Checkbox cell type

Create interactive elements that can be checked or unchecked, by using the checkbox cell type.

Overview

Data in these cells will be rendered as a checkbox and you can easily change it by checking/unchecking the checkbox.

To check the box, use the mouse or press Space or Enter.

To uncheck the box, use the mouse or press Space, Enter, Delete or Backspace.

You can change the state of multiple cells at once by selecting the cells you want to change and pressing Space.

Checkbox true/false values

This is the default usage scenario where column data has a true or false value, and we only want to display checkboxes.

1
import Handsontable from 'handsontable/base';
2
import { registerAllModules } from 'handsontable/registry';
3

4
// Register all Handsontable's modules.
5
registerAllModules();
6

7
const container = document.querySelector('#example1');
8

9
new Handsontable(container, {
10
  data: [
11
    { car: 'Mercedes A 160', year: 2017, available: true, comesInBlack: 'yes' },
12
    {
13
      car: 'Citroen C4 Coupe',
14
      year: 2018,
15
      available: false,
16
      comesInBlack: 'yes',
17
    },
18
    { car: 'Audi A4 Avant', year: 2019, available: true, comesInBlack: 'no' },
19
    { car: 'Opel Astra', year: 2020, available: false, comesInBlack: 'yes' },
20
    { car: 'BMW 320i Coupe', year: 2021, available: false, comesInBlack: 'no' },
21
  ],
22
  colHeaders: ['Car model', 'Year of manufacture', 'Available'],
23
  height: 'auto',
24
  columns: [
25
    {
26
      data: 'car',
27
    },
28
    {
29
      data: 'year',
30
      type: 'numeric',
31
    },
32
    {
33
      data: 'available',
34
      type: 'checkbox',
35
    },
36
  ],
37
  autoWrapRow: true,
38
  autoWrapCol: true,
39
  licenseKey: 'non-commercial-and-evaluation',
40
});

1
import Handsontable from 'handsontable/base';
2
import { registerAllModules } from 'handsontable/registry';
3

4
// Register all Handsontable's modules.
5
registerAllModules();
6

7
const container = document.querySelector('#example1')!;
8

9
new Handsontable(container, {
10
  data: [
11
    { car: 'Mercedes A 160', year: 2017, available: true, comesInBlack: 'yes' },
12
    {
13
      car: 'Citroen C4 Coupe',
14
      year: 2018,
15
      available: false,
16
      comesInBlack: 'yes',
17
    },
18
    { car: 'Audi A4 Avant', year: 2019, available: true, comesInBlack: 'no' },
19
    { car: 'Opel Astra', year: 2020, available: false, comesInBlack: 'yes' },
20
    { car: 'BMW 320i Coupe', year: 2021, available: false, comesInBlack: 'no' },
21
  ],
22
  colHeaders: ['Car model', 'Year of manufacture', 'Available'],
23
  height: 'auto',
24
  columns: [
25
    {
26
      data: 'car',
27
    },
28
    {
29
      data: 'year',
30
      type: 'numeric',
31
    },
32
    {
33
      data: 'available',
34
      type: 'checkbox',
35
    },
36
  ],
37
  autoWrapRow: true,
38
  autoWrapCol: true,
39
  licenseKey: 'non-commercial-and-evaluation',
40
});

Checkbox template

If you want to use values other than true and false, you have to provide this information using checkedTemplate and uncheckedTemplate. Handsontable will then update your data using the appropriate template.

1
import Handsontable from 'handsontable/base';
2
import { registerAllModules } from 'handsontable/registry';
3

4
// Register all Handsontable's modules.
5
registerAllModules();
6

7
const container = document.querySelector('#example2');
8

9
new Handsontable(container, {
10
  data: [
11
    { car: 'Mercedes A 160', year: 2017, available: true, comesInBlack: 'yes' },
12
    {
13
      car: 'Citroen C4 Coupe',
14
      year: 2018,
15
      available: false,
16
      comesInBlack: 'yes',
17
    },
18
    { car: 'Audi A4 Avant', year: 2019, available: true, comesInBlack: 'no' },
19
    { car: 'Opel Astra', year: 2020, available: false, comesInBlack: 'yes' },
20
    { car: 'BMW 320i Coupe', year: 2021, available: false, comesInBlack: 'no' },
21
  ],
22
  colHeaders: ['Car model', 'Year of manufacture', 'Comes in black'],
23
  height: 'auto',
24
  columns: [
25
    {
26
      data: 'car',
27
    },
28
    {
29
      data: 'year',
30
      type: 'numeric',
31
    },
32
    {
33
      data: 'comesInBlack',
34
      type: 'checkbox',
35
      checkedTemplate: 'yes',
36
      uncheckedTemplate: 'no',
37
    },
38
  ],
39
  autoWrapRow: true,
40
  autoWrapCol: true,
41
  licenseKey: 'non-commercial-and-evaluation',
42
});

