Bootstrap Tables and Table Variants Step by step Implementation and Top 10 Questions and Answers
 .NET School AI Teacher - SELECT ANY TEXT TO EXPLANATION.    Last Update: April 01, 2025      19 mins read      Difficulty-Level: beginner

Bootstrap Tables and Table Variants

Introduction to Bootstrap Tables

Bootstrap, a popular front-end framework developed by Twitter, provides a comprehensive set of tools for creating responsive and visually appealing web pages. One of these tools is the Bootstrap table, which simplifies the process of designing HTML tables by offering pre-defined classes and styles. Bootstrap tables ensure that data is presented consistently across different devices and screen sizes while also providing various styling options for better readability and aesthetic appeal.

An HTML table typically consists of rows and columns, where <table> defines the table, <tr> stands for "table row," <th> for "table header," and <td> for "table data". In Bootstrap, these standard elements are enhanced with additional classes that facilitate customization and responsiveness.

Basic Structure of a Bootstrap Table

Before we delve into specific variants, let's look at the basic structure of a Bootstrap table:

<table class="table">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th scope="col">#</th>
      <th scope="col">First</th>
      <th scope="col">Last</th>
      <th scope="col">Handle</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <th scope="row">1</th>
      <td>Mark</td>
      <td>Otto</td>
      <td>@mdo</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <th scope="row">2</th>
      <td>Jacob</td>
      <td>Thornton</td>
      <td>@fat</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <th scope="row">3</th>
      <td>Larry</td>
      <td>the Bird</td>
      <td>@twitter</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

In this example, the class="table" applies standard Bootstrap styling to the table, making it more readable and visually consistent with other bootstrap elements on the page.

Bootstrap Table Variants

Bootstrap offers several table variants to customize your tables according to your needs. Here are some of the important variants:

1. Responsive Table

A responsive table makes your tabular data more accessible and aesthetically pleasing on smaller devices like smartphones and tablets.

<div class="table-responsive">
  <table class="table">
    <!-- Table rows and columns -->
  </table>
</div>

The .table-responsive div wraps around your table and enables a horizontal scrolling feature when the table exceeds the viewport width. This variant ensures that users can view all table columns without needing to zoom or scroll horizontally, which can be problematic on small screens.

2. Table Head Options

Bootstrap provides special classes for the table head to highlight headers effectively or differentiate them from the rest of the table body.

  • .table-primary Highlight the header row with a primary color background.
<thead class="table-primary">
  <!-- Header columns -->
</thead>
  • .table-secondary Apply a secondary color background to the header row.
<thead class="table-secondary">
  <!-- Header columns -->
</thead>
  • Other Colors (success, danger, warning, info, light, dark) These classes can be used similarly to apply corresponding color backgrounds to the header row.
3. Table Body Variants

You can apply various row color options within the table body using contextually-colored row variants.

  • .table-success Applies a green background to the row indicating a success status.
<tr class="table-success">
  <!-- Row content -->
</tr>
  • .table-danger Provides a red background to signify a dangerous or error status.
<tr class="table-danger">
  <!-- Row content -->
</tr>
  • .table-warning Highlights potential issues with a yellow background.
<tr class="table-warning">
  <!-- Row content -->
</tr>
  • .table-info Slightly changes the background for informative purposes.
<tr class="table-info">
  <!-- Row content -->
</tr>
  • .table-light and .table-dark Adjusts the brightness of the background color for better contrast against different contexts.
<tr class="table-light">
  <!-- Row content -->
</tr>
<tr class="table-dark">
  <!-- Row content -->
</tr>
4. Striped Rows

Adding zebra-striping to tables can greatly increase their accessibility and readability, especially for those with visual impairments.

<table class="table table-striped">
  <!-- Table rows and columns -->
</table>

Each odd-numbered row within the tbody gets a shaded background. This variant helps to distinguish one row from another, making it easier to track the flow of information vertically.

5. Bordered Table

A bordered table variant includes borders around the table elements for a clear separation of cells.

<table class="table table-bordered">
  <!-- Table rows and columns -->
</table>

This style adds borders to the <table>, <th>, and <td> elements, making the table structure more apparent. It’s useful for detailed tables where every cell boundary needs to be clearly visible.

6. Hoverable Table Rows

Enabling hover effects can significantly enhance user interaction, highlighting the current row as the mouse pointer moves over it.

<table class="table table-hover">
  <!-- Table rows and columns -->
</table>

In this variant, each row turns gray when hovered over, helping users identify the active row easily. Hover effects are particularly beneficial in large tables to provide immediate visual cues upon selecting a specific row.

7. Small Table

To squeeze more information into a single table, Bootstrap provides a compact table variant.

