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Improving responsive data table UX with CSS

Blog post from LogRocket

Post Details
Company
Date Published
Author
Timonwa Akintokun
Word Count
3,287
Language
-
Hacker News Points
-
Summary

Responsive data tables are essential in web design for displaying organized information across various devices, but they often present challenges, especially on smaller screens. Developers typically address these by hiding columns or requiring horizontal scrolling, which can hinder user experience. To enhance table usability, several strategies can be employed, such as fixing rows or columns using CSS's position: sticky property, which maintains important data visibility during scrolling. Another technique is the stacking approach, turning rows into blocks for better readability on mobile devices, which can be further enhanced with accordions for expandable content. Selectively hiding and toggling column visibility with JavaScript allows users to customize their view, while collapsible rows save space by initially displaying only summary information. Data grouping consolidates related columns for a more streamlined presentation, and prioritizing key data points ensures essential information remains accessible. Combining these techniques can significantly improve the user experience of data tables on different screen sizes.