if ($columnKey) {
        usort($filteredData, function($a, $b) use ($columnKey, $direction, $numericFields, $dateFields) {
            // Handle numeric fields
            if (in_array($columnKey, $numericFields)) {
                $aVal = (float)$a[$columnKey];
                $bVal = (float)$b[$columnKey];
                return $direction === 'asc' ? $aVal - $bVal : $bVal - $aVal;
            }
            // Handle date fields
            else if (in_array($columnKey, $dateFields)) {
                $aDate = strtotime($a[$columnKey]);
                $bDate = strtotime($b[$columnKey]);
                return $direction === 'asc' ? $aDate - $bDate : $bDate - $aDate;
            }
            // Default string comparison
            else {
                $aVal = strtolower($a[$columnKey]);
                $bVal = strtolower($b[$columnKey]);
                $result = strcmp($aVal, $bVal);
                return $direction === 'asc' ? $result : -$result;
            }
        });
    }
}

Symptoms: Empty results when navigating to a page, or "No matching records found" errors when searching.

Solutions:

  • Max page calculation: Ensure the max page is calculated based on filtered results
  • Page clamping: If requested page exceeds max page, clamp to max page
  • Search resets: Reset to page 1 when search query changes
// Server-side page validation (PHP)
// Calculate maximum page based on filtered count
$maxPage = ceil($totalFiltered / $perPage);

// Ensure page is valid
if ($page < 1) {
    $page = 1;
} else if ($page > $maxPage && $maxPage > 0) {
    $page = $maxPage;
}

// Calculate offset based on validated page
$offset = ($page - 1) * $perPage;

// Client-side search reset
handleSearch(value) {
    this.searchQuery = value;

    if (this.options.data.serverSide) {
        // Reset the cache when search changes
        this.clearAjaxCache();
        
        this.currentPage = 1; // Reset to first page on new search
        this.loadAjax(); // Fetch new data with search query
    } else {
        // Client-side search logic
    }
}

Managing Records with SmartTables

SmartTables provides powerful functionality for managing records with full CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) operations. This allows you to build interactive data management interfaces with minimal effort.

Basic Setup for Record Management

// Import the SmartTables module
import { SmartTables } from './pathTo/smartTables.bundle.js';

document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', () => {
    // Initialize SmartTables with data management options
    const clientTable = new SmartTables('clientTable', {
        // Data configuration
        data: {
            type: 'json',
            source: sampleData,  // Your data array
            idField: 'id',       // Field that uniquely identifies each record
            columns: [
                { data: 'id', title: 'ID', editable: false },
                { data: 'name', title: 'Name', required: true },
                { data: 'email', title: 'Email', type: 'email', required: true },
                { data: 'phone', title: 'Phone', type: 'tel' },
                { data: 'active', title: 'Active', type: 'boolean' },
                { 
                    data: 'actions',
                    title: 'Actions',
                    sortable: false,
                    editable: false,
                    render: (data, row) => 
                        '<button type="button" class="btn btn-primary btn-xs edit-btn" data-id="' + row.id + '">Edit</button> ' + 
                        '<button type="button" class="btn btn-danger btn-xs delete-btn" data-id="' + row.id + '">Del</button>'
                }
            ]
        },
        // Enable record management features
        addRecord: true,  // Shows an Add Record button
        // Other options...
    });

    // Handle edit and delete button clicks with event delegation
    clientTable.table.addEventListener('click', e => {
        if (e.target.classList.contains('edit-btn')) {
            const rowId = e.target.getAttribute('data-id');
            clientTable.edit(rowId);
        } else if (e.target.classList.contains('delete-btn')) {
            const rowId = e.target.getAttribute('data-id');
            clientTable.delete(rowId);
        }
    });
});

