TableField

Provides a flexible field type for storing and displaying tabular data with support for CSV import/export, drag-and-drop row reordering, and customizable headers.

tablefield

18,339 sites

drupal.org

field gui

field table tabular data csv import export data entry spreadsheet widget formatter

Drupal 9 Drupal 10 Drupal 11

Install

Drupal 11, 10 v3.0.0

composer require 'drupal/tablefield:^3.0'

Drupal 9 v8.x-2.5

composer require 'drupal/tablefield:8.x-2.5'

Overview

TableField is a comprehensive field type module that enables content authors to input, manage, and display tabular data directly within Drupal entities. It provides a user-friendly widget interface where users can define table dimensions, enter cell values, and optionally specify table captions for accessibility.

The module supports multiple input methods including direct cell editing, CSV file import, and copy-paste functionality from spreadsheet applications like Excel. Tables can be dynamically resized by adjusting the number of rows and columns, and rows can be reordered via drag-and-drop. The field supports both plain text and filtered text (with text format selection) for cell content.

For display, the formatter offers options to designate the first row and/or first column as table headers. An optional CSV export feature allows users with appropriate permissions to download table data. The module also provides a computed property for Search API integration, enabling full-text search of table contents.

Features

Custom field type for storing tabular data in a serialized blob format with support for captions and text formats
Flexible widget with configurable input types (textfield or textarea) for cell data entry
Dynamic table rebuilding allowing users to change the number of rows and columns via AJAX
Drag-and-drop row reordering with weight-based sorting
CSV file import with automatic encoding detection (UTF-8, ISO-8859-1, WINDOWS-1251)
Copy and paste import functionality supporting various delimiters (TAB, comma, semicolon, pipe, plus, colon)
CSV export functionality for downloading table data
Table caption support for improved accessibility and screen reader compatibility
Cell locking feature to prevent editing of default values (useful for fixed headers)
Text format support allowing filtered text with user-selectable input formats
Configurable empty rules to determine when a tablefield should be considered empty
Integration with responsive_tables_filter module for responsive table display
Computed table_value property for Search API indexing
Granular permissions for export, import, rebuild, paste, and row addition operations

Use Cases

Product Specifications Table

Create a field on product content types to display technical specifications in a structured table format. Set the first row as the header with specification names (e.g., 'Dimension', 'Weight', 'Material') and allow content editors to fill in values for each row. Enable CSV export so customers can download specifications.

Pricing Matrix

Build a pricing table with fixed headers using the lock_values feature. Set default values for column headers (e.g., 'Plan', 'Monthly', 'Annual') and lock them so editors can only modify the pricing values. Use the first column as a row header for plan names.

Schedule or Timetable

Create event schedules or class timetables using TableField. Enable the textarea input type for cells that need longer content. Use drag-and-drop to easily reorder rows when schedule changes occur.

Data Import from Spreadsheets

Allow content editors to quickly populate tables by copying data from Excel or Google Sheets using the paste functionality. Select TAB as the column separator for seamless import from spreadsheet applications.

Comparison Charts

Build feature comparison tables with the cellspan submodule to create merged header cells spanning multiple columns. Use #colspan# to group related features under category headers.

Form Builder with Required Fields

Use the tablefield_required submodule to create data entry tables where specific rows or columns must be filled out, such as mandatory contact information rows in a registration form.

Tips

Use the 'Lock cell default values' setting to create tables with fixed headers that content editors cannot modify
Enable 'Display first column as a table header' in the formatter for tables where the first column contains row labels
When importing from Excel, use TAB as the column separator in the paste import dialog
Set meaningful default row and column counts in the global settings to reduce the need for table rebuilding
Use the table caption field to provide context for screen readers and improve accessibility
Consider enabling text format selection (filtered text) only when HTML formatting is needed in cells, as it adds complexity
For large data sets, allow CSV import permission to enable efficient bulk data entry

Dependencies

Field Required

Related Projects

responsive_tables_filter

When the responsive_tables_filter module is enabled, TableField automatically adds Tablesaw classes and attributes to rendered tables for responsive display on mobile devices.

Search API

TableField provides a computed 'table_value' property that concatenates all cell values into a single searchable string, enabling full-text search of table contents through Search API.

Technical Details

Tablefield settings /admin/config/content/tablefield

Configure global default settings for all TableField instances including the CSV separator character and default table dimensions.

Export Tablefield Data as CSV

Allows users to export table data as CSV files when the export option is enabled on the field.

Rebuild any tablefield

Allows users to change the number of rows and columns in a table when the restrict_rebuild option is enabled on the field.

Import into any tablefield

Allows users to import CSV files into table fields when the restrict_import option is enabled on the field.

Paste into any tablefield

Allows users to paste data from spreadsheet applications into table fields.

Allow changes in the global tablefield module configuration

Grants access to the TableField configuration page at /admin/config/content/tablefield.

To change row in tablefield

Allows users to add rows to table fields using the Add Row button.

hook_tablefield_encodings_alter

Allows modules to alter the list of character encodings supported for CSV import. By default, TableField supports UTF-8, ISO-8859-1, and WINDOWS-1251.

CSV export produces garbled characters

Ensure the source data uses UTF-8 encoding. Check if the CSV separator in module settings matches your spreadsheet application's expected delimiter.

Table rows cannot be dragged

Rows containing locked cells cannot be reordered. Remove the lock_values setting or ensure the row has no locked cells to enable drag-and-drop.

Import button does not appear

The import functionality requires both the 'import tablefield' permission and the restrict_import field setting to be properly configured. Grant the permission to the appropriate roles.

Pasted data appears in wrong columns

Select the correct column separator that matches your source data. Data copied from Excel typically uses TAB separators.

Table appears empty but field shows as having content

Check the empty_rules settings. If 'ignore_table_structure' is unchecked, a table with different dimensions than the default is considered non-empty even without cell content.

The module sanitizes cell content through Drupal's text format system when cell_processing is enabled
CSV export requires both the field-level 'export' setting and the 'export tablefield' permission
Import and rebuild operations can be restricted to specific permissions to prevent unauthorized data modification