LiveTable - Interactive Tables for Phoenix LiveView

Introducing LiveTable - Interactive Tables for Phoenix LiveView

Hello Elixir community! :waving_hand:

I’m excited to announce the release of LiveTable, a comprehensive table component library built specifically for Phoenix LiveView applications. LiveTable aims to simplify the implementation of complex, interactive data tables while maintaining the real-time capabilities that make LiveView great.

Key Features

  • Rich Filtering System

    • Text search across multiple fields
    • Range filters for numbers, dates, and datetimes
    • Boolean filters with custom conditions
    • Select filters with static and dynamic options
    • Multi-column filtering support
  • Smart Sorting

    • Multi-column sorting with shift-click support
    • Sortable associated fields
    • Customizable sort directions
  • Export Capabilities

    • Background processing with Oban
    • CSV exports using NimbleCSV
    • PDF exports using Typst
  • Real-time Updates

    • Instant filter feedback
    • Seamless LiveView integration
  • Flexible Pagination

    • Configurable page sizes
    • Dynamic page navigation
    • Efficient database querying

Getting Started

Add to your dependencies:

def deps do
  [
    {:live_table, "~> 0.2.0"}
  ]
end

Check out our GitHub Repository for complete documentation and examples.

Why LiveTable?

We built LiveTable to address the common need for interactive data tables in Phoenix applications. It provides a robust, out-of-the-box solution that’s both powerful and easy to implement. Whether you’re building an admin panel or a data-heavy user interface, LiveTable handles the complexity while you focus on your application logic.

Demo Application

A live demonstration of LiveTable’s capabilities is available at livetable.gurujada.com. The demo showcases LiveTable’s performance and scalability by managing 1 Million rows with:

  • Real-time filtering
  • Multi-column sorting
  • CSV and PDF export capabilities

The demo application’s source code is hosted at Git Link for reference and learning purposes.

LiveTable Demo Screenshot

An advanced demo app to showcase livetable’s flexibility giving you complete control over the table, fields and queries is located at JOSAA App.

Josaa is the unified seat allocation board for engineering colleges in India. Students often struggle with choosing the right branch in the right college. This demo app helps to alleviate their problems by filtering colleges based on the student’s rank. All the datatables, card views in this app are powered by LiveTable.

JOSAA App’s git link can be found here- Josaa app github

Feedback Welcome!

We’d love to hear your feedback! Feel free to:

  • Try it out and share your experience
  • Report any issues you encounter
  • Suggest features you’d like to see
  • Contribute to the project

Hex Package

Looking forward to see what you build with LiveTable!

45 Likes

Please consider adding a screenshot how it looks like. Extra bonus if it’s a hosted page with real data. Thanks

9 Likes

Nice project!

I agree with @egze a live demo would make a difference! (for phoenix_storybook I deployed a free fly.io app)

1 Like

Deployment to fly in progress…

7 Likes

Am I correct in surmising that this only works with Ecto.Schema and queries the database?

Yes. Ecto is needed for it to work.

Thanks.

1 Like

Demo added in the main post above.

1 Like

Looks really great virinchi_cv.
It might just be my lack of knowledge, but i think live_table/lib/live_table/liveview_helpers.ex at master · gurujada/live_table · GitHub will course memory leaks, since you are parsing a frontend based params/filter directly into atoms.

Sorry for the nitpick, i really think the code you have written is awesome!!

2 Likes

Thanks for the compliments @simonitminds

You’re right. I should have used String.to_existing_atom() instead.
That won’t cause a memory leak.

Hope that answers your question?

1 Like

LiveTable Major Update: Complete Flexibility & Custom UI Control

Hey everyone! :waving_hand:

Following up on the initial LiveTable announcement - we’ve shipped some major improvements based on real-world usage and feedback.

The Problem We Faced

Building with LiveTable, we realized that having the library generate queries was a lot tougher than anticipated. We kept running into walls with:

  • Complex business logic integration
  • User permissions and access control
  • Custom filtering scenarios that didn’t fit standard patterns
  • Advanced query requirements (joins, aggregations, nested associations)

The Solution: Full User Control

We decided to pivot completely and give full control back to you, the developer:

:small_blue_diamond: Query Freedom

  • Define ANY Ecto query you want
  • Add filters to your custom queries
  • Full control over joins, conditions, and data transformation

:small_blue_diamond: Custom UI Mode

  • Completely replace our UI components with your own
  • Card mode with custom layouts and styling
  • Custom headers, content, and pagination components
  • Perfect for design systems and branded interfaces

:small_blue_diamond: Streams vs Assigns Choice

  • Use Phoenix streams for optimal performance
  • Or stick with traditional assigns if that fits your architecture
  • Seamless switching between modes

:small_blue_diamond: Transformers - The Game Changer

This is the most powerful feature we’ve added:

  • Complete query control with any input/DOM element
  • Custom sort orders via select menus
  • Complex filtering logic that was impossible before
  • Stateful filters that remember context across requests

:small_blue_diamond: URL State Persistence

The icing on the cake - URL remembers everything:

  • Filter states persist across page refreshes
  • Shareable URLs with exact table state
  • Bookmarkable filtered views
  • Works with all new features seamlessly

Real-World Success

We’re using this in production for an advanced college counselling platform with:

  • Complex rank calculations based on institution types
  • Multiple transformers working together
  • Custom header with integrated filtering UI
  • Card mode with rich college information display
    This app serves as an advanced demo of LiveTable.
    Check it out at Josaa App
    Git Repo of Josaa App- Git Link

What This Means for You

  • Simple tables: Still incredibly easy with schema: parameter
  • Complex applications: Now possible with complete flexibility
  • Custom designs: Full UI control without fighting the framework
  • Business logic: Implement any filtering/sorting logic you need

The documentation has been completely rewritten with real-world examples, comprehensive API reference, and step-by-step guides.
The demo application has been moved to https://livetable.gurujada.com

v0.3 will be released on hex shortly. Check it out on git right now!

Excited to see what you all build with this!

What complex table requirements are you struggling with? We’d love to hear how these new features might help! Or any new feature requests!

8 Likes

Looks great!
Wanted to ask if you have considered using a protocol or behavior that then uses Ecto.Schema to easier allow integrations such as Ash?

3 Likes

Thanks!
I haven’t used Ash till now. While I might take it up in the future, its not currently on the todo list.

Would be more than happy if anyone raises a pull request though! :smiley:

1 Like