How to Fix AgGridReact Cells Not Rendering HTML from Server-Side JSON

Discover how to render HTML content from server-side JSON in your `AgGridReact` application, avoiding the display of raw HTML tags while enhancing the user experience.
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How to Fix AgGridReact Cells Not Rendering HTML from Server-Side JSON

In a React application, dealing with formatted data such as HTML strings can sometimes be challenging. A common issue developers face is trying to display HTML content fetched from a server, only to end up with raw HTML tags visible in the UI instead of the desired formatting. This guide will explain why this happens and how to effectively solve the problem in your AgGridReact implementation.

The Problem

When you fetch data from the server that includes HTML, such as bold text or line breaks, simply rendering that data directly is not enough. For example, after retrieving your formatted HTML string, your output may look something like this:

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

Instead of displaying correctly formatted text, users will see the HTML tags appear as plain text, which leads to a poor user experience.

The Solution

To properly display HTML content in AgGridReact, you need to implement a custom cell renderer. Here’s how to do that step-by-step:

Step 1: Update Column Definitions

You need to modify the column definitions in your grid to specify that you want to use a custom renderer for your columns that will display the HTML content. Here’s an example of how to set that up:

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

This configuration tells the grid to use a custom cell renderer defined by the htmlFormatter.

Step 2: Define the HTML Formatter Function

Next, you need to define the htmlFormatter function that will handle rendering the HTML safely. This function will use dangerouslySetInnerHTML to insert the HTML string directly into the grid cell.

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

Important Note on dangerouslySetInnerHTML

Using dangerouslySetInnerHTML allows you to insert HTML directly, which can potentially expose your app to security risks such as XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) if the HTML content isn't sanitized. Always ensure that the HTML content you render comes from a trusted source.

Putting It All Together

Once you've updated your column definitions and defined your htmlFormatter, your application should now render the HTML as expected. Users will see the formatted content rather than the raw HTML tags.

This fix enhances the display of your data and provides a better user experience as the information is now presented clearly and engagingly.

Conclusion

Handling HTML content in AgGridReact doesn’t need to be a daunting task. By implementing a custom cell renderer, you can effectively show the formatted data fetched from your server. With the steps outlined in this guide, you should be able to avoid the issue of HTML tags appearing in your output and instead create a visually appealing presentation of your data.

Feel free to reach out or comment if you have any questions or if there's another topic you'd like to learn about!