lit-getting-started

name	lit/getting-started
description	End-to-end first-table journey for `@tanstack/lit-table` v9: install the adapter (plus required `lit` and `@lit/context` peers), declare `_features` via `tableFeatures()`, declare `_rowModels` with their factories, build a typed column helper, construct one `TableController` per LitElement host, call `.table(options, selector?)` inside `render()`, and render with `FlexRender({ cell|header|footer })`. Routing keywords: install lit-table, first table, getting started, TableController, basic-table-controller, tableFeatures.
type	lifecycle
library	tanstack-table
framework	lit
library_version	9.0.0-alpha.48
requires	["setup","column-definitions","state-management","lit/table-state"]
sources	["TanStack/table:docs/installation.md","TanStack/table:docs/framework/lit/lit-table.md","TanStack/table:examples/lit/basic-table-controller/src/main.ts","TanStack/table:packages/lit-table/src/TableController.ts"]

Maintainer note: the Lit adapter is scheduled for a rewrite alongside TanStack Lit Store during the v9 beta cycle. APIs in this skill may change in a future beta. The patterns below match 9.0.0-alpha.48.

This skill walks through a first working Lit v9 table end-to-end. Read tanstack-table/setup and tanstack-table/state-management for v9 core concepts and tanstack-table/lit/lit-table-controller for the controller lifecycle.

Install

@tanstack/lit-table is the Lit adapter. It depends on @tanstack/table-core and @tanstack/store, and lists lit and @lit/context as peer dependencies.

npm install @tanstack/lit-table lit @lit/context

Peer dependency versions: lit ^3.1.3, @lit/context ^1.1.0.

Source: packages/lit-table/package.json.

Step 1 — Declare _features

v9 is explicit about what a table uses. Use tableFeatures({...}) at module scope. The TypeScript shape drives state inference, API surface, and tree-shaking.

import {
  tableFeatures,
  rowPaginationFeature,
  rowSortingFeature,
} from '@tanstack/lit-table'

const _features = tableFeatures({
  rowPaginationFeature,
  rowSortingFeature,
})

If _features does not include rowSelectionFeature, then table.atoms.rowSelection, table.setRowSelection, etc. become TypeScript errors — and the runtime won't ship that logic. Pass tableFeatures({}) for a minimum-overhead table with just the core row model.

Source: docs/framework/lit/lit-table.md; docs/guide/features.md.

Step 2 — Declare _rowModels

Each registered feature that needs a row-model stage maps to a factory under _rowModels. The factory takes a record of *Fns for that stage.

import {
  createPaginatedRowModel,
  createSortedRowModel,
  sortFns,
} from '@tanstack/lit-table'

const _rowModels = {
  paginatedRowModel: createPaginatedRowModel(),
  sortedRowModel: createSortedRowModel(sortFns),
}

The core row model is always included — _rowModels: {} is valid for a feature-free table.

Step 3 — Type your data and build columns

import type { ColumnDef } from '@tanstack/lit-table'
import { html } from 'lit'

type Person = {
  firstName: string
  lastName: string
  age: number
  visits: number
  status: string
  progress: number
}

const columns: Array<ColumnDef<typeof _features, Person>> = [
  {
    accessorKey: 'firstName',
    header: 'First Name',
    cell: (info) => info.getValue(),
  },
  {
    accessorFn: (row) => row.lastName,
    id: 'lastName',
    header: () => html`<span>Last Name</span>`,
    cell: (info) => html`<i>${info.getValue<string>()}</i>`,
  },
  {
    accessorKey: 'age',
    header: () => 'Age',
    cell: (info) => info.renderValue(),
  },
  { accessorKey: 'visits', header: () => html`<span>Visits</span>` },
  { accessorKey: 'status', header: 'Status' },
  { accessorKey: 'progress', header: 'Profile Progress' },
]

For a more type-safe path, use createColumnHelper<typeof _features, Person>().

Source: examples/lit/basic-table-controller/src/main.ts.

Step 4 — Build the LitElement host with TableController

import { LitElement, html } from 'lit'
import { customElement, state } from 'lit/decorators.js'
import { repeat } from 'lit/directives/repeat.js'
import { FlexRender, TableController } from '@tanstack/lit-table'

@customElement('lit-table-example')
class LitTableExample extends LitElement {
  // ONE controller per host. Constructed as a class field so the constructor's
  // `host.addController(this)` call happens once.
  private tableController = new TableController<typeof _features, Person>(this)