<table class="table table-sm">
  <!-- Table rows and columns -->
</table>

Smaller padding is applied to the <th> and <td> elements to reduce overall table size and fit more data into limited space. It’s crucial for dashboards or applications where screen estate is premium.

8. Borderless Table

If you prefer a cleaner, minimalistic approach, a borderless table variant removes all internal borders.

<table class="table table-borderless">
  <!-- Table rows and columns -->
</table>

This style focuses on the text and content, eliminating distractions that might come from cell borders. It can be ideal for less cluttered table designs in certain contexts, providing a subtle yet modern look.

9. Active Table Row

To denote active state, Bootstrap provides an .active class for the table row.

<tr class="table-active">
  <!-- Row content -->
</tr>

This variant applies a distinct background color to the row to emphasize its importance or current selection status. For instance, if a row represents the item being viewed in a larger product catalog interface.

10. Capitalize Table Head

Sometimes, table headers need to stand out even more by capitalizing the text.

While not directly offered as a dedicated class, you can use custom CSS to capitalize headers in a Bootstrap table:

thead th {
  text-transform: uppercase;
}

Alternatively, you can manually write the header text in uppercase.

Styling Table Headers and Data Individually

You can also apply styles to individual header cells and data cells. Similar to row context classes, you can use context classes (.primary, .secondary, .success, .danger, .warning, .info, .light, .dark) to style individual cells.

For example:

<table class="table">
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th scope="col">#</th>
      <th scope="col">First</th>
      <th scope="col">Last</th>
      <th scope="col" class="table-success">Handle</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <th scope="row" class="table-primary">1</th>
      <td>Mark</td>
      <td>Otto</td>
      <td>@mdo</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <th scope="row" class="table-danger">2</th>
      <td>Jacob</td>
      <td>Thornton</td>
      <td>@fat</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <th scope="row" class="table-warning">3</th>
      <td>Larry</td>
      <td>the Bird</td>
      <td>@twitter</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

In this example, specific rows and cells are styled differently, enhancing the table's visual hierarchy and emphasizing particular data points.

Combining Table Variants

It’s important to note that most of these table variants can be combined. For instance, you can have a bordered and striped table, or a hoverable and small table. The following code illustrates this:

<table class="table table-hover table-stripped table-borderless table-sm">
  <!-- Table rows and columns -->
</table>

By combining different variants, you can craft custom tables that match your application's design and functionality requirements. However, always consider the readability and user-experience implications of your choices.

Conclusion

Bootstrap tables are highly versatile and offer numerous options for customization through their predefined classes and styles. From adjusting row height and background colors to adding hover effects and enabling horizontal scrolling on small devices, Bootstrap provides a wide range of features that can help developers create well-organized and easy-to-read tables. Effective use of these table variants contributes significantly to maintaining consistent and modern-looking interfaces throughout web applications.




Bootstrap Tables and Table Variants: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

Introduction to Bootstrap Tables

Bootstrap is a popular front-end framework that provides a variety of components to build responsive and aesthetically pleasing websites quickly. One of the most commonly used components is the table. These tables come with built-in styles, which can be customized easily to fit the design requirements of your web application.

When you start using Bootstrap tables, it's crucial to understand the basic structure, style options, and some advanced variants like striped, bordered, hover, condensed, etc. This tutorial will guide you step-by-step on how to set up, style, and utilize these tables effectively.

Step 1: Setting Up Your Project

Firstly, you need to have a basic HTML project setup. If you are unfamiliar with creating simple HTML projects, don't worry. Here is an easy step-by-step process:

Include Bootstrap CSS:

You can include Bootstrap in your project using a CDN link for simplicity. Add this line in the <head> section of your HTML document:

<link href="https://stackpath.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/4.5.2/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet">

Include Bootstrap JS (Optional):

Although not necessary for basic table usage, Bootstrap JS enables additional interactive features:

<script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.5.1.slim.min.js"></script>
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/@popperjs/core@2.9.2/dist/umd/popper.min.js"></script>
<script src="https://stackpath.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/4.5.2/js/bootstrap.min.js"></script>

Basic HTML Structure:

Start with a minimal HTML structure as follows:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>Bootstrap Tables Example</title>
    <!-- Link Bootstrap CSS here -->
</head>
<body>
    <div class="container">
        <!-- Your code will go here -->
    </div>
</body>
</html>

Step 2: Creating a Basic Table

Now, let's create a basic Bootstrap table inside our HTML file. This example will be a simple list of users with names, ages, and emails.

