Providing links in column headers for users to sort data

Providing links in column headers for users to sort data

My problem is as follows: I have a JSP file which will render an XML file in tabular format. The XML file is the pre-formatted database query result. In the column header of the table, I want to provide links which can be clicked by the user in order to sort the column. How can I do that effectively? Since the XML is already in the client space, I am thinking about doing the sorting using JavaScript. Another option is to generate another request to the server component, which will return the sorted XML file (but it means I have to do a database query). Thanks very much.

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One very handy mechanism that I have seen employed for this very situation is the use of value objects that implement a Sortable interface exposing a public method as follows: 

public interface Sortable
{
   int compare(Object object, String field);
}
The value objects also implement an interface identifying them as able to import and export XML, such as the following: 
public interface XMLCapable
{
   public String toXML();

   public void fromXML(String xml);
}
With the value objects implementing these interfaces, a template engine such as JSP can sort the value objects on whatever field is desired. The links in the HTML response can target the host with a request to re-sort the columns.

This solution, of course, performs the sort before the template is rendered to the client's space. I believe you are on the right track by presuming JavaScript as the mechanism for a client-space solution.


This was first published in March 2003

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