  @state()
  private data: Person[] = makeData(20)

  private rerender() {
    this.data = makeData(20)
  }

  protected render() {
    // Build the table for THIS render pass.
    // First call constructs the core table + subscribes the host to table.store.
    // Later calls merge options into the same instance.
    const table = this.tableController.table(
      {
        _features,
        _rowModels,
        columns,
        data: this.data,
      },
      () => ({}), // empty selector — we don't need to project state for this minimal example
    )

    return html`
      <button @click=${() => this.rerender()}>Rerender</button>
      <table>
        <thead>
          ${repeat(
            table.getHeaderGroups(),
            (hg) => hg.id,
            (hg) => html`
              <tr>
                ${repeat(
                  hg.headers,
                  (h) => h.id,
                  (h) => html`
                    <th @click=${h.column.getToggleSortingHandler()}>
                      ${h.isPlaceholder ? null : FlexRender({ header: h })}
                    </th>
                  `,
                )}
              </tr>
            `,
          )}
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          ${repeat(
            table.getRowModel().rows,
            (r) => r.id,
            (row) => html`
              <tr>
                ${repeat(
                  row.getAllCells(),
                  (c) => c.id,
                  (cell) => html` <td>${FlexRender({ cell })}</td> `,
                )}
              </tr>
            `,
          )}
        </tbody>
        <tfoot>
          ${repeat(
            table.getFooterGroups(),
            (fg) => fg.id,
            (fg) => html`
              <tr>
                ${repeat(
                  fg.headers,
                  (h) => h.id,
                  (h) => html`
                    <th>
                      ${h.isPlaceholder ? null : FlexRender({ footer: h })}
                    </th>
                  `,
                )}
              </tr>
            `,
          )}
        </tfoot>
      </table>
    `
  }
}

Source: examples/lit/basic-table-controller/src/main.ts (lines 53–162).

Step 5 — Drive features with feature APIs

<button @click=${() => table.setPageIndex(0)} ?disabled=${!table.getCanPreviousPage()}>First</button>
<button @click=${() => table.nextPage()}      ?disabled=${!table.getCanNextPage()}>Next</button>

For starting values, use initialState. For controlled slices, use atoms or state + on*Change — see tanstack-table/lit/table-state.

Common Mistakes

CRITICAL new TableController(this) inside render()

Wrong:

protected render() {
  const controller = new TableController<typeof _features, Person>(this) // every frame
  const table = controller.table({ /* … */ })
}

Correct:

private tableController = new TableController<typeof _features, Person>(this) // once per host

A new controller per render registers a new subscription and resets table state every frame. Source: packages/lit-table/src/TableController.ts.

CRITICAL Calling a feature API when the feature is not in _features

Wrong:

const _features = tableFeatures({}) // no rowPaginationFeature
const table = this.tableController.table({
  _features,
  _rowModels: {},
  columns,
  data: this.data,
})
table.setPageIndex(0) // TypeScript error AND runtime no-op

Correct:

const _features = tableFeatures({ rowPaginationFeature })
const table = this.tableController.table({
  _features,
  _rowModels: { paginatedRowModel: createPaginatedRowModel() },
  columns,
  data: this.data,
})

v9 generates feature APIs and state slices only for registered features. #1 v9 trap. Source: docs/guide/features.md.

HIGH Forgetting the matching row-model factory

Wrong:

const _features = tableFeatures({ rowSortingFeature })
const table = this.tableController.table({ _features, _rowModels: {} /* … */ })
table.setSorting([{ id: 'age', desc: true }])
// rows are NOT sorted — no sortedRowModel registered

Correct:

const _features = tableFeatures({ rowSortingFeature })
const table = this.tableController.table({
  _features,
  _rowModels: { sortedRowModel: createSortedRowModel(sortFns) },
  /* … */
})

HIGH Building _features / columns / data inside render()

Wrong: re-creating these every frame busts internal memos.

Correct: _features and columns at module scope; data from a @state() field on the element. Source: docs/framework/lit/guide/table-state.md (FAQ #1).

HIGH Reimplementing built-in feature logic

Wrong: hand-rolled sorting / filtering / pagination outside the table.

Correct: register the feature + factory and use feature APIs. v9 ships built-ins for sorting, filtering, pagination, grouping, expanding, faceting, row selection, column visibility/order/pinning/sizing, and row pinning. Source: docs/guide/features.md.

MEDIUM Using v8 hook names (useReactTable, getCoreRowModel, flexRender(def, ctx))

Wrong: v8 imports from a Lit context.

Correct: @tanstack/lit-table exposes TableController + FlexRender({ cell | header | footer }). There is no useReactTable here. See tanstack-table/lit/migrate-v8-to-v9.

See Also

• tanstack-table/lit/table-state — atoms, Subscribe, createTableHook.
• tanstack-table/lit/lit-table-controller — controller lifecycle in depth.
• tanstack-table/lit/migrate-v8-to-v9 — moving an existing v8 codebase over.