MRT logoMaterial React Table

    Display Columns

    Display Columns are columns that are used to display non-data elements in a table. They only require an id and header in the column definition. They do not need an accessorKey or accessorFn, as they are not meant to connect to your data at all.

    They do not have any processing features, such as sorting, filtering, grouping, etc. enabled on them by default.

    Built-in MRT Display Columns

    Material React Table has a few built-in display columns that are created automatically when certain features are enabled.

    • mrt-row-drag - created when enableRowDragging or enableRowOrdering prop are true

    • mrt-row-actions - created when enableRowActions (or sometimes when enableEditing) props are true

    • mrt-row-expand - created when enableExpanding, enableGrouping, or renderDetailPanel props are true

    • mrt-row-select - created when enableRowSelection prop is true

    • mrt-row-numbers - created when enableRowNumbers prop is true

    Display columns are for the most part the same as a data column, except for not having any accessor. Also, when a display column is created internally by Material React Table, the following options are all set to false by default:

    const defaultDisplayColumnDefOptions = {
    columnDefType: 'display',
    enableClickToCopy: false,
    enableColumnActions: false,
    enableColumnDragging: false,
    enableColumnFilter: false,
    enableColumnOrdering: false,
    enableEditing: false,
    enableGlobalFilter: false,
    enableGrouping: false,
    enableHiding: false,
    enablePinning: false,
    enableResizing: false,
    enableSorting: false,
    } as Partial<MRT_ColumnDef>;

    All of these values are able to be overridden if needed, and you'll learn about that in the next section down below.

    Customize Built-in MRT Display Columns

    It is possible to change and override the default behavior of built-in display columns. Whether you want to change the default column width, add some styles, or enable some features, such as column actions or column drag 'n drop, you can do it with the displayColumnDefOptions prop.

    Display Column Definition Options Prop

    Let's say you need to adjust the width of the Actions column to be wide enough to fit all of your action buttons. You could do that like so:

    <MaterialReactTable
    columns={columns}
    data={data}
    displayColumnDefOptions={{ 'mrt-row-actions': { size: 300 } }} //change width of actions column to 300px
    enableRowActions
    renderRowActions={({ row }) => (
    <div>
    <Button>Action 1</Button>
    <Button>Action 2</Button>
    <Button>Action 3</Button>
    </div>
    )}
    />

    Or maybe you want to enable a feature that is off by default for display columns, like column ordering or pinning.

    <MaterialReactTable
    columns={columns}
    data={data}
    displayColumnDefOptions={{
    'mrt-row-numbers': {
    enableOrdering: true,
    enablePinning: true,
    enableColumnActions: true,
    },
    }}
    enableRowNumbers
    />

    Here is a full example and demo for customizing display columns


    Demo

    Open Code SandboxOpen on GitHub






    1DylanMurray261 Erdman FordEast DaphneKentucky
    2RaquelKohler769 Dominic GroveColumbusOhio
    3ErvinReinger566 Brakus InletSouth LindaWest Virginia
    4BrittanyMcCullough722 Emie StreamLincolnNebraska
    5BransonFrami32188 Larkin TurnpikeCharlestonSouth Carolina

    Rows per page

    1-5 of 5

    Source Code

    1import React, { FC, useMemo } from 'react';
    2import { Box, Button } from '@mui/material';
    3import MaterialReactTable, { MRT_ColumnDef } from 'material-react-table';
    4import { data, Person } from './makeData';
    5
    6const Example: FC = () => {
    7 const columns = useMemo<MRT_ColumnDef<Person>[]>(
    8 //column definitions...
    33 );
    34
    35 return (
    36 <MaterialReactTable
    37 columns={columns}
    38 data={data}
    39 displayColumnDefOptions={{
    40 'mrt-row-actions': {
    41 size: 350, //set custom width
    42 muiTableHeadCellProps: {
    43 align: 'center', //change head cell props
    44 },
    45 },
    46 'mrt-row-numbers': {
    47 enableColumnOrdering: true, //turn on some features that are usually off
    48 enableResizing: true,
    49 muiTableHeadCellProps: {
    50 sx: {
    51 fontSize: '1.2rem',
    52 },
    53 },
    54 },
    55 'mrt-row-select': {
    56 enableColumnActions: true,
    57 enableHiding: true,
    58 size: 100,
    59 },
    60 }}
    61 enableColumnResizing
    62 enableColumnOrdering
    63 enableRowNumbers
    64 enableRowSelection
    65 enableRowActions
    66 renderRowActions={({ row }) => (
    67 <Box sx={{ display: 'flex', gap: '1rem' }}>
    68 <Button>Button 1</Button>
    69 <Button>Button 2</Button>
    70 <Button>Button 3</Button>
    71 </Box>
    72 )}
    73 />
    74 );
    75};
    76
    77export default Example;
    78

    Create your own Display Columns

    You don't have to use the built in Row Actions feature. You can just create your own display columns instead. It is as easy as creating a normal column, but specifying the columnDefType as display.

    const columns = [
    {
    id: 'sendEmail',
    header: 'Send Email',
    columnDefType: 'display', //turns off data column features like sorting, filtering, etc.
    enableColumnOrdering: true, //but you can turn back any of those features on if you want like this
    Cell: ({ row }) => (
    <Button onClick={() => sendEmail(row.original.userId)}>Send Email</Button>
    ),
    },
    {
    id: 'name',
    header: 'Name',
    accessorKey: 'name',
    },
    ];