Advanced Record Management with Hooks

SmartTables provides a comprehensive hooks system to customize the behavior of record management operations:

const table = new SmartTables('myTable', {
    // ... other options
    hooks: {
        // Edit operation hooks
        beforeEdit(rowId) {
            // Called before edit mode is entered
            console.log('Editing row: ' + rowId);
            return true; // Return false to prevent editing
        },
        afterEdit(rowId, rowData, success) {
            // Called after edit is completed
            console.log('Edit completed: ' + success);
        },
        onEditModalCreated(modalHTML, rowId, rowData) {
            // Customize the edit modal HTML
            return modalHTML;
        },
        onEditModalBeforeShow(modalElement, rowId, rowData) {
            // Access the modal DOM before it's shown
        },
        onEditDataCollected(updatedData, rowId, originalData) {
            // Process and validate form data
            return updatedData;
        },
        onEditSuccess(rowId, updatedRecord, submittedData) {
            // Handle successful update
            console.log('Record updated successfully');
        },
        onEditError(rowId, error, attemptedData) {
            // Handle update errors
            console.error('Update failed', error);
        },

        // Delete operation hooks
        beforeDelete(rowId) {
            // Called before deletion
            return confirm('Are you sure you want to delete this record?');
        },
        afterDelete(rowId, data, success) {
            // Called after deletion attempt
            if (success) console.log('Deletion successful');
        },
        onDeleteModalCreated(modalHtml, rowId) {
            // Customize deletion confirmation modal
            return modalHtml;
        },
        onDeleteSuccess(rowId, deletedRecord) {
            // Handle successful deletion
        },

        // Add record operation hooks
        beforeAddRecord(initialData, options) {
            // Called before add form is shown
            return initialData; // Return modified initial data
        },
        afterAddRecord(newRecordData, success) {
            // Called after add operation completes
            if (success) console.log('Record added');
        },
        onAddModalCreated(modalHTML, initialData, options) {
            // Customize add record modal
            return modalHTML;
        },
        onAddModalBeforeShow(modalElement, initialData, options) {
            // DOM access before modal shows
        },
        onAddDataCollected(newRecordData, options) {
            // Process and validate new record data
            return newRecordData;
        },
        onAddRecordSuccess(newRecord) {
            // Handle successful addition
        },
        onAddRecordError(error, attemptedData) {
            // Handle addition errors
        },
        onAddCancelled(options) {
            // Called when add is cancelled
        }
    }
});

Column Type Configuration

SmartTables supports various input types for different data fields:

Type Description Additional Options
text Default text input maxlength, pattern
number Numeric input min, max, step
email Email input with validation pattern
tel Telephone input format, placeholder
date Date picker min, max
select Dropdown selection options (array)
boolean Checkbox -
password Password input minlength
// Column configuration examples for different types
columns: [
    { 
        data: 'salary', 
        title: 'Salary', 
        type: 'number',     // Numeric input
        min: 0,             // Minimum value
        step: 500,          // Increment by 500
        render: data => '$' + data.toLocaleString() // Format with $ and commas
    },
    { 
        data: 'department', 
        title: 'Department', 
        type: 'select',     // Dropdown select input
        options: [          // Available options
            'Engineering',
            'Sales',
            'Marketing',
            'Human Resources'
        ]
    },
    { 
        data: 'joinDate', 
        title: 'Join Date',  
        type: 'date',       // Date input
        render: data => new Date(data).toLocaleDateString() // Format date
    },
    { 
        data: 'active', 
        title: 'Active', 
        type: 'boolean',    // Boolean/checkbox
        render: data => data ? 
            '<span class="badge bg-success">Yes</span>' : 
            '<span class="badge bg-danger">No</span>'
    }
]

Visual Feedback for Row States

Implement visual feedback for different row states during CRUD operations:

// Track row states
const rowStates = {
    editing: null,     // ID of the row being edited
    saved: new Set(),  // Set of recently saved row IDs
    adding: false      // Flag for adding operation
};

// Apply classes in hooks
hooks: {
    beforeEdit(rowId) {
        rowStates.editing = rowId;
        const rowElement = this.table.querySelector('tbody tr[data-id="' + rowId + '"]');
        if (rowElement) {
            rowElement.classList.add('editing');
        }
        return true;
    },
    
    afterEdit(rowId, rowData, success) {
        rowStates.editing = null;
        if (success) {
            rowStates.saved.add(rowId);
            setTimeout(() => {
                rowStates.saved.delete(rowId);
                const row = this.table.querySelector('tbody tr[data-id="' + rowId + '"]');
                if (row) row.classList.remove('saved');
            }, 3000);
        }
        this.draw();
    }
}
Pro Tip: When implementing CRUD operations, consider using a custom modal system for consistency across the application. SmartTables hooks make it easy to integrate with custom UI components.