feat(tables): preview referenced rows inline

[j15z]

Summary

Reference cells display the target table name and open the referenced row inline. The preview now fetches its schema and row only when opened, and shows a spinner until both are ready, so the table avoids eager schema prefetch without flashing placeholder content.

• Clicking another Reference cell updates the open preview directly.
• A lightweight name-only query keeps chip labels available without loading every referenced schema.
• Reference integrity is preserved through table/workspace copying, cascading archive and restore, and row mutations.
• The global Reference flag from feat(tables): add reference columns #7105 disables the chips, queries, and preview UI together.
• This PR builds on the Reference column foundation in feat(tables): add reference columns #7105.

Type of Change

• New feature

Testing

• bun run --cwd apps/sim type-check
• 14 focused preview, query, copy, cascade, and table-service test files: 267 passing tests
• Biome check on all 38 changed TypeScript/TSX files
• bun run check:api-validation:strict
• bun run check:audits (45 audits, including OpenAPI and React Query checks)

Checklist

• Code follows project style guidelines
• Self-reviewed my changes
• Tests added or updated and passing
• No new warnings introduced
• I confirm that I have read and agree to the terms outlined in the Contributor License Agreement (CLA)

Post-Deploy Monitoring & Validation

• No user-visible runtime change is expected while TABLE_REFERENCE_COLUMNS is disabled.
• After enabling it, watch the table-name, table-detail, and row-detail request error rates and latency during the first 24 hours.
• Healthy signals: one lightweight name request on table load, detail and row requests only after a Reference cell is opened, and a populated preview after the loading spinner.
• Failure signals: repeated fetches, incorrect table names, stuck spinners, stale schemas or rows, or broken archive/restore behavior. Disable TABLE_REFERENCE_COLUMNS first; roll back feat(tables): preview referenced rows inline #7106 if errors continue.
• Validation owner: Tables team during the first 24 hours after flag enablement.

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1 Skipped Deployment

Project	Deployment	Actions	Updated
docs	Skipped		Sep 3, 2026 6:39pm UTC

[greptile-apps]

Greptile Summary

The PR adds feature-flagged inline previews for referenced table rows while preserving reference integrity across table lifecycle and workspace-copy operations.

• Adds lightweight table-name and on-demand schema/row queries for reference chips and previews.
• Adds reference-aware copy, remapping, archive, restore, and row-mutation behavior.
• Adds focused coverage for preview rendering, cache behavior, API contracts, copying, and lifecycle guards.

Confidence Score: 5/5

The PR appears safe to merge.

No blocking failure remains.

Important Files Changed

Filename	Overview
apps/sim/hooks/queries/tables.ts	Adds lightweight table-name loading, on-demand reference previews, and targeted invalidation after local row mutations.
apps/sim/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/tables/[tableId]/components/table-grid/reference-row-preview.tsx	Implements the loading, error, missing-row, and ready states for the inline referenced-row preview.
apps/sim/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/tables/[tableId]/components/table-grid/table-grid.tsx	Integrates reference selection, preview query state, and virtualized preview-row rendering into the table grid.
apps/sim/ee/workspace-forking/lib/copy/copy-resources.ts	Copies referenced-table dependencies transitively and deterministically remaps copied table and row identities.
apps/sim/lib/table/service.ts	Adds lightweight table-name reads and reference-integrity checks around table archive and restore operations.
apps/sim/lib/table/column-types/registry.server.ts	Centralizes reference discovery, remapping, validation, and deletion-blocker detection in the server column registry.

Sequence Diagram

sequenceDiagram
  participant User
  participant Grid as Table grid
  participant Names as Table names query
  participant Preview as Reference preview query
  participant API as Table API
  User->>Grid: Open table
  Grid->>Names: Load lightweight table labels
  Names->>API: GET /api/table/names
  API-->>Names: Table IDs and names
  User->>Grid: Click reference cell
  Grid->>Preview: Request referenced schema and row
  Preview->>API: Fetch table detail and row detail
  API-->>Preview: Schema and referenced row
  Preview-->>User: Render inline preview

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_{Reviews (2): Last reviewed commit: "feat(tables): preview referenced rows in..." | Re-trigger Greptile}

[cubic-dev-ai]

1 issue found and verified against the latest diff

Confidence score: 4/5

• In cell-render.tsx, double-clicking a reference chip can also trigger the cell’s inline edit mode after opening the preview, creating conflicting interactions; stop dblclick propagation on the chip to match URL cell behavior.

Prompt for AI agents (unresolved issues)

Check if these issues are valid — if so, understand the root cause of each and fix them. If appropriate, use sub-agents to investigate and fix each issue separately.


<file name="apps/sim/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/tables/[tableId]/components/table-grid/cells/cell-render.tsx">

<violation number="1" location="apps/sim/app/workspace/[workspaceId]/tables/[tableId]/components/table-grid/cells/cell-render.tsx:409">
P2: Double-clicking a reference chip still bubbles `dblclick` to the cell, so opening the preview can also enter inline edit mode. Stop double-click propagation on the chip, matching the URL cell behavior.</violation>
</file>

<sub>Reply with feedback, questions, or to request a fix.

Re-trigger cubic</sub>

[j15z]

@greptile

[j15z]

@cubic-dev-ai review this PR

[cubic-dev-ai]

@cubic-dev-ai review this PR

@j15z I have started the AI code review. It will take a few minutes to complete.