1
import Handsontable from 'handsontable/base';
2
import { registerAllModules } from 'handsontable/registry';
3

4
// Register all Handsontable's modules.
5
registerAllModules();
6

7
const container = document.querySelector('#example2')!;
8

9
new Handsontable(container, {
10
  data: [
11
    { car: 'Mercedes A 160', year: 2017, available: true, comesInBlack: 'yes' },
12
    {
13
      car: 'Citroen C4 Coupe',
14
      year: 2018,
15
      available: false,
16
      comesInBlack: 'yes',
17
    },
18
    { car: 'Audi A4 Avant', year: 2019, available: true, comesInBlack: 'no' },
19
    { car: 'Opel Astra', year: 2020, available: false, comesInBlack: 'yes' },
20
    { car: 'BMW 320i Coupe', year: 2021, available: false, comesInBlack: 'no' },
21
  ],
22
  colHeaders: ['Car model', 'Year of manufacture', 'Comes in black'],
23
  height: 'auto',
24
  columns: [
25
    {
26
      data: 'car',
27
    },
28
    {
29
      data: 'year',
30
      type: 'numeric',
31
    },
32
    {
33
      data: 'comesInBlack',
34
      type: 'checkbox',
35
      checkedTemplate: 'yes',
36
      uncheckedTemplate: 'no',
37
    },
38
  ],
39
  autoWrapRow: true,
40
  autoWrapCol: true,
41
  licenseKey: 'non-commercial-and-evaluation',
42
});

Checkbox labels

To add a label to the checkbox, use the label option. You can declare where the label will be injected with this option - either before or after the checkbox element. You can also declare from which data source the label text will be updated.

1
import Handsontable from 'handsontable/base';
2
import { registerAllModules } from 'handsontable/registry';
3

4
// Register all Handsontable's modules.
5
registerAllModules();
6

7
const container = document.querySelector('#example3');
8

9
new Handsontable(container, {
10
  data: [
11
    { car: 'Mercedes A 160', year: 2017, available: true, comesInBlack: 'yes' },
12
    {
13
      car: 'Citroen C4 Coupe',
14
      year: 2018,
15
      available: false,
16
      comesInBlack: 'yes',
17
    },
18
    { car: 'Audi A4 Avant', year: 2019, available: true, comesInBlack: 'no' },
19
    { car: 'Opel Astra', year: 2020, available: false, comesInBlack: 'yes' },
20
    { car: 'BMW 320i Coupe', year: 2021, available: false, comesInBlack: 'no' },
21
  ],
22
  colHeaders: ['Car model', 'Accepted', 'Comes in black'],
23
  height: 'auto',
24
  columns: [
25
    {
26
      data: 'car',
27
    },
28
    {
29
      data: 'available',
30
      type: 'checkbox',
31
      label: {
32
        position: 'after',
33
        property: 'car', // Read value from row object
34
      },
35
    },
36
    {
37
      data: 'comesInBlack',
38
      type: 'checkbox',
39
      checkedTemplate: 'yes',
40
      uncheckedTemplate: 'no',
41
      label: {
42
        position: 'before',
43
        value: 'In black? ',
44
      },
45
    },
46
  ],
47
  autoWrapRow: true,
48
  autoWrapCol: true,
49
  licenseKey: 'non-commercial-and-evaluation',
50
});

1
import Handsontable from 'handsontable/base';
2
import { registerAllModules } from 'handsontable/registry';
3

