Get column values with DataTables API

jandante

I'm trying to set up a search possibility in DataTables like on this example: http://datatables.net/examples/api/multi_filter_select.html .

My code for initializing DataTables:

 var oTable = $('#relations').DataTable({
     processing: true,
     serverSide: true,
    ajax: "php/datatables/server_processing_relations.php"
 });

On the example page you see the code for creating those select search fields. The select interface is displayed when I try it, but there are no values in it. I started looking and went to a simple example to check if I can get the data.

 $('#relations tfoot').find('th:nth-child(1)').each(function(i) {        
     console.log(oTable.column(i).data());
 });

That gives me an Object but i suppose its the complete table. In Object[context][0][aoData] for example I can see all rows...

I suppose I'm using the API right by calling .DataTable instead of .datatable + there is no error when using the function column(). But still the column doesn't get selected... I must admit that I don't fully master the .each that I placed after find. But I don't know how to perform a function otherwise after find is done. Maybe there is the problem...?

Can somebody help please? Thanks in advance

allan

You need to create the filters in initComplete if you are using Ajax. Otherwise the data won't have loaded by the time the filters are created (the a in Ajax stands for asynchronous after all!).

The other thing is that if you are using server-side processing, then only the data for the current page is available, and therefore the list of 'select' options will be limited. You would need to send back all of the options available in the initial data request and use that data, rather than reading from the DataTable.

Allan

jandante

Thank you Allan, that makes sense :).