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Table pages ​

Kottster table pages let you view and manage data in your database tables.

Table features in Kottster

The table pages support a variety of actions, including:

  • Viewing records
  • Creating, updating, and deleting records
  • Filtering, searching and sorting
  • Paginating results
  • Viewing and selecting related records
  • Creating, updating, and deleting related records

Page structure ​

Each table page requires a page.json configuration file in its own directory under app/pages/<pageKey>. The <pageKey> becomes the URL path where your page will be accessible (e.g., /users for a page in ./app/pages/users/).

Configuration file (page.json) ​

This file defines the table page configuration and is the only required file. You can edit it using the visual editor or modify the file manually.

Example:

app/pages/users/page.json
json
{
  "type": "table",
  "title": "User Management",
  ...
  "config": {
    // Table configuration goes here
    "table": "users",
    "dataSource": "postgres-db-1",
    "fetchStrategy": "databaseTable",
    ...
  }
}

Optional customization files ​

If you need additional customization beyond what the visual editor provides, you can add these optional files:

Backend controller (api.server.js) ​

This file handles custom backend logic and database interactions. Use this when you need custom fetching logic, validations, or hooks beyond what's configured in page.json.

Example:

app/pages/users/api.server.js
js
import { app } from '../../_server/app';
import page from './page.json';

// Default export the controller for handling table requests
const controller = app.defineTableController({
  ...page.config,
  // Add custom configuration or logic here
});

export default controller;

The backend controller uses defineTableController to extend the base configuration from page.json with custom logic.

Frontend component (index.jsx) ​

This file defines custom user interface components. Use this when you need to customize the table display or add custom functionality.

Example:

app/pages/users/index.jsx
jsx
import { TablePage } from '@kottster/react'; 

export default () => (
  <TablePage />
);

The frontend component returns the TablePage component, which automatically connects to your backend configuration. You don't need to pass additional parameters as it's tightly integrated with the backend API.

Creating table pages ​

You have two options for creating table pages:

The fastest way to create table pages is using Kottster's visual editor. It connects to your database, analyzes tables and relationships, and generates fully functional pages with a single click.

Adding a table page using the visual editor

When you use the visual editor, it creates a page.json file with your table configuration. It contains your page configuration and is automatically managed by the visual editor. If you need additional customization beyond what the visual editor offers, you can create optional api.server.js and index.jsx files as described above.

INFO

The visual editor manages the page.json file automatically. Even though you can edit it manually, it's recommended to use the visual editor for creating and configuring table pages. This ensures that all necessary configurations are correctly set up and reduces the risk of errors.

Option 2: Manual creation ​

For more control or custom requirements, you can manually create the page.json file in your ./app/pages/<pageKey> directory. Add optional api.server.js and index.jsx files only if you need additional customization beyond the base table functionality.

Examples ​

Here are some live examples of table pages to see them in action: