Option levels

Check which configuration options take effect at the grid, column, and cell level.

Overview

You can write any option at any level. Handsontable resolves configuration through a prototype chain, so putting an option inside columns never throws an error.

Whether the option does anything is a different question. Each option is read at one specific level, and that read decides where the option takes effect:

• An option read from the grid settings ignores column and cell values.
• An option read from a column ignores cell values.
• An option read from a cell responds to every level.

The matrix below answers that for every built-in option, so you don’t have to guess.

Tip

This page tells you where each option takes effect. For how to set options at each level, including the syntax for your framework, see Setting options.

How to read the matrix

Each option lists the levels it takes effect at:

Level	Set it with
Grid	The top-level settings object
columns	The columns option
cells	The cells function
cell	The cell option

Two facts explain most of the matrix:

• There is no row level. Handsontable has no rows option and no row-level layer. You configure a row through the cells function, matching on the row coordinate - see Set row options.
• Plugin options are grid level. Every plugin reads its own setting from the grid settings, so you cannot switch a plugin on for one column or one cell. Some plugins still read per-cell options once they are on - comments is turned on for the grid, then a comment is attached to a single cell. A few plugins go further and let you override their sub-options per column, which is why columnSorting and multiColumnSorting are marked for columns too. You still turn them on for the whole grid; check the Notes column before assuming a plugin can be enabled per column.

Options matrix

Search for an option by name, or filter the list down to a single level.

