DataTables - setting defaults example

# Preamble

When working with DataTables over multiple pages it is often useful to set the initialisation defaults to common values (for example you might want to set sDom to a common value so all tables get the same layout). This can be done using the $.fn.dataTable.defaults object. This object will take all the same parameters as the DataTables initialisation object, but in this case you are setting the default for all future initialisations of DataTables.

This example shows the filtering and sorting features of DataTables being disabled by default, which is reflected in the table when it is initialised, as can be seen below.

# Live example

Rendering engine | Browser | Platform(s) | Engine version | CSS grade
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Trident | Internet Explorer 4.0 | Win 95+ | 4 | X
Trident | Internet Explorer 5.0 | Win 95+ | 5 | C
Trident | Internet Explorer 5.5 | Win 95+ | 5.5 | A
Trident | Internet Explorer 6 | Win 98+ | 6 | A
Trident | Internet Explorer 7 | Win XP SP2+ | 7 | A
Trident | AOL browser (AOL desktop) | Win XP | 6 | A
Gecko | Firefox 1.0 | Win 98+ / OSX.2+ | 1.7 | A
Gecko | Firefox 1.5 | Win 98+ / OSX.2+ | 1.8 | A
Gecko | Firefox 2.0 | Win 98+ / OSX.2+ | 1.8 | A
Gecko | Firefox 3.0 | Win 2k+ / OSX.3+ | 1.9 | A
Gecko | Camino 1.0 | OSX.2+ | 1.8 | A
Gecko | Camino 1.5 | OSX.3+ | 1.8 | A
Gecko | Netscape 7.2 | Win 95+ / Mac OS 8.6-9.2 | 1.7 | A
Gecko | Netscape Browser 8 | Win 98SE+ | 1.7 | A
Gecko | Netscape Navigator 9 | Win 98+ / OSX.2+ | 1.8 | A
Gecko | Mozilla 1.0 | Win 95+ / OSX.1+ | 1 | A
Gecko | Mozilla 1.1 | Win 95+ / OSX.1+ | 1.1 | A
Gecko | Mozilla 1.2 | Win 95+ / OSX.1+ | 1.2 | A
Gecko | Mozilla 1.3 | Win 95+ / OSX.1+ | 1.3 | A
Gecko | Mozilla 1.4 | Win 95+ / OSX.1+ | 1.4 | A
Gecko | Mozilla 1.5 | Win 95+ / OSX.1+ | 1.5 | A
Gecko | Mozilla 1.6 | Win 95+ / OSX.1+ | 1.6 | A
Gecko | Mozilla 1.7 | Win 98+ / OSX.1+ | 1.7 | A
Gecko | Mozilla 1.8 | Win 98+ / OSX.1+ | 1.8 | A
Gecko | Seamonkey 1.1 | Win 98+ / OSX.2+ | 1.8 | A
Gecko | Epiphany 2.20 | Gnome | 1.8 | A
Webkit | Safari 1.2 | OSX.3 | 125.5 | A
Webkit | Safari 1.3 | OSX.3 | 312.8 | A
Webkit | Safari 2.0 | OSX.4+ | 419.3 | A
Webkit | Safari 3.0 | OSX.4+ | 522.1 | A
Webkit | OmniWeb 5.5 | OSX.4+ | 420 | A
Webkit | iPod Touch / iPhone | iPod | 420.1 | A
Webkit | S60 | S60 | 413 | A
Presto | Opera 7.0 | Win 95+ / OSX.1+ | - | A
Presto | Opera 7.5 | Win 95+ / OSX.2+ | - | A
Presto | Opera 8.0 | Win 95+ / OSX.2+ | - | A
Presto | Opera 8.5 | Win 95+ / OSX.2+ | - | A
Presto | Opera 9.0 | Win 95+ / OSX.3+ | - | A
Presto | Opera 9.2 | Win 88+ / OSX.3+ | - | A
Presto | Opera 9.5 | Win 88+ / OSX.3+ | - | A
Presto | Opera for Wii | Wii | - | A
Presto | Nokia N800 | N800 | - | A
Presto | Nintendo DS browser | Nintendo DS | 8.5 | C/A1
KHTML | Konqureror 3.1 | KDE 3.1 | 3.1 | C
KHTML | Konqureror 3.3 | KDE 3.3 | 3.3 | A
KHTML | Konqureror 3.5 | KDE 3.5 | 3.5 | A
Tasman | Internet Explorer 4.5 | Mac OS 8-9 | - | X
Tasman | Internet Explorer 5.1 | Mac OS 7.6-9 | 1 | C
Tasman | Internet Explorer 5.2 | Mac OS 8-X | 1 | C
Misc | NetFront 3.1 | Embedded devices | - | C
Misc | NetFront 3.4 | Embedded devices | - | A
Misc | Dillo 0.8 | Embedded devices | - | X
Misc | Links | Text only | - | X
Misc | Lynx | Text only | - | X
Misc | IE Mobile | Windows Mobile 6 | - | C
Misc | PSP browser | PSP | - | C
Other browsers | All others | - | - | U
Rendering engine | Browser | Platform(s) | Engine version | CSS grade

# Initialisation code

    $(document).ready(function() {
    	$.extend( $.fn.dataTable.defaults, {
    		"bFilter": false,
    		"bSort": false
    	} );

    	$('#example').dataTable();
    } );

# Other examples

## Basic initialisation

- Zero configuration
- Feature enablement
- Sorting data
- Multi-column sorting
- Multiple tables
- Hidden columns
- Complex headers - grouping with colspan
- DOM positioning
- Flexible table width
- State saving
- Alternative pagination styles
- Scrolling:
  Horizontal / Vertical / Both / Themed / Infinite
- Change language information (internationalisation)
- ThemeRoller themes (Smoothness)

## Advanced initialisation

- Events:
  Live events / Pre-init / Post-init
- Column rendering
- Sorting without HTML tags
- Multiple table controls (sDom)
- Defining length menu options
- Complex headers and hidden columns
- Custom toolbar (element) around table
- Row highlighting with CSS
- Row grouping
- Row callback
- Footer callback
- Control sorting direction of columns
- Change language information from a file (internationalisation)
- Setting defaults
- State saving with localStorage
- Custom events

## API

- Dynamically add a new row
- Individual column filtering (using "input" elements)
- Individual column filtering (using "select" elements)
- Highlight rows and columns
- Show and hide details about a particular record
- User selectable rows (multiple rows)
- User selectable rows (single row) and delete rows
- Editable rows (with jEditable)
- Submit form with elements in table
- Index column (static number column)
- Show and hide columns dynamically
- API function use in initialisation object (callback)
- DataTables scrolling and tabs
- Regular expression filtering

## Data sources

- DOM
- Javascript array
- Ajax source
- Server side processing

## Server-side processing

- Obtain server-side data
- Add extra HTTP variables
- Use HTTP POST
- Automatic addition of IDs and classes to rows
- Reading table data from objects
- Show and hide details about a particular record
- User selectable rows (multiple rows)
- JSONP for a cross domain data source
- jEditable integration with DataTables
- Deferred loading of Ajax data
- Pipelining data (reduce Ajax calls for paging)

## Ajax data source

- Ajax sourced data (array of arrays)
- Ajax sourced data (array of objects)
- Deferred DOM creation for extra speed
- Empty data source columns
- Use a data source other than aaData (the default)
- Read column data from sub-arrays
- Read column data from deeply nested properties

## Plug-ins

- Add custom API functions
- Sorting and automatic type detection
- Sorting without automatic type detection
- Custom pagination controls
- Range filtering / custom filtering
- Live DOM sorting
- Automatic HTML type detection