Blazor Quick Grid


 

I have built a data grid that I like to use but it is a little heavy and is not generic yet. If I can find a lighter-weight grid that will meet my needs, I would be happy to replace it. I might have found one.

The new data grid component, QuickGrid,  created by the Blazor team could be it. This data grid can be used with .Net 6 or .Net 7, and it is open source. This is not a replacement for a fully functional data grid but does have nice and simple features.

The documentation on this component is exceptionally good. It contains samples and in-depth content. The documentation can be found at QuickData Grid. This post is not to be a tutorial on how to use the Data grid, the documentation does an excellent job doing that already. My goal here is to provide feedback on the pros and cons of using this new component.

 

Get Started

The component is available as a NuGet package or in GitHub. If you plan to use the NuGet Package you will need to have pre-release checked.

You can use the GitHub source if you plan to make any customizations to the grid itself.

 

Simple to Use

Here is an example of using the grid with an in-memory data source.

    <QuickGrid Items="@people">
        <PropertyColumn Property="@(p => p.PersonId)" Sortable="true" />
        <PropertyColumn Property="@(p => p.Name)" Sortable="true" />
        <PropertyColumn Property="@(p => p.BirthDate)" Format="yyyy-MM-dd" Sortable="true" />
    </QuickGrid>

 

Here is a screen of the simplest grid output.

Basic Features

These features help QuickGrid stand out for ease of use.

    1. Ease of implementation
    2. Multiple data sources
        a. In-memory as an IQueryable
        b. Entity Framework Core
        c. Remote data as JSON API
    3. Customizable Columns
        a. Title
        b. Styling
        c. Formatting
        d. Alignment
        e. Sortable
        f. Resizing
        g. Dynamic Columns
    4. Filtering
    5. Paging
    6. Virtualizing
    7. Custom Styling

The column styling being sortable and resizing are genuinely nice features. Paging can be configured in a couple of diverse ways with a UI look difference between them.

The Good and the Bad

Parts that I liked:

    1. Sortable columns
    2. Small footprint
    3. Built-in paging
    4. Virtualization
    5. When defining the column property, you can use a function

Missing Features

Knowing this is not supposed to be an advanced data grid replacement, these issues will keep me from using the grid as is for now. 

    1. Filtering is not the common way I did filtering
    2. The grid line you click on is not highlighted
    3. Grid line hover on
    4. TR does not style directly  
    5. Styling is available but you must use ::deep 

Summary

I could have spent more time trying to get the grid style to my standard way, but it was still missing the grid click and highlight. I like using those instead of the action buttons per row. That just looks cluttered to me.

The QuickGrid does look like a good option for a quick solution but for more business applications I think a more advanced grid would be better.



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