This article will help you understand what the Grid component is and how to work with it.
After reading this article you’ll know:
-
What the Grid component is and its major characteristics and options
-
How to use Grid as your layout-building element
What is the Grid component?
Grid is a system of content arrangement that helps designers place elements within a web page. The Grid helps build structured page layouts that divide the canvas into sections. This allows you to arrange other components within your page.
The Grid shines by combining data and layout into one powerful component. You can determine how you want to display data while simultaneously connecting it to your data source.
Options
You can find data-based options within the Grid component like choosing a model and enabling data filtering. They work in the same way as with any data component.
Type allows you to turn your grid into a simple container, or come up as a separate page item. You can also select the display direction of other components within a Grid by choosing a horizontal or vertical one. The reverse option will turn this direction around (from left to right, and vice versa). Error message allows you to choose from built-in error messages (for this page) or those triggered by the interaction.
Alignment, styling, and responsiveness options are secondary for the Grid component and define the way other components are structured within the Grid in more detail.
Using the Grid
The Grid component is primarily used for arranging and displaying data in a tabular format. It allows users to format components like Boxes or Columns within it rather quickly. This makes it ideal for building interfaces where data needs to be presented in an organized manner, such as tables, dashboards, or forms.
To start working with Grid, first place a Column onto a page and stretch it the way you need. Drop a Grid onto it and increase height (to 100%, for example) to fill the page area. Now you can add some Boxes to the Grid, and as you can see, they will be aligned vertically by default. You can change that through the Direction option.
Alignment options will enable you to position your components across the whole Grid. They will to the chosen position. To make sure the Grid looks properly on different devices, correct the responsiveness. Check how to work with XS, SM, MD, etc. via this article.
Grid and other layout components
Using Grid can be viewed as a shortcut option if we compare it to other key layout components like Box and Column but the functionality remains basically the same. All of these offer precise control over the arrangement of elements within a structured page layout, enabling users to define specific rows and columns.
You can see how you can build a responsive layout design with Boxes and Columns in Building an advanced home page article.
It is recommended to use the Grid component for giving more styling to smaller data segments while leaving page data management to page variables. This approach ensures a balance between design flexibility and data management efficiency within your application.
Suppose you want to display tasks within your project page. By utilizing the Grid component, you can create a visually appealing display of tasks connected to the project overview on your project detail page. This demonstrates the versatility of the Grid component in efficiently organizing and presenting data within Betty Blocks applications.