4
// Register all Handsontable's modules.
5
registerAllModules();
6

7
const container = document.querySelector('#example3')!;
8

9
new Handsontable(container!, {
10
  data: [
11
    { car: 'Mercedes A 160', year: 2017, available: true, comesInBlack: 'yes' },
12
    {
13
      car: 'Citroen C4 Coupe',
14
      year: 2018,
15
      available: false,
16
      comesInBlack: 'yes',
17
    },
18
    { car: 'Audi A4 Avant', year: 2019, available: true, comesInBlack: 'no' },
19
    { car: 'Opel Astra', year: 2020, available: false, comesInBlack: 'yes' },
20
    { car: 'BMW 320i Coupe', year: 2021, available: false, comesInBlack: 'no' },
21
  ],
22
  colHeaders: ['Car model', 'Accepted', 'Comes in black'],
23
  height: 'auto',
24
  columns: [
25
    {
26
      data: 'car',
27
    },
28
    {
29
      data: 'available',
30
      type: 'checkbox',
31
      label: {
32
        position: 'after',
33
        property: 'car', // Read value from row object
34
      },
35
    },
36
    {
37
      data: 'comesInBlack',
38
      type: 'checkbox',
39
      checkedTemplate: 'yes',
40
      uncheckedTemplate: 'no',
41
      label: {
42
        position: 'before',
43
        value: 'In black? ',
44
      },
45
    },
46
  ],
47
  autoWrapRow: true,
48
  autoWrapCol: true,
49
  licenseKey: 'non-commercial-and-evaluation',
50
});

Label value as a function

The value property of the label option can also be a function. The function receives four arguments: row, column, prop, and value, where value is the current cell value. This lets you generate label text dynamically based on the cell’s state.

1
import Handsontable from 'handsontable/base';
2
import { registerAllModules } from 'handsontable/registry';
3

4
// Register all Handsontable's modules.
5
registerAllModules();
6

7
const container = document.querySelector('#example4');
8

9
new Handsontable(container, {
10
  data: [
11
    { car: 'Mercedes A 160', year: 2017, comesInBlack: 'yes' },
12
    { car: 'Citroen C4 Coupe', year: 2018, comesInBlack: 'yes' },
13
    { car: 'Audi A4 Avant', year: 2019, comesInBlack: 'no' },
14
    { car: 'Opel Astra', year: 2020, comesInBlack: 'yes' },
15
    { car: 'BMW 320i Coupe', year: 2021, comesInBlack: 'no' },
16
  ],
17
  colHeaders: ['Car model', 'Year', 'Comes in black'],
18
  height: 'auto',
19
  columns: [
20
    {
21
      data: 'car',
22
    },
23
    {
24
      data: 'year',
25
    },
26
    {
27
      data: 'comesInBlack',
28
      type: 'checkbox',
29
      checkedTemplate: 'yes',
30
      uncheckedTemplate: 'no',
31
      label: {
32
        position: 'after',
33
        value(row, column, prop, value) {
34
          if (value === 'yes') {
35
            return 'In black';
36
          } else {
37
            return 'Not in black';
38
          }
39
        },
40
      },
41
    },
42
  ],
43
  autoWrapRow: true,
44
  autoWrapCol: true,
45
  licenseKey: 'non-commercial-and-evaluation',
46
});

1
import Handsontable from 'handsontable/base';
2
import { registerAllModules } from 'handsontable/registry';
3

4
// Register all Handsontable's modules.
5
registerAllModules();
6

7
const container = document.querySelector('#example4')!;
8

9
new Handsontable(container, {
10
  data: [
11
    { car: 'Mercedes A 160', year: 2017, comesInBlack: 'yes' },
12
    { car: 'Citroen C4 Coupe', year: 2018, comesInBlack: 'yes' },
13
    { car: 'Audi A4 Avant', year: 2019, comesInBlack: 'no' },
14
    { car: 'Opel Astra', year: 2020, comesInBlack: 'yes' },
15
    { car: 'BMW 320i Coupe', year: 2021, comesInBlack: 'no' },
16
  ],
17
  colHeaders: ['Car model', 'Year', 'Comes in black'],
18
  height: 'auto',
19
  columns: [
20
    {
21
      data: 'car',
22
    },
23
    {
24
      data: 'year',
25
    },
26
    {
27
      data: 'comesInBlack',
28
      type: 'checkbox',
29
      checkedTemplate: 'yes',
30
      uncheckedTemplate: 'no',
31
      label: {
32
        position: 'after',
33
        value(row: number, column: number, prop: string | number, value: string) {
34
          if (value === 'yes') {
35
            return 'In black';
36
          } else {
37
            return 'Not in black';
38
          }
39
        },
40
      },
41
    },
42
  ],
43
  autoWrapRow: true,
44
  autoWrapCol: true,
45
  licenseKey: 'non-commercial-and-evaluation',
46
});

Windows	macOS	Action	Excel	Sheets
`Space`	`Space`	Check or uncheck the checkbox	✗	✓
`Enter`	`Enter`	Check or uncheck the checkbox	✗	✓
`Delete`	`Delete`	Uncheck the checkbox	✗	✓
`Backspace`	`Backspace`	Uncheck the checkbox	✗	✓