Using a java servlet, I've been doing the same approach to building or updating HTML.  I create the basic table on the HTML page, then call for the body from the servlet with ajax.  As an example:HTML    <div id=divLocationMain style=margin-top: 2%;>        <table style=width: 99%;>            <thead>                <tr>                    <th>Clinic</th>                    <th>Location</th>                    <th>Clinic</th>                    <th>Location</th>                </tr>            </thead>            <tbody id=tbodyAdminLocation style=font-size: small;>            </tbody>        </table>     </div>javascriptfunction updateLocationTable() {    $.ajax({        url: 'TCAUServlet',        type: 'POST',        data: {formType: getLocationTable},        dataType: 'html',        success: function (responseText) {            $('#tbodyAdminLocation').html('');            $('#tbodyAdminLocation').html(responseText);        },        error: function (request, status, error) {            alert(An error occurred.  Error:   + status + ,  + error);        }    });}Servletprivate String getLocationTable() throws ClassNotFoundException, SQLException {    List<Location> locList = TCAUDatabaseUtil.getLocations();    Collections.sort(locList, new LocationComparator());    String htmlString = ;    for (int x = 0; x < locList.size(); x++) {        Location loc = locList.get(x);        htmlString +=                                     <tr>\n                +                                         <td> + loc.getLocationClinic() + </td>\n                +                                         <td> + loc.getLocationName() + </td>\n;        if (x < locList.size() - 1) {            loc = locList.get(++x);            htmlString +=                                     <td> + loc.getLocationClinic() + </td>\n                    +                                         <td> + loc.getLocationName() + </td>\n;        }        htmlString +=                                     </tr>\n;    }    return htmlString;}It works well, but I can't help but wonder if there isn't a better/easier/more efficient way, especially when I'm dealing with objects with quite a few fields in them.  
Create HTML table in a Java Servlet
java;javascript;ajax;servlets