[cubic-dev-ai]

3 issues found across 38 files

Confidence score: 2/5

• apps/sim/lib/folders/config.ts can leave cyclically referenced tables unarchivable: archiveTableChildren deletes siblings one at a time, so an active sibling blocks deleteTable. Make archive handling account for the full reference group before deleting tables.
• apps/sim/hooks/queries/tables.ts can show an outdated reference preview because staleTime: Infinity preserves the mounted { table, row } snapshot after target schema/name mutations. Invalidate these previews or derive the schema and name from the invalidated source.
• apps/sim/hooks/queries/utils/table-keys.ts causes row creates, deletes, and imports to refetch the table-names endpoint when reference columns are enabled, adding unnecessary network work. Separate the names invalidation key from the broader lists prefix.

Prompt for AI agents (unresolved issues)

Check if these issues are valid — if so, understand the root cause of each and fix them. If appropriate, use sub-agents to investigate and fix each issue separately.


<file name="apps/sim/lib/folders/config.ts">

<violation number="1" location="apps/sim/lib/folders/config.ts:394">
P1: When tables in the folder reference each other, this guard returns `null`, but `archiveTableChildren` deletes them one at a time. The still-active sibling then blocks `deleteTable`, so cycles can never be archived and other orders can fail after partial progress. Pass the full archive cohort into each reference check or archive the cohort atomically.</violation>
</file>

<file name="apps/sim/hooks/queries/utils/table-keys.ts">

<violation number="1" location="apps/sim/hooks/queries/utils/table-keys.ts:23">
P2: When reference columns are enabled, row creates, deletes, and imports refetch the table-names endpoint because `names` shares the `lists` invalidation prefix, even though those mutations cannot change table names. Put names under a separate key root and invalidate that key only from table create/rename/delete/archive operations.</violation>
</file>

<file name="apps/sim/hooks/queries/tables.ts">

<violation number="1" location="apps/sim/hooks/queries/tables.ts:403">
P2: While this preview is mounted, `staleTime: Infinity` keeps its `{ table, row }` snapshot unchanged. Invalidate reference previews for target schema/name mutations, or derive the preview schema and name from the invalidated detail cache.</violation>
</file>

_{Fix all with cubic | Re-trigger cubic}

[cubic-dev-ai]

P1: When tables in the folder reference each other, this guard returns null, but archiveTableChildren deletes them one at a time. The still-active sibling then blocks deleteTable, so cycles can never be archived and other orders can fail after partial progress. Pass the full archive cohort into each reference check or archive the cohort atomically.

Prompt for AI agents

Check if this issue is valid — if so, understand the root cause and fix it. At apps/sim/lib/folders/config.ts, line 394:

<comment>When tables in the folder reference each other, this guard returns `null`, but `archiveTableChildren` deletes them one at a time. The still-active sibling then blocks `deleteTable`, so cycles can never be archived and other orders can fail after partial progress. Pass the full archive cohort into each reference check or archive the cohort atomically.</comment>

<file context>
@@ -376,12 +383,22 @@ async function guardLockedTables({
+    }
+  }
+
+  const [blocker] = await findActiveTableReferenceBlockers(db, workspaceId, {
+    folderIds: new Set(folderIds),
+  })
</file context>

[cubic-dev-ai]

P2: When reference columns are enabled, row creates, deletes, and imports refetch the table-names endpoint because names shares the lists invalidation prefix, even though those mutations cannot change table names. Put names under a separate key root and invalidate that key only from table create/rename/delete/archive operations.

Prompt for AI agents

Check if this issue is valid — if so, understand the root cause and fix it. At apps/sim/hooks/queries/utils/table-keys.ts, line 23:

<comment>When reference columns are enabled, row creates, deletes, and imports refetch the table-names endpoint because `names` shares the `lists` invalidation prefix, even though those mutations cannot change table names. Put names under a separate key root and invalidate that key only from table create/rename/delete/archive operations.</comment>

<file context>
@@ -20,11 +20,15 @@ export const tableKeys = {
   lists: () => [...tableKeys.all, 'list'] as const,
   list: (workspaceId?: string, scope: TableQueryScope = 'active') =>
     [...tableKeys.lists(), workspaceId ?? '', scope] as const,
+  names: (workspaceId?: string) => [...tableKeys.lists(), 'names', workspaceId ?? ''] as const,
   details: () => [...tableKeys.all, 'detail'] as const,
   detail: (tableId: string) => [...tableKeys.details(), tableId] as const,
</file context>

[cubic-dev-ai]

P2: While this preview is mounted, staleTime: Infinity keeps its { table, row } snapshot unchanged. Invalidate reference previews for target schema/name mutations, or derive the preview schema and name from the invalidated detail cache.

Prompt for AI agents

Check if this issue is valid — if so, understand the root cause and fix it. At apps/sim/hooks/queries/tables.ts, line 403:

<comment>While this preview is mounted, `staleTime: Infinity` keeps its `{ table, row }` snapshot unchanged. Invalidate reference previews for target schema/name mutations, or derive the preview schema and name from the invalidated detail cache.</comment>

<file context>
@@ -314,6 +370,44 @@ export function useTable(workspaceId: string | undefined, tableId: string | unde
+      return { table, row }
+    },
+    enabled: Boolean(workspaceId && tableId && rowId && sourceRowId && sourceColumnKey),
+    staleTime: TABLE_REFERENCE_PREVIEW_STALE_TIME,
+    gcTime: TABLE_REFERENCE_PREVIEW_GC_TIME,
+    refetchOnMount: 'always',
</file context>