Column resizing in EJ2 JavaScript Grid control

13 Apr 202324 minutes to read

Column width can be resized by clicking and dragging the right edge of the column header. While dragging, the width of the respective column will be resized immediately. Each column can be auto resized by double-clicking the right edge of the column header to fit the width of that column based on the widest cell content. To enable column resize, set the allowResizing property to true.

To use the column resize, inject Resize module in the grid.

index.js
index.html
ej.grids.Grid.Inject(ej.grids.Resize);
var grid = new ej.grids.Grid({
    dataSource: data,
    allowResizing: true,
    columns: [
        { field: 'OrderID', headerText: 'Order ID', textAlign: 'Right', width:150 },
        { field: 'CustomerID', headerText: 'Customer ID', width: 150 },
        { field: 'Freight', headerText: 'Freight', width: 150 },
        { field: 'ShipCity', headerText: 'Ship City', width: 150 },
        { field: 'ShipName', headerText: 'Ship Name', width: 150 },
        { field: 'ShipAddress', headerText: 'Ship Address', width: 150 },
        { field: 'ShipCountry', headerText: 'Ship Country', width: 150 },
        { field: 'ShipPostalCode', headerText: 'Ship Postal code', width: 150 }
    ],
    height: 315
});
grid.appendTo('#Grid');
<!DOCTYPE html><html lang="en"><head>
    <title>EJ2 Grid</title>
    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <meta name="description" content="Typescript Grid Control">
    <meta name="author" content="Syncfusion">
    <link href="index.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-base/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-grids/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-buttons/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-popups/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-navigations/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-dropdowns/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-lists/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-inputs/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-calendars/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    
    
    
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-splitbuttons/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    
    
    
    
<script src="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/dist/ej2.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script src="es5-datasource.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script src="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/syncfusion-helper.js" type ="text/javascript"></script>
</head>
<body>
   <script id="rowtemplate" type="text/x-template">
    <tr>
        <td class="photo">
            <img src="${EmployeeID}.png" alt="${EmployeeID}" />
        </td>
        <td class="details">
            <table class="CardTable" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="2">
                <colgroup>
                    <col width="50%">
                    <col width="50%">
                </colgroup>
                <tbody>
                    <tr>
                        <td class="CardHeader">First Name </td>
                        <td>${FirstName} </td>
                    </tr>
                    <tr>
                        <td class="CardHeader">Last Name</td>
                        <td>${LastName} </td>
                    </tr>
                    <tr>
                        <td class="CardHeader">Title
                        </td>

                        <td>${Title}
                        </td>
                    </tr>
                    <tr>
                        <td class="CardHeader">Country
                        </td>
                        <td>${Country}
                        </td>
                    </tr>
                </tbody>
            </table>
        </td>
     </tr>
    </script>
    
    <div id="container">
        <div id="Grid"></div>
    </div>

<script>
var ele = document.getElementById('container');
if(ele) {
  ele.style.visibility = "visible";
}   
      </script>
<script src="index.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
</body></html>

You can disable resizing for a particular column by setting the columns.allowResizing to false.

In RTL mode, you can click and drag the left edge of the header cell to resize the column.

Column resizing externally

To resize a column, set width to that particular column and then refresh the grid header by using the refreshHeader() method. Please refer the below code

var grid = document.getElementById('Grid').ej2_instances[0]; //Grid Instance

var columns = grid.columns;

columns[0].width = 150;

grid.refreshHeader();

Min and max width

Column resize can be restricted between minimum and maximum width by defining the columns->minWidth and columns->maxWidth.

In the following sample, minimum and maximum width are defined for OrderID, Ship Name, and Ship Country columns.

