yii2/docs/guide/data-overview.md

Data Sources and Widgets

One of the most powerful features of Yii is how it works with data. In Yii, you may easily output data directly in view files, which is a good approach for the website's frontend. But when it comes to backend data components and widgets, Yii's ability to access data is a real timesaver.

Typically, you would take the following steps when working with one of these data components:

1. Configure the data provider. It may take its data from an array, an SQL command, an AR query, etc.
2. Pass the data provider to one of the widgets, such as a list view or grid view.
3. Customize the widget to reflect the presentational style that you are after.

That's it. After doing these simple steps you will have powerful interfaces, such as a full featured data grid that supports pagination, sorting, and filtering, ideal for admin part of your project.