Make a table's density the caller's decision

Density was applied to every fine-pointer device with no way out, which
M3 forbids outright: "don't apply density by default; offer an explicit
density opt-in instead, keeping opt-out targets at >= 48x48 CSS px". A
row is now 52px and `dense` is a prop that tightens it to 36. The row
divider also takes outline-variant itself rather than 60% of it, since M3
keeps opacity for state layers and disabled.

Plan step 20, findings IN-16 and IN-30.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5.1 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Claude-Session: https://claude.ai/code/session_01Qwx5USif3wFFmxtHg5U1g9

resources/boost/skills/livewire-material-development/SKILL.md

@@ -831,7 +831,7 @@ A choice of colour profile (see Colour profiles): a swatch per generated profile
 
 ### `<x-table>`, `<x-sort-header>`
 
-A data table: write plain `<thead>`, `<tr>`, `<th>`, `<td>` inside `<x-table>` (`size="xs"` for a dense one); cell utilities (`text-end`, `whitespace-nowrap`) always win. Scrolling is yours: wrap it in `<div class="overflow-x-auto">`. A row that opens something is `data-list-row` with one `data-list-open` control; a selected row is `aria-selected="true"`.
+A data table: write plain `<thead>`, `<tr>`, `<th>`, `<td>` inside `<x-table>`; cell utilities (`text-end`, `whitespace-nowrap`) always win. Rows are 52px — a target a finger can hit. `dense` tightens them to 36px and `size="xs"` is for a table inside a panel inside a panel (32px rows); M3 says density is always an opt-in, so neither is a default and both are yours to justify. Scrolling is yours: wrap it in `<div class="overflow-x-auto">`. A row that opens something is `data-list-row` with one `data-list-open` control; a selected row is `aria-selected="true"`.
 
 `<x-sort-header column="size" :sort-by="$sortBy">Size</x-sort-header>` sorts through the Livewire property `sortBy` (`['column' => …, 'direction' => 'asc'|'desc']`; `model` names another), with `aria-sort`.
 

resources/css/components/table.css

@@ -5,9 +5,14 @@
  * So the styling is descendant selectors on the one attribute the component sets, all inside
  * `:where()` and `@layer components`: a caller's `text-end` or `whitespace-nowrap` on a cell always
  * wins. Header cells in title-small on-surface-variant over an outline-variant rule, body cells in
- * body-medium between faint rules. One density step tighter on a fine pointer — keyed on the
- * pointer, not the width, so a touch tablet in landscape keeps rows a finger can hit. A row that
- * opens something is `data-list-row` and answers a pointer as a list row does (components/list.css).
+ * body-medium between outline-variant rules. A row that opens something is `data-list-row` and
+ * answers a pointer as a list row does (components/list.css).
+ *
+ * A row is 52px: 16px above and below a body-medium line. Density is never applied by itself —
+ * "don't apply density by default; offer an explicit density opt-in instead, keeping opt-out targets
+ * at >= 48x48 CSS px" (docs/reference/m3/foundations-supplement.md § Accessibility) — so `dense`
+ * (`data-dense`) is the caller's decision, and it is the caller's to justify: a dense row is 36px,
+ * and a dense row inside an `xs` table 24px.
  */
 
 @layer components {
@@ -16,7 +21,7 @@
        viewport. */
     [data-table] {
         --cell-x: 0.75rem;
-        --cell-y: 0.75rem;
+        --cell-y: 1rem;
 
         position: relative;
         width: 100%;
@@ -34,14 +39,12 @@
         letter-spacing: var(--md-sys-typescale-body-sm-tracking);
     }
 
-    @media (pointer: fine) {
-        [data-table] {
-            --cell-y: 0.5rem;
-        }
+    [data-table][data-dense] {
+        --cell-y: 0.5rem;
+    }
 
-        [data-table][data-size="xs"] {
-            --cell-y: 0.25rem;
-        }
+    [data-table][data-size="xs"][data-dense] {
+        --cell-y: 0.25rem;
     }
 
     [data-table] :where(th, td) {
@@ -63,8 +66,9 @@
         letter-spacing: var(--md-sys-typescale-label-md-tracking);
     }
 
+    /* The role itself, not a fraction of it: M3 reserves opacity for state layers and disabled. */
     [data-table] :where(tbody tr) {
-        border-bottom: 1px solid color-mix(in srgb, var(--md-sys-color-outline-variant) 60%, transparent);
+        border-bottom: 1px solid var(--md-sys-color-outline-variant);
     }
 
     [data-table] :where(tbody tr:last-child) {

resources/views/components/table.blade.php

@@ -2,15 +2,19 @@
      look is resources/css/components/table.css, keyed on the `data-table` attribute set here (the
      top of that file says why).
 
-     `size="xs"` for a table inside a panel inside a panel. A selected row is
-     `<tr aria-selected="true">`. Horizontal scrolling stays the caller's — wrap the table in
-     `<div class="overflow-x-auto">` where the page needs it. A column that sorts is
+     Rows are 52px, a target a finger can hit. `dense` tightens them to 36px — M3 asks that density
+     always be an opt-in and never a default, so it is the caller's decision and the caller's to
+     justify. `size="xs"` for a table inside a panel inside a panel (32px rows, 24px with `dense`).
+
+     A selected row is `<tr aria-selected="true">`. Horizontal scrolling stays the caller's — wrap the
+     table in `<div class="overflow-x-auto">` where the page needs it. A column that sorts is
      `<x-sort-header>`. --}}
 
 @props([
     'size' => 'sm',
+    'dense' => false,
 ])
 
-<table data-table data-size="{{ $size === 'xs' ? 'xs' : 'sm' }}" {{ $attributes }}>
+<table data-table data-size="{{ $size === 'xs' ? 'xs' : 'sm' }}"{{ $dense ? ' data-dense' : '' }} {{ $attributes }}>
     {{ $slot }}
 </table>

tests/Feature/Components/DataTest.php

@@ -13,6 +13,11 @@ it('marks a table for its styles and takes a size', function () {
         ->and((string) $this->blade('<x-table size="huge" />'))->toContain('data-size="sm"');
 });
 
+it('tightens a table only when the caller asks for it', function () {
+    expect((string) $this->blade('<x-table />'))->not->toContain('data-dense')
+        ->and((string) $this->blade('<x-table dense />'))->toContain('data-dense');
+});
+
 it('sorts by its column, ascending first and then flipping', function () {
     expect((string) $this->blade('<x-sort-header column="size" :sort-by="[\'column\' => \'name\', \'direction\' => \'asc\']">Size</x-sort-header>'))
         ->not->toContain('aria-sort')