We started working with some pretty big (in data volume) client. Around 4.000 projects with about 10 to 15 deliverables by project. Our software helps them plan/manage that.
US : Hey, so on this page we only display first 10, so it is fast and you can adjust using filters.
Client: No, I want to see all 4.000 projects on the same page
US : Well, for one year it will generate : 4000x10(deliverables)x12 editable fields. Your browser will crash. (No time to add virtual scroll)
Client: No, I want to see all 4.000 projects on the same page
US : Ok, here is pagination to help you.
Client: No, I want to see all 4.000 projects on the same page
US: …
Tomorrow is going to be fun.

(Late) welcome to Devrant!

Fyi, the 'devrant' category is for stuff related to the platform itself. For "regular" rants, you want to pick 'rant/story' :)

@endor Thanks ! too late for edit

@endor Ok. So I actually didn’t see the big red rant/story in the list. It’s too big, I assumed it was some useless description and only looked at 4 other choices, which are all same size.

@NoToJavaScript Lol, and to think they made that button bigger *specifically* to ensure that people picked the right category more easily.

And that's why I'll never work on UI stuff :D

Can you do the pagination that as you scroll down it loads more? Like in some forums it will load the other posts that are further down. That might be what they want.

@Demolishun Yep, already in place, but the end result is the same : They just scroll to the end, then scroll back, then they use browser "search".

We have quicksearch, we have filters. But nooo : ctrl+F ;p

@NoToJavaScript Fun(tm)

@irene Probably. I didn't realize it was a button. Usually these kinds of area contain description. Something like "Please choose well the category, it will help us improve search results and will be beneficial to everyone!”
So my eyes just ignored it. Like literally. I saw it when @endor told me there is a rant category. So I went back and actually looked at the thing

@NoToJavaScript I saw this years ago when it was new and exciting. Maybe it can help you. http://w2ui.com/web/blog/...

I suspect you could load the data into a front end database, create infinite scroll pagination which only renders X number of DOM elements at a time (pulled from the DB), and override control-f with your own search which queries that database to populate the table and make them about as happy as possible.

@NoToJavaScript on the control-f topic...just make that key combo focus on a search field for your table.

@Stebner55 WoW ! Nice article ! Now just need time try it out !.

Hmmmmmmm.

How about "just in time rendering", a.k.a lazy loading? just grab a huge json from the back end, and render only the visible part of it to screen. Allow searching in the json...

@magicMirror Yep, I call it “Virtual scroll”. Same idea. Doable. But too much time to implement it while we have a lot of other more pressing things to fix/upgrade

Think US and Client are never going to be on the same page...

Both of you are probably thinking: "No, you don't get it."
Instead of forcing your point on the other person, try asking what they actually want to accomplish, then work on that.

📍

Well, the client is the one who decides, you are in charge on showing him the pros and cons of each possible approach.

Make a UI demo with the 4k projects and let him be disappointed, in case he wants to proceed this way, create a document indicating on very deep details the requirement, the constraints and implications, once the client sign in, save it on the most secure place you can think of.

When the concerns and problem arise (believe me, they will), you have the probe of everything you did to prevent this catastrophe.

- Client in the future - ok ok, let's paginate and all that

- you - Sure, but that is outside the scope we agreed upon and has to be considered as a new requirement(and of course an extra cost).

You see?
You're training the client and getting profit from it, so, next time they will trust you even more.