How to Synchronize Two ngx-datatable Data Sorting in Angular

Learn how to easily synchronize sorting between two ngx-datatable components in Angular, ensuring both tables reflect the same order dynamically as users interact with them.
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Synchronizing Data Sorting in ngx-datatable: A Step-by-Step Guide

Working with tables in Angular can often be challenging, especially when it comes to ensuring that user interactions with one table reflect changes in another. A common scenario arises when you are using ngx-datatable, a popular library for presenting data in tabular format. In this post, we will dive into the problem of synchronizing the sorting behavior between two ngx-datatable components.

The Problem: Unsynchronized Sorting

You have two data tables in your Angular application — one for "Next Actions" and another for "Request Queue". While each table functions independently, you want to implement a feature where sorting in one table should automatically update the sorting order in the other table as well. Unfortunately, the current implementation results in the second table not updating its view despite the data being sorted correctly in your code.

Your existing onSort method captures the sort event and sorts the data accordingly. However, the problem lies in how you update the row data for each table.

Here’s a brief look at your onSort function:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

While the console logs show the updated data correctly, the views for the respective tables do not reflect these changes.

The Solution: Observable Data Binding

The root of the issue is how the data is being bound to each table.

Understanding the Current Data Binding

Currently, you are binding the rowData for each table using the async pipe:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This means that your tables are receiving data from an Observable. When you sort the data, you are modifying the arrays directly, which does not propagate updates to the Observable.

Implementing Manual Data Subscription

To resolve this, you should manually subscribe to the observables and update the bound rowData. Here’s how to do it:

Update Data Binding: Change the rowData binding in your HTML to bind directly to the array variables.

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Modify the Sort Method: Ensure that when sorting occurs, you are indeed updating the data arrays bound to rowData.

Example HTML Structure

Here’s what the updated data table components should look like:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

By directly binding the data arrays to rowData instead of using observables with async, you allow both data tables to reflect the most recent updates to their respective data sets when sorting occurs. This simple adjustment can provide a smoother user experience while ensuring consistent data presentation across your application.

With this guide, you should be able to synchronize the sorting of your ngx-datatable components seamlessly. Happy coding!