Crafting a data grid

I am currently working on developing an application that functions similar to an online spreadsheet. I am contemplating the best approach to building this application. My expertise lies in Rails, but I am open to utilizing different technologies as needed. Ideally, I want to use Rails for the backend, potentially incorporating a backbone frontend.

Although the functionality resembles a spreadsheet, it differs in its structure. Instead of traditional Excel columns labeled A, B, C, users can assign custom names to columns. For example, they could designate a column as Revenue, with rows 1, 2, and 3 containing values of $1000, $2000, and $3000. Users should also have the ability to sort columns in ascending or descending order.

Initially, I considered utilizing a MySQL table with 30 fields - 15 for values and 15 for corresponding column names. However, I recognize that this might not be the most efficient approach. Additionally, implementing this method would require imposing a limit on the number of columns users can add.

So, I am exploring alternative methods that may be more effective than the one previously outlined. I would appreciate any insights or recommendations on the best way to accomplish this task.

javascriptmysqlruby-on-railsrubyspreadsheet

Answer №1

If your problem domain heavily involves "columns," it might be beneficial to establish a table for their storage. Typically, spreadsheets have distinct elements like tables, columns, rows, and cells with clear connections among them (cells are linked to columns and rows, while columns and rows are associated with tables). This structure aligns well with a relational database system such as MySql.

You can design a table dedicated to column definitions, including the index of each column, a foreign key pointing to its corresponding table, and the user-defined display name for that specific column.

Answer №2

My suggestion would be to save them as CSV files on your server or create a table in MySQL with an extra column containing the CSV data. It appears that the information inputted by your users into their spreadsheets is solely text, so there shouldn't be concern about excessive field sizes.

Answer №3

When using Rails and ActiveRecord, you can set up the following models for your application:

class Table < ActiveRecord::Base #attributes - name:string
  has_many :columns
end

class Column < ActiveRecord::Base #attributes - name:string, number:integer, table_id:integer
  has_many :rows
  belongs_to :table
end

class Row < ActiveRecord:: Base #attributes - number:integer, value:text, column_id: integer
  belongs_to :column

If you want to create a column named 'Revenue' as the first column in an Excel sheet, you can do so using ActiveRecord like this:

@table.columns.create(name: "Revenue", number: 1)

Then, to add a row with a value of '$1000' to that column, you would use the following code:

@table.columns.find(1).rows.create(value: "$1000")

I hope this explanation is helpful!

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