JavaScript and jQuery for Data Analysis and Visualization

Chapter 7Examining and Sorting Data Tables

What's in This Chapter

• Learning the Anatomy of an HTML table
• Styling an HTML table with CSS
• Learning about semantic markup
• Using JavaScript and jQuery to dynamically style and edit tables
• Using the DataTables jQuery plug-in to make dynamic tables easy

CODE DOWNLOAD The wrox.com code downloads for this chapter are found at www.wrox.com/go/javascriptandjqueryanalysis on the Download Code tab. The code is in the chapter 07 download and individually named according to the names throughout the chapter.

Although charts, maps, and other graphically rich representations might be the first things that come to mind when you consider the term data visualization, a primary workhorse for displaying and analyzing data has always been the data table. Furthermore, a well-designed chart might represent a concise way to tell a story about your data to most users, but it can present a difficult obstacle to the visually impaired. Thankfully, a properly marked-up data table can carry enough unambiguous meaning that a specially designed piece of software known as a screen reader can convert the visual matrix of data into easy-to-digest text-to-speech or Braille content.

Data tables represent an interesting lowest common denominator in terms of in-browser data visualization. Not only can you mark them up for maximum readability and accessibility but every commonly used browser has at least a basic ability to display data tables, even if you ...