Search options

Can be set at

Grid columns cells cell

Option	Grid	columns	cells	cell	Category	Notes
activeHeaderClassName	Yes	No	No	No	Core
allowEmpty	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
allowHtml	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
allowInsertColumn	Yes	No	No	No	Core
allowInsertRow	Yes	No	No	No	Core
allowInvalid	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
allowRemoveColumn	Yes	No	No	No	Core
allowRemoveRow	Yes	No	No	No	Core
ariaTags	Yes	No	No	No	Core	The switch is grid level. A per-cell value only changes that cell’s ARIA attributes.
autoColumnSize	Yes	No	No	No	AutoColumnSize
autoLink	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	AutoLink	The plugin toggle is grid level. A column or cell false opts out, and a column or cell object overrides target, schemes, strict, inline, and className for those cells.
autoRowHeaderSize	Yes	No	No	No	AutoRowHeaderSize
autoRowSize	Yes	No	No	No	AutoRowSize
autoWrapCol	Yes	No	No	No	Core
autoWrapRow	Yes	No	No	No	Core
bindRowsWithHeaders	Yes	No	No	No	BindRowsWithHeaders
cell	Yes	No	No	No	Core
cells	Yes	No	No	No	Core	A grid-level function that is called for every cell.
checkedTemplate	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
className	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
colHeaders	Yes	No	No	No	Core
collapsibleColumns	Yes	No	No	No	CollapsibleColumns
colorScheme	Yes	No	No	No	Core
columnHeaderHeight	Yes	No	No	No	Core
columns	Yes	No	No	No	Core
columnSorting	Yes	Yes	No	No	ColumnSorting	Turn the plugin on at the grid level. Inside columns you can override its sub-options for one column, such as indicator and headerAction, but not enable sorting there. sortFixedRows is the exception: it is grid-level only, because the frozen rows belong to the whole table. Read from the raw columns setting, like title.
columnSummary	Yes	No	No	No	ColumnSummary
colWidths	Yes	No	No	No	Core
commentedCellClassName	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
comments	Yes	No	No	No	Comments
contextMenu	Yes	No	No	No	ContextMenu
copyable	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
copyPaste	Yes	No	No	No	CopyPaste
currentColClassName	Yes	No	No	No	Core
currentHeaderClassName	Yes	No	No	No	Core
currentRowClassName	Yes	No	No	No	Core
customBorders	Yes	No	No	No	CustomBorders
customBordersProgressive	Yes	No	No	No	CustomBorders
data	Yes	Yes	No	No	Core	Sets the data set at the grid level and the column’s data property inside columns.
dataDotNotation	Yes	No	No	No	Core
dataProvider	Yes	No	No	No	Core
dataSchema	Yes	No	No	No	Core
dateFormat	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
dateTimeFormat	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
defaultDate	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
density	Yes	No	No	No	Core
dialog	Yes	No	No	No	Dialog
disableVisualSelection	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core	Row and column headers read the grid-level value only, and so does the check that gates dragging a selection with moveCells.
dragToScroll	Yes	No	No	No	DragToScroll
dropdownMenu	Yes	No	No	No	DropdownMenu
editor	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
emptyDataState	Yes	No	No	No	EmptyDataState
emptyValue	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
enterBeginsEditing	Yes	No	No	No	Core
enterCommits	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
enterMoves	Yes	No	No	No	Core
exportFile	Yes	No	No	No	ExportFile
fillHandle	Yes	No	No	No	Core
filter	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
filteringCaseSensitive	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
filters	Yes	Yes	No	No	Filters	Turn the plugin on at the grid level. Inside columns, only false has an effect: it hides the filter controls in that column’s dropdown menu, and the API still filters the column. The sub-options searchMode and filterFixedRows are grid-level only.
filterSelectedItems	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
filterValueComparator	Yes	Yes	No	No	Filters	Orders a column’s “Filter by value” list, which is built once per column. The comparator is read from the first listed row’s cell meta, so a cells or cell value is not a reliable way to set it. Set it at the grid level or inside columns.
fixedColumnsLeft	Yes	No	No	No	Core
fixedColumnsStart	Yes	No	No	No	Core
fixedRowsBottom	Yes	No	No	No	Core
fixedRowsTop	Yes	No	No	No	Core
formulas	Yes	No	No	No	Formulas
fragmentSelection	Yes	No	No	No	Core
hashLength	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
hashRevealDelay	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
hashSymbol	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
headerClassName	Yes	Yes	No	No	Core	Applies to column headers, so it stops at the column level.
height	Yes	No	No	No	Core
hiddenColumns	Yes	No	No	No	HiddenColumns
hiddenRows	Yes	No	No	No	HiddenRows
imeFastEdit	Yes	No	No	No	Core
importFile	Yes	No	No	No	ImportFile
initialState	Yes	No	No	No	Core
injectCoreCss	Yes	No	No	No	Core
invalidCellClassName	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
isEmptyCol	Yes	No	No	No	Core
isEmptyRow	Yes	No	No	No	Core
label	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
language	Yes	No	No	No	Core
layout	Yes	No	No	No	Core
layoutDirection	Yes	No	No	No	Core
licenseKey	Yes	No	No	No	Core
loading	Yes	No	No	No	Loading
locale	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
manualColumnFreeze	Yes	No	No	No	ManualColumnFreeze
manualColumnMove	Yes	No	No	No	ManualColumnMove
manualColumnResize	Yes	No	No	No	ManualColumnResize
manualRowMove	Yes	No	No	No	ManualRowMove
manualRowResize	Yes	No	No	No	ManualRowResize
maxCols	Yes	No	No	No	Core
maxRows	Yes	No	No	No	Core
maxSelections	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
mergeCells	Yes	No	No	No	MergeCells
minCols	Yes	No	No	No	Core
minRowHeights	Yes	No	No	No	Core
minRows	Yes	No	No	No	Core
minSpareCols	Yes	No	No	No	Core
minSpareRows	Yes	No	No	No	Core
moveCells	Yes	No	No	No	Core
multiColumnSorting	Yes	Yes	No	No	MultiColumnSorting	Turn the plugin on at the grid level. Inside columns you can override its sub-options for one column, such as indicator and headerAction, but not enable sorting there. sortFixedRows is the exception: it is grid-level only, because the frozen rows belong to the whole table. Read from the raw columns setting, like title.
navigableHeaders	Yes	No	No	No	Core
nestedHeaders	Yes	No	No	No	NestedHeaders
nestedRows	Yes	No	No	No	NestedRows
notification	Yes	No	No	No	Notification
noWordWrapClassName	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
numericFormat	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
observeDOMVisibility	Yes	No	No	No	Core
outsideClickDeselects	Yes	No	No	No	Core
pagination	Yes	No	No	No	Pagination
parsePastedValue	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	CopyPaste
placeholder	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
placeholderCellClassName	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
preserveNumericLiteral	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
preserveTextValue	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Formulas
preventOverflow	Yes	No	No	No	Core
readOnly	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
readOnlyCellClassName	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
renderAllColumns	Yes	No	No	No	Core
renderAllRows	Yes	No	No	No	Core
renderer	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
renderMode	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
rowHeaders	Yes	No	No	No	Core
rowHeaderWidth	Yes	No	No	No	Core
rowHeights	Yes	No	No	No	Core
sanitizer	Yes	No	No	No	Core
search	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Search	The plugin toggle is grid level. queryMethod and callback resolve per cell.
searchInput	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
selectionHandles	Yes	No	No	No	Core
selectionMode	Yes	No	No	No	Core
selectOptions	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
sheetsBar	Yes	No	No	No	SheetsBar
skipColumnOnPaste	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
skipRowOnPaste	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
sortByRelevance	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
source	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
sourceDataValidator	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
sourceDataWarningMessage	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
sourceSortFunction	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
startCols	Yes	No	No	No	Core
startRows	Yes	No	No	No	Core
stretchH	Yes	No	No	No	Core
strict	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
tableClassName	Yes	No	No	No	Core
tabMoves	Yes	No	No	No	Core
tabNavigation	Yes	No	No	No	Core
textEllipsis	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
textExtractor	Yes	No	No	No	Core
theme	Yes	No	No	No	Core
themeName	Yes	No	No	No	Core
timeFormat	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
title	No	Yes	No	No	Core	Read from the raw columns setting rather than the meta chain, so a cells function cannot set it.
trimDropdown	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
trimRows	Yes	No	No	No	TrimRows
trimWhitespace	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
type	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
uncheckedTemplate	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
undo	Yes	No	No	No	UndoRedo
validator	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
valueFormatter	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
valueGetter	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
valueParser	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
valueSetter	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
viewportColumnRenderingOffset	Yes	No	No	No	Core
viewportColumnRenderingThreshold	Yes	No	No	No	Core
viewportRowRenderingOffset	Yes	No	No	No	Core
viewportRowRenderingThreshold	Yes	No	No	No	Core
visibleRows	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core
width	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core	Sets the grid width at the grid level and the column width inside columns. Only row 0 is read, so a cells or cell value must target row 0.
wordWrap	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Core

Options that change meaning by level

Two options mean different things depending on where you set them. Handsontable clears them on the column layer on purpose, so the grid value never leaks into a column.

Option	At the grid level	Inside columns
width	The width of the whole grid	The width of that column
data	The grid’s data set	The property that feeds that column

width has one more catch. Handsontable reads the column width from row 0 only. So a cells function changes a column’s width only when it returns width for row 0, and a cell entry has to name row 0.

Options that behave differently per level

For these options a single mark would mislead you:

• ariaTags - the switch is grid level. A per-cell value only changes that cell’s ARIA attributes.
• search - the plugin toggle is grid level, but queryMethod and callback resolve per cell.
• disableVisualSelection - cells respond to every level, but row and column headers read the grid-level value only.

Related

Setting options→

Options API reference→

Binding to data→