<div class="container">
    <h2>Simple Bootstrap Table</h2>
    <table class="table">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Name</th>
                <th>Age</th>
                <th>Email</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <tr>
                <td>John Doe</td>
                <td>34</td>
                <td>john.doe@example.com</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>Jane Smith</td>
                <td>28</td>
                <td>jane.smith@example.com</td>
            </tr>
            <tr>
                <td>Robert Paulson</td>
                <td>42</td>
                <td>robert.paulson@example.com</td>
            </tr>
        </tbody>
    </table>
</div>

The class="table" attribute applies the default Bootstrap styling to your table.

Step 3: Styling Your Table with Bootstrap

Bootstrap comes with several predefined classes that allow you to style your tables visually without writing much custom CSS.

Striped Rows:

Add the table-striped class to alternate row colors for better readability.

<table class="table table-striped">
    <!-- table headers and body -->
</table>

Bordered Table:

Use the table-bordered class to place a border around each cell.

<table class="table table-bordered">
    <!-- table headers and body -->
</table>

Hover Effect:

Apply table-hover class to highlight rows on hover.

<table class="table table-hover">
    <!-- table headers and body -->
</table>

Condensed Table:

With table-sm, reduce the padding between table cells making them a little tighter.

<table class="table table-sm">
    <!-- table headers and body -->
</table>

You can combine these classes as per your requirement. For example, if you want a striped and bordered table:

<table class="table table-striped table-bordered">
    <!-- table headers and body -->
</table>

Step 4: Table Variants - Advanced Styles

Bootstrap has even more advanced table variants which provide different levels of visual customization:

Contextual Classes:

These classes apply to rows (<tr>), cells (<th>, <td>), or cell groups (<thead>, <tfoot>, <tbody>).

<table class="table">
    <thead class="thead-dark">
        <tr>
            <th>Name</th>
            <th>Age</th>
            <th>Email</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <tr class="table-success">
            <td>John Doe</td>
            <td>34</td>
            <td>john.doe@example.com</td>
        </tr>
        <tr class="table-warning">
            <td>Jane Smith</td>
            <td>28</td>
            <td>jane.smith@example.com</td>
        </tr>
        <tr class="table-danger">
            <td>Robert Paulson</td>
            <td>42</td>
            <td>robert.paulson@example.com</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

Responsive Tables:

Sometimes tables can get too wide to fit on mobile devices. Make your tables scroll horizontally on small devices by wrapping your table with .table-responsive class.

<div class="table-responsive">
    <table class="table">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Name</th>
                <th>Age</th>
                <th>Email</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <!-- table body rows -->
        </tbody>
    </table>
</div>

Step 5: Integration and Data Flow

When working on a real web application, your data is likely dynamic and fetched from a backend database or API. Below is a simplified example of how you might integrate a Bootstrap table with JavaScript to fetch data from an API and populate it into the table.

HTML Setup:

Start with similar table structure but ensure there is enough space to fill data dynamically.

<div class="container">
    <h2>User List</h2>
    <table id="userTable" class="table table-striped table-bordered">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Name</th>
                <th>Age</th>
                <th>Email</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
            <!-- Data will be inserted here -->
        </tbody>
    </table>
</div>
<!-- Include jQuery and Bootstrap JS here -->
<script src="script.js"></script>

JavaScript for Fetching and Inserting Data:

Create a separate file called script.js and use AJAX to fetch data from a fictional API and insert the results into the table.

$(document).ready(function() {
    $.ajax({
        url: 'https://api.example.com/getUsers', // Replace with your API endpoint
        type: 'GET',
        success: function(response) {
            var users = response.users; // Assuming response.users contains an array of user objects
            
            // Loop through users and append a new row to the table for each user
            $.each(users, function(index, user) {
                $('#userTable > tbody:last-child').append('<tr><td>' + user.name + '</td><td>' + user.age + '</td><td>' + user.email + '</td></tr>');
            });
        },
        error: function(xhr, status, error) {
            console.log('Error: ' + error.message);
        }
    });
});

Step-by-Step Flow of Data:

  1. Initialization: When the page loads, jQuery runs the script inside $(document).ready() block.
  2. Data Fetching: The script sends an HTTP GET request to the specified API endpoint.
  3. Handling Response: Upon receiving a successful response, the script iterates over the array of user objects.
  4. Appending Rows: It then creates a new table row for each user object and appends it to the table’s body (<tbody>).
  5. Error Handling: If the AJAX request fails, the error callback logs the error message to the console for debugging.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Bootstrap provides robust tools to style and structure tables that look great and are easy to use. By combining bootstrap classes, you can quickly create well-designed responsive tables. Additionally, integrating JavaScript along with Bootstrap makes it possible to dynamically populate tables from external data sources, enhancing your application's functionality and user experience.

