[vue table] row values cache doesn't play well with vue proxy-based reactivity

[jonatan-zint-tfs]

Describe the bug

While creating table component with vue using @tanstack/table I realized that the tanstack table doesn't play well with reactivity using

useVueTable({
    [...]
    get data() {
        return props.data
    },
})

If you change the contents of props.data (like push a new element) it's perfectly fine for the vue reactivity model. Even the data() function does get reexcecuted - so I'm guessing that the memo() function in the utils of tanstack table decides that props.data did not actually change and it won't get propagated to the row model. See the codesandbox attached, which will make the issue clear I think.

Your minimal, reproducible example

https://codesandbox.io/p/sandbox/busy-browser-61p7of?welcome=true

Steps to reproduce

1. Use a reactive array in get data() when setting up the table with useVueTable
2. Push a new element to that array
3. Realize that it gets properly updated if i.e. just rendered on the template
4. Realize that no new row is displayed in the table (table.getRowModel()) returns old data

Expected behavior

I'd like to harmonize vue reactivity with the tanstack reactivity at this point.

I can workaround this issue by copying the data before using it in data() - but that'd create an unnecessary extra copy step:

const data = computed(() => {
  return [...props.data];
});

const table = useVueTable<RowData>({
  get data() {
    return data.value;
  },
});

How often does this bug happen?

Every time

Screenshots or Videos

No response

Platform

OS: Windows11 with WSL2 on Ubuntu 22.04
Browser: FF 113

react-table version

8.7.9

TypeScript version

5.0.4

Additional context

No response

Terms & Code of Conduct

• I agree to follow this project's Code of Conduct
• I understand that if my bug cannot be reliable reproduced in a debuggable environment, it will probably not be fixed and this issue may even be closed.

[Tanimodori]

This library won't reprocess data unless it changes reference as compared via Object.is (docs). Despite it claims to be an "Framework Agnostic" lib, this limitation is originated in react useState (e.g. data/setData) which has to change reference in order to trigger a full-update. Similarly, changing existing data object properties in parent won't trigger update. It is a pity that this library cannot handle partial update like how vue does.

[radusuciu]

This library won't reprocess data unless it changes reference as compared via Object.is (docs). Despite it claims to be an "Framework Agnostic" lib, this limitation is originated in react useState (e.g. data/setData) which has to change reference in order to trigger a full-update. Similarly, changing existing data object properties in parent won't trigger update. It is a pity that this library cannot handle partial update like how vue does.

That reading makes sense but I'm having trouble pinpointing where in the core package this limitation is introduced as the only instances of useState or setData seem to occur in the React examples.

Do you think it's possible to fix this by only touching the vue adapter, or is the issue with the memo function as this issue suggests?

[jonatan-zint-tfs]

As far I can see there is no way to do it in the adapter without taking a performance penalty.

Vue reactivity makes use of proxy objects to trace dependency changes. the memo function essentially only does this to track changes.

    const depsChanged =
      newDeps.length !== deps.length ||
      newDeps.some((dep: any, index: number) => deps[index] !== dep)

So it only will notice a change if it's a primitive value that has changed or the reference of an object/array changed.
A "proper" framework agnostic approach could be that you instantiate a memo function making use of the reactivity system of the framework of your choice, but that probably be a substantial rework.

Maybe exposing a manual trigger that you can hook up with a "watch" function could be a useful api

[radusuciu]

That all makes sense, thanks for discussing.

[jonatan-zint-tfs]

Hello, circling back to this comment as this becomes a deal breaker for our project now.

I'd like to ask the maintainer @tannerlinsley whether this issue can be acknowleged. I'll try and get an approval to work on it in tanstack. I just like to have a prospect of this being merged into upstream. I'm suspecting I'll need some changes in the core module, not only the wrapper.

[jonatan-zint-tfs]

Okay I revisited the issue and came to the conclusion that it's actually not the memo function. The objects in tanstack are still the proxies so vue reactivity is well maintained. So what's the issue? the cell.getValue() function that caches the cell values.

It'll cache the value and never invalidates, unless the row gets rebuild, which happens only if the reference to the object in the data property changes:
https://github.com/TanStack/table/blob/main/packages/table-core/src/core/row.ts#L43

This sandbox i made visualized the problem quite well: https://codesandbox.io/p/github/jonatan-zint-tfs/vue-tanstack-example/main?file=/src/components/Table.vue:97,10&workspaceId=14f3e36b-abb4-4b1a-96c2-08e79b17d539

I don't know how this problem doesn't replicate in react apparently. I'd ask @tannerlinsley if we can turn this cache off with a flag, or pass a custom getValue function?

[jonatan-zint-tfs]

Actually I just pushed an example where you would return a computed in the accessor function, as it can track on the row object it's actually reactive and usable. https://github.com/jonatan-zint-tfs/vue-tanstack-example/blob/c4df6fc8d5db96e2a1ba37caff859d0870e617bb/src/App.vue#L50C19-L50C19

However that's not really intuitive

[radusuciu]

Hello, circling back to this comment as this becomes a deal breaker for our project now.

I'd like to ask the maintainer @tannerlinsley whether this issue can be acknowleged. I'll try and get an approval to work on it in tanstack. I just like to have a prospect of this being merged into upstream. I'm suspecting I'll need some changes in the core module, not only the wrapper.

@tannerlinsley @KevinVandy could you please take a look at this issue and associated offer to help develop a patch (if it has a chance of being merged)? There are a few vue issues that I think are all related to this..

[jonatan-zint-tfs]

Sadly this issue seems to be completely disregarded - I guess we need to move forward using a fork

[9mm]

This may not be the right place for this but it looks related.....

I have a very large table and I'm literally just trying to update a single row within the table after the user uploads a file.

So far the only way I can trigger an update in the table is by redoing the http fetch data call, which changes the root reference and the entire table re-renders......

how do I just update a single row, or force a refresh of the data? This is insanely confusing for something so simple