Add a button to an ag-grid column header

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06-10-2024

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Adding Buttons to Ag-Grid Column Headers: A Comprehensive Guide

Ag-Grid, a powerful data grid component for Angular and other frameworks, offers extensive customization options. One common request is to add buttons to column headers, enabling users to perform actions directly within the grid interface. This article provides a comprehensive guide to achieving this functionality, combining code examples with insightful explanations.

The Problem:

You want to add a button to a specific column header in Ag-Grid, allowing users to trigger actions directly within the grid's interface.

The Solution:

Ag-Grid itself doesn't directly support adding buttons to column headers. However, we can leverage the headerComponentParams feature in combination with custom component development to achieve this.

Scenario:

Let's assume we have an Ag-Grid table displaying data about employees. We want to add a "Download" button to the "Salary" column header, which, when clicked, downloads a CSV file containing salary data.

Original Code:

import { Component } from '@angular/core';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-grid-example',
  templateUrl: './grid-example.component.html',
  styleUrls: ['./grid-example.component.css']
})
export class GridExampleComponent {
  columnDefs = [
    { field: 'name', headerName: 'Employee Name' },
    { field: 'salary', headerName: 'Salary' },
    { field: 'department', headerName: 'Department' }
  ];

  rowData = [
    { name: 'Alice', salary: 60000, department: 'Marketing' },
    { name: 'Bob', salary: 75000, department: 'Sales' },
    { name: 'Charlie', salary: 55000, department: 'Finance' }
  ];
}

Adding the Button:

1. Create a custom header component:

   import { Component, Input } from '@angular/core';
   
   @Component({
     selector: 'app-download-button',
     template: `
       <button (click)="downloadData()">Download CSV</button>
     `,
     styles: []
   })
   export class DownloadButtonComponent {
     @Input() api: any; // Reference to the grid API
   
     downloadData() {
       // Implement your download logic here using the grid API
       // For example, you can use api.getDisplayedRowAtIndex() to get selected rows
       // and then process the data to create the CSV file.
       console.log('Download button clicked!');
     }
   }
   

2. Modify column definition:

   columnDefs = [
     // ... other column definitions
     { 
       field: 'salary', 
       headerName: 'Salary',
       headerComponentParams: {
         component: DownloadButtonComponent
       }
     },
     // ... other column definitions
   ];
   

3. Inject the grid API:

   import { AgGridAngular } from 'ag-grid-angular';
   
   @Component({
     // ...
   })
   export class GridExampleComponent {
     // ...
   
     constructor(private agGrid: AgGridAngular) { }
   
     ngOnInit() {
       // Pass the grid API to the custom component
       this.agGrid.api.setHeaderHeight(30);
       this.agGrid.api.getDisplayedRowAtIndex(0).setDataValue('salary', 100000000); 
       this.agGrid.api.refreshView();
     }
   }
   

Explanation:

• headerComponentParams: This property in the column definition allows us to specify a custom component to be used as the header.
• DownloadButtonComponent: This custom component contains the button element and the logic for handling the download action.
• Grid API: The grid API is injected into the main component and then passed to the custom component via headerComponentParams. This gives the custom component access to the grid's functionality, including retrieving data for the download.

Additional Considerations:

• Styling: You can style the button using CSS to match your application's design.
• Multiple Buttons: You can add multiple buttons to the header by creating separate custom components for each action.
• Dynamic Content: You can dynamically generate the button's text or functionality based on data or user preferences.

Conclusion:

Adding buttons to Ag-Grid column headers empowers users with convenient access to actions related to specific columns. This guide provides a solid foundation for implementing this functionality. By leveraging custom components and the grid API, you can seamlessly integrate buttons into your Ag-Grid setup, enhancing the user experience and overall functionality.