This step-by-step guide covers the basics of setting up a Bootstrap table, applying different styles to make it visually appealing, and integrating it with JavaScript for data fetching and insertion, making it a comprehensive resource for beginners interested in mastering Bootstrap tables and their advanced variants.

Remember to replace https://api.example.com/getUsers with a real API endpoint or JSON mock-up data to test this integration. Happy coding!




Top 10 Questions and Answers: Bootstrap Tables and Table Variants

Bootstrap offers a variety of features to style and enhance tables, making them a powerful tool for displaying data. Here are ten frequently asked questions related to Bootstrap tables and their variants in detail:

1. What are the basic components of a Bootstrap table?

Bootstrap tables are created using standard HTML table tags (<table>, <thead>, <tbody>, <tr>, <th>, and <td>). To apply Bootstrap styles, you simply need to add the class="table" attribute to the <table> tag.

<table class="table">
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th>Header 1</th>
            <th>Header 2</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td>Data 1</td>
            <td>Data 2</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

2. How can I make a Bootstrap table responsive?

To make a Bootstrap table responsive, simply wrap your <table class="table"> inside a <div class="table-responsive"> element. This ensures that the table will scroll horizontally on devices with smaller screens.

<div class="table-responsive">
    <table class="table">
        <!-- Table content here -->
    </table>
</div>

3. Can Bootstrap tables include striped rows?

Yes, Bootstrap tables can have striped rows, which improves readability by alternating the background color of the rows. To add striped rows, include the class="table-striped" attribute to your <table> tag.

<table class="table table-striped">
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th>Header 1</th>
            <th>Header 2</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td>Striped Row 1</td>
            <td>Striped Row 2</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

4. How do you add a hover effect to Bootstrap tables?

Bootstrap allows you to add a hover effect to your tables by using the class="table-hover" attribute on the <table> tag. This highlights a row when the mouse pointer is hovered over it.

<table class="table table-hover">
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th>Header 1</th>
            <th>Header 2</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td>Hover Row 1</td>
            <td>Hover Row 2</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

5. What are bordered tables in Bootstrap, and how do you use them?

Bordered tables in Bootstrap have borders around the entire table and each cell. To create a bordered table, add the class="table-bordered" attribute to your <table> tag.

<table class="table table-bordered">
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th>Header 1</th>
            <th>Header 2</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td>Bordered Cell 1</td>
            <td>Bordered Cell 2</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

6. Can Bootstrap tables be condensed for compactness?

Bootstrap provides a way to condense tables for a more compact look using the class="table-sm" attribute. This reduces the padding and margin of the table and its cells.

<table class="table table-sm">
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th>Header 1</th>
            <th>Header 2</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td>Condensed Cell 1</td>
            <td>Condensed Cell 2</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

7. How do you create a dark-themed Bootstrap table?

To create a dark-themed table, add the class="table-dark" attribute to your <table> tag. This changes the background and text color to a dark theme.

<table class="table table-dark">
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th>Dark Header 1</th>
            <th>Dark Header 2</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td>Dark Cell 1</td>
            <td>Dark Cell 2</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

8. Can I apply different color variants to table rows or cells in Bootstrap?

Yes, Bootstrap allows you to apply different color variants to table rows and cells using utilities like bg-primary, text-danger, etc.

<table class="table">
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th>Header 1</th>
            <th>Header 2</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <tr class="table-primary">
            <td>Primary Row</td>
            <td>Primary Row</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td class="table-danger">Danger Cell</td>
            <td>Normal Cell</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

9. What are contextual classes for tables in Bootstrap?

Contextual classes in Bootstrap provide a quick way to change the background color of rows or cells. These classes include table-primary, table-success, table-danger, table-warning, table-info, table-light, and table-dark.

<table class="table">
    <tbody>
        <tr class="table-primary">
            <td>Primary</td>
        </tr>
        <tr class="table-success">
            <td>Success</td>
        </tr>
        <tr class="table-danger">
            <td>Danger</td>
        </tr>
        <tr class="table-warning">
            <td>Warning</td>
        </tr>
        <tr class="table-info">
            <td>Info</td>
        </tr>
        <tr class="table-light">
            <td>Light</td>
        </tr>
        <tr class="table-dark">
            <td>Dark</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

10. How can I combine multiple table variants in Bootstrap?

You can combine multiple table variants by adding multiple classes to the <table> element. For example, to create a small, striped, and hoverable table, you would use the following:

<table class="table table-striped table-hover table-sm">
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th>Header 1</th>
            <th>Header 2</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td>Mixed Variants 1</td>
            <td>Mixed Variants 2</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

By leveraging these Bootstrap classes and techniques, you can efficiently style and customize tables to meet your design needs, ensuring that data is displayed elegantly and user-friendly across various devices.