index.js
index.html
ej.grids.Grid.Inject(ej.grids.Resize);
var grid = new ej.grids.Grid({
    dataSource: data,
    allowResizing: true,
    columns: [
        { field: 'OrderID', headerText: 'Order ID', textAlign: 'Right', minWidth: 100, width: 150, maxWidth: 300 },
        { field: 'CustomerID', headerText: 'Customer ID', width: 150 },
        { field: 'Freight', headerText: 'Freight', width: 150 },
        { field: 'ShipCity', headerText: 'Ship City', width: 150 },
        { field: 'ShipName', headerText: 'Ship Name',  minWidth: 120, width: 150, maxWidth: 250  },
        { field: 'ShipAddress', headerText: 'Ship Address', width: 150 },
        { field: 'ShipCountry', headerText: 'Ship Country',  minWidth: 150, width: 200, maxWidth: 350  },
        { field: 'ShipPostalCode', headerText: 'Ship Postal code', width: 150 }
    ],
    height: 315
});
grid.appendTo('#Grid');
<!DOCTYPE html><html lang="en"><head>
    <title>EJ2 Grid</title>
    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <meta name="description" content="Typescript Grid Control">
    <meta name="author" content="Syncfusion">
    <link href="index.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-base/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-grids/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-buttons/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-popups/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-navigations/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-dropdowns/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-lists/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-inputs/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-calendars/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    
    
    
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-splitbuttons/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    
    
    
    
<script src="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/dist/ej2.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script src="es5-datasource.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script src="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/syncfusion-helper.js" type ="text/javascript"></script>
</head>
<body>
   <script id="rowtemplate" type="text/x-template">
    <tr>
        <td class="photo">
            <img src="${EmployeeID}.png" alt="${EmployeeID}" />
        </td>
        <td class="details">
            <table class="CardTable" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="2">
                <colgroup>
                    <col width="50%">
                    <col width="50%">
                </colgroup>
                <tbody>
                    <tr>
                        <td class="CardHeader">First Name </td>
                        <td>${FirstName} </td>
                    </tr>
                    <tr>
                        <td class="CardHeader">Last Name</td>
                        <td>${LastName} </td>
                    </tr>
                    <tr>
                        <td class="CardHeader">Title
                        </td>

                        <td>${Title}
                        </td>
                    </tr>
                    <tr>
                        <td class="CardHeader">Country
                        </td>
                        <td>${Country}
                        </td>
                    </tr>
                </tbody>
            </table>
        </td>
     </tr>
    </script>
    
    <div id="container">
        <div id="Grid"></div>
    </div>

<script>
var ele = document.getElementById('container');
if(ele) {
  ele.style.visibility = "visible";
}   
      </script>
<script src="index.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
</body></html>

The maxWidth and minWidth properties will be considered only when the user resizes the column. When resizing the window, these properties will not be considered. This is because columns cannot be re-rendered when resizing the window.

Resize stacked column

Stacked columns can be resized by clicking and dragging the right edge of the stacked column header. While dragging, the width of the respective child columns will be resized at the same time. You can disable resize for any particular stacked column by setting allowResizing as false to its columns.

In this example, we have disabled resize for Ship City column.

index.js
index.html
ej.grids.Grid.Inject(ej.grids.Resize);
var grid = new ej.grids.Grid({
    dataSource: data,
    allowResizing: true,
    columns: [
            { field: 'OrderID', headerText: 'Order ID', textAlign: 'Right', width: 100, minWidth: 10 },
            {
                headerText: 'Order Details', columns: [
                    { field: 'OrderDate', headerText: 'Order Date', textAlign: 'Right', width: 125, minWidth: 10, format: 'yMd' },
                    { field: 'Freight', headerText: 'Freight($)', textAlign: 'Right', width: 100, format: 'C2', minWidth: 10 },
                ]
            },
            {
                headerText: 'Ship Details', columns: [
                    { field: 'ShipCity', headerText: 'Ship City', width: 100, minWidth: 10, allowResizing: false },
                    { field: 'ShipCountry', headerText: 'Ship Country', width: 120, minWidth: 10 },
                ]
            }
        ]
});
grid.appendTo('#Grid');
<!DOCTYPE html><html lang="en"><head>
    <title>EJ2 Grid</title>
    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <meta name="description" content="Typescript Grid Control">
    <meta name="author" content="Syncfusion">
    <link href="index.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-base/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-grids/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-buttons/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-popups/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-navigations/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-dropdowns/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-lists/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-inputs/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-calendars/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    
    
    
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-splitbuttons/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    
    
    
    
