9.13.2012

JQGrid vs FlexGrid vs DataTables

Difference between JQGrid,FlexGrid and DataTables
(OR)
Compare jQuery grid and table plugins


JQGrid
FlexGrid
DataTables
Data format :
JSON, XML
Data format :
JSON, XML or existing data
Data format :
Existing HTML
Sorting:
Server-side (SQL 'ORDER BY'). Multicolumn sorting supported.
Sorting:
Server-side
Sorting:
Client-side. Multicolumn sorting supported.
Pagination:
JSON/XML (server-side)
Pagination:
Server-side
Pagination:
Client-side
User/Auto resizing of columns:
Both Supported. Users can choose to hide columns.
User/Auto resizing of columns:
User only. Users can choose to hide columns.
User/Auto resizing of columns:
Auto only
Internationalization:
Supported.
Internationalization:
Not supported.
Internationalization:
Supported.
JS file sizes (excluding jQuery) :
?
JS file sizes (excluding jQuery) :
?
JS file sizes (excluding jQuery) :
?
Advantages:
Extensive API and documentation
Advantages:
Versatile, can wrap around HTML or used JSON/XML to populate grid
Advantages:
Uses existing HTML structure to wrap around
Disadvantages:
Requires processing on server-side
Disadvantages:
Relatively little documentation, most of the functionality only works with JSON/XML option
Disadvantages:
Requires all the relevant data to be marked up as HTML

Summary: As with all applications, each variant is suitable for a different solution. The fact that there are over 50 table plugins for jQuery is testament to how people see the need for developing new alternatives. jQuery is a powerful tool, but its use must also be weighed together with how much data you use - while server-side sorting and searching is usually very powerful and fast, it's still a relatively expensive operation. Both jqGrid and DataTables have a lot of useful features (like grids withing grids, user-selectable rows and inline editing) with solid API documentation to support it. Flexgrid is good if you want something to work without too much hassles.

3 comments:

  1. My two or three year old app using datatables and json is over 9MBs in size. However your chart above states that is not possible...

    I want to use jqgrid for my next app and am looking for comparisons and think perhaps you need to update your table...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi ioconnor,

      Kindly refer to http://www.rioleo.org/comparing-jquery-grid-and-table-plugins.php

      Thanks,
      Umar Ali A

      Delete
    2. This data is wrong. Visit datatables.net. It handles far more than you describe in this table.

      Delete