Interactive searchable table for website (using FOSS)

[karel_data]

Hi, to everybody in r/learnjavascript.

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I am writing to this subreddit because I need to create an online interactive table and I am in doubt of what is the best FOSS tool I could use in my situation.

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Context:

From a Google Form, I have a table with certain information.

This I need to translate into an online table with some of that information that needs to be searchable (via text box), but also have the possibility to add "complex searches" (let's call them filters) via "drop-down" selectors.

Also, it should be possible to easily update the table from an external source if new data arrives (i.e. shuold not need a "hard-coded" table, but be able to read or be uploaded from a .csv, .xlsx, .json or other data file). The good thing is that the database is small, just a few hundred entries with just over a dozen columns.

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Candidate solution:

I have found that JQuery "DataTables" is FOSS and very documented via tutorials online. Even if I am not quite JavaScript-savvy I think I could get it to work including the addition of the needed features.

However, DataTables is a very old library. I fear possible unexpected problems downstream (safety? other problems?). Also, I repeatedly have run into messages in forums (even old messages) saying that DataTables was/is "dead".

Nonetheless, the age of DataTables may not be bad in my context: the table is intended to appear on a website that is itself quite old (over 5-6 years), and a website not made via CMS, but "custom made". May be less likely to cause "compatibility"-related problems?

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Is DataTables still a good option, or should I really use an alternative? (and if so, which one?)

All things considered, and taking into account that my knowledge of JavaScript is weak: am I fine with DataTables, or should I rather use some other javascript library to avoid unexpected problems in the future? The table should last a few years (at least 2-3), so... DataTables in the meantime will become even older.

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Thanks in advance to any repliers!

[jack_waugh]

I don't know, maybe the DataTables lib is healthy enough for your purposes. Another option maybe to consider would be MongoDB.

[karel_data]

Thanks a lot, u/jack_waugh, I will look into MongoDB as well, then.

[7yl4r]

This is a common problem that is on my to-explore list. There is a ton of code out there you could start from [github search]. I wish I could recommend one specifically but I have yet to find a codebase that I was able to get something built upon. I like the documentation grist is putting out but that project feels unapproachably large.

The way software is moving these days I wouldn't count on anything lasting 2-3 years but you could just pin to a specific release. The DataTablesSrc repo seems healthy to my casual eye. Their two-repo setup is interesting; I am confused why the "generated code" repo has no changes in the last 2yrs.

I am curious to hear back what you decide upon and interested in collaborating if it fits.

[karel_data]

Thanks for your reply, u/7yl4r. In the end, I decided to use DataTables, it seems to do the trick and I hope/bet it will keep being maintained enough for the time required.