typescript

name	typescript
description	Preserve TanStack Table v9 inference with createColumnHelper, columns(), tableOptions, tableFeatures, and metaHelper. Load for ColumnDef errors, reusable tables, typed meta, named registries, or unnecessary manual feature generics.
metadata	{"type":"sub-skill","library":"@tanstack/table-core","library_version":"9.2.4"}
requires	["core","table-features"]
sources	["TanStack/table:docs/guide/helpers.md","TanStack/table:docs/guide/column-defs.md","TanStack/table:docs/guide/table-and-column-meta.md","TanStack/table:packages/table-core/src/helpers"]

This skill builds on core and table-features. Let the feature object and helpers carry types through userland.

Setup

import {
  createColumnHelper,
  metaHelper,
  tableFeatures,
} from '@tanstack/table-core'

type Person = { id: string; age: number }
type ColumnMeta = { align?: 'start' | 'end' }
const features = tableFeatures({ columnMeta: metaHelper<ColumnMeta>() })
const helper = createColumnHelper<typeof features, Person>()
export const columns = helper.columns([
  helper.accessor('age', { meta: { align: 'end' } }),
])

Core Patterns

Preserve heterogeneous accessor values

const columns = helper.columns([
  helper.accessor('id', { header: 'ID' }),
  helper.accessor('age', { header: 'Age' }),
])

columns() preserves each accessor's TValue instead of widening the array.

Compose options through the helper

const defaults = tableOptions<typeof features, Person>({
  defaultColumn: { meta: { align: 'start' } },
})

Use tableOptions for reusable fragments; direct adapter options are enough for one-offs.

Common Mistakes

[HIGH] Erasing accessor value inference

Wrong:

const columns: ColumnDef<typeof features, Person, unknown>[] = [
  helper.accessor('age', {}),
]

Correct:

const columns = helper.columns([helper.accessor('age', {})])

The broad annotation discards the accessor-specific number value type.

Source: docs/guide/helpers.md#createcolumnhelper

[MEDIUM] Threading internal feature generics manually

Wrong:

type Features = TableFeatures

Correct:

type Features = typeof features

The concrete registry is the source of feature-gated APIs and registry keys.

Source: packages/table-core/src/types/TableFeatures.ts

[MEDIUM] Globally merging per-table meta

Wrong:

declare module '@tanstack/table-core' {
  interface ColumnMeta<TData, TValue> {
    align?: string
  }
}

Correct:

const features = tableFeatures({
  columnMeta: metaHelper<{ align?: 'start' | 'end' }>(),
})

V9 type-only feature slots keep meta types scoped to the table factory.

Source: docs/guide/table-and-column-meta.md

API Discovery

Inspect node_modules/@tanstack/table-core/dist/helpers/ and the signatures re-exported by dist/index.d.ts; avoid copying deep internal generic signatures into application code.