<script src="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/dist/ej2.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script src="es5-datasource.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script src="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/syncfusion-helper.js" type ="text/javascript"></script>
</head>
<body>
   <script id="rowtemplate" type="text/x-template">
    <tr>
        <td class="photo">
            <img src="${EmployeeID}.png" alt="${EmployeeID}" />
        </td>
        <td class="details">
            <table class="CardTable" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="2">
                <colgroup>
                    <col width="50%">
                    <col width="50%">
                </colgroup>
                <tbody>
                    <tr>
                        <td class="CardHeader">First Name </td>
                        <td>${FirstName} </td>
                    </tr>
                    <tr>
                        <td class="CardHeader">Last Name</td>
                        <td>${LastName} </td>
                    </tr>
                    <tr>
                        <td class="CardHeader">Title
                        </td>

                        <td>${Title}
                        </td>
                    </tr>
                    <tr>
                        <td class="CardHeader">Country
                        </td>
                        <td>${Country}
                        </td>
                    </tr>
                </tbody>
            </table>
        </td>
     </tr>
    </script>
    
    <div id="container">
        <div id="Grid"></div>
    </div>

<script>
var ele = document.getElementById('container');
if(ele) {
  ele.style.visibility = "visible";
}   
      </script>
<script src="index.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
</body></html>

Touch interaction

When the right edge of the header cell is tapped, a floating handler will be visible over the right border of the column. To resize the column, tap and drag the floating handler as needed. You can autoFit a column by using the Column menu of the grid.

The following screenshot represents the column resizing in touch device.

Touch interaction image

Resizing events

During the resizing action, the grid component triggers the below three events.

The resizeStart event triggers when column resize starts.
The resizing event triggers when column header element is dragged (moved) continuously..
The resizeStop event triggers when column resize ends.

index.js
index.html
ej.grids.Grid.Inject(ej.grids.Resize);
var grid = new ej.grids.Grid({
    dataSource: data,
    allowResizing: true,
    columns: [
        { field: 'OrderID', headerText: 'Order ID', textAlign: 'Right', width:150 },
        { field: 'CustomerID', headerText: 'Customer ID', width: 150 },
        { field: 'Freight', headerText: 'Freight', width: 150 },
        { field: 'ShipCity', headerText: 'Ship City', width: 150 },
        { field: 'ShipName', headerText: 'Ship Name', width: 150 },
        { field: 'ShipAddress', headerText: 'Ship Address', width: 150 },
        { field: 'ShipCountry', headerText: 'Ship Country', width: 150 },
        { field: 'ShipPostalCode', headerText: 'Ship Postal code', width: 150 }
    ],
    resizeStart: function() {
            alert('ResizeStart event is Triggered');
        },
    resizing: function() {
            alert('Resizing event is Triggered');
        },
    resizeStop: function() {
            alert('ResizeStop event is Triggered');
        },
    height: 315
});
grid.appendTo('#Grid');
<!DOCTYPE html><html lang="en"><head>
    <title>EJ2 Grid</title>
    <meta charset="utf-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <meta name="description" content="Typescript Grid Control">
    <meta name="author" content="Syncfusion">
    <link href="index.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-base/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-grids/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-buttons/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-popups/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-navigations/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-dropdowns/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-lists/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-inputs/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-calendars/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    
    
    
    <link href="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/ej2-splitbuttons/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet">
    
    
    
    
<script src="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/23.1.36/dist/ej2.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script src="es5-datasource.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script src="https://cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/syncfusion-helper.js" type ="text/javascript"></script>
</head>
<body>
   <script id="rowtemplate" type="text/x-template">
    <tr>
        <td class="photo">
            <img src="${EmployeeID}.png" alt="${EmployeeID}" />
        </td>
        <td class="details">
            <table class="CardTable" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="2">
                <colgroup>
                    <col width="50%">
                    <col width="50%">
                </colgroup>
                <tbody>
                    <tr>
                        <td class="CardHeader">First Name </td>
                        <td>${FirstName} </td>
                    </tr>
                    <tr>
                        <td class="CardHeader">Last Name</td>
                        <td>${LastName} </td>
                    </tr>
                    <tr>
                        <td class="CardHeader">Title
                        </td>

                        <td>${Title}
                        </td>
                    </tr>
                    <tr>
                        <td class="CardHeader">Country
                        </td>
                        <td>${Country}
                        </td>
                    </tr>
                </tbody>
            </table>
        </td>
     </tr>
    </script>
    
    <div id="container">
        <div id="Grid"></div>
    </div>

<script>
var ele = document.getElementById('container');
if(ele) {
  ele.style.visibility = "visible";
}   
      </script>
<script src="index.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
</body></html>