render link to absolute path

crush123

i have a page with a datatable which has a column which renders the data as a link to a file in a (documents) folder, like so...

return '<a href="/documents/'+data+'">'+data+'</a>' ;

if i want to link to an external path I tried just omitting the documents path

return '<a href="'+data+'">'+data+'</a>' ;

but this gives me an error, the generated url looks like this, <a href="plugins'+data+'">'+data+'</a>

presumably because the page containing my datatable is a plugin page (in a folder called plugins), one level below the 'parent' page.

is there a way to generate the absolute url ?

kthorngren

but this gives me an error,

What is the error?

the generated url looks like this, <a href="plugins'+data+'">'+data+'</a>

Not sure how return '<a href="'+data+'">'+data+'</a>' ; results in the above URL. Can you post a link to your page or a test case replicating the issue?
https://datatables.net/manual/tech-notes/10#How-to-provide-a-test-case

is there a way to generate the absolute url ?

You should be able to generate any URL you want. Its just a matter of getting the return string to look the way you want. Datatables isn't controlling this.

Kevin

crush123

the error is in my console

Uncaught SyntaxError: Invalid or unexpected token

the javascript reads as follows (line 6 below)

        { data: "tbldocuments.DocumentPath",
            render: function ( data, type, row ) {
                if ( row.tbldocuments.DocumentPath.length >0) {
                return '<a href="/documents/'+data+'">'+data+'</a>' ;
                } else {
                return '<a href="plugins"+row.tbldocuments.DocumentLink+'">'+row.tbldocuments.DocumentLink+'</a>';
                }
            }
        },

which is generated by the code below

        { data: "tbldocuments.DocumentPath",
            render: function ( data, type, row ) {
                if ( row.tbldocuments.DocumentPath.length >0) {
                return '<a href="/documents/'+data+'">'+data+'</a>' ;
                } else {
                return '<a href="'+row.tbldocuments.DocumentLink+'">'+row.tbldocuments.DocumentLink+'</a>';
                }
            }
        },

I will try and create a cut-down test page tomorrow

kthorngren

Line 6 in your first code snippet has the syntax error. You need to add a single quote before the +row:

return '<a href="plugins"+row

should be:
return '<a href="plugins"'+row

Kevin

crush123

the first code snippet is the javascript generated when the page is loaded in the browser

the second code snippet is what generates the javascript, and there is no syntax error in there

kthorngren

Guess I'm not familiar with how the second code snippet is generating the first. Look forward to seeing this in your test page.

Kevin

crush123

i have uploaded sample pages to a test area, (username and password to access are 'nfci'

the 'parent page' is found at this url

http://instagram.forthwebsolutions.com/admin/documents/documentsx.php

the child plugin page is found here

http://instagram.forthwebsolutions.com/admin/documents/plugins/document_resultsx.php

the child page works perfectly fine in its own right, but when embedded in the parent page, the url generated by the javascript incorporates the subfolder name at the beginning of the path, (but only if it is left empty)

so

return '<a href="/documents/'+data+'">'+data+'</a>' ;

works fine, in both the child page, and when used as a plugin to the parent page

but

return '<a href="'+data+'">'+data+'</a>' ;

will incorporate the subfolder in the parent page, throwing an error, but is ok in the child page

kthorngren

Sorry, I'm still unclear where return '<a href="'+data+'">'+data+'</a>' ; is coming from. I don't see it anywhere in your code.

However on line 170 of your parent page there is this line:

`return '<a href="plugins"+row.tbldocuments.DocumentLink+'">'+row.tbldocuments.DocumentLink+'</a>';`

Which is missing the single quote I mentioned above. If you have something generating the Javascript for this page then you need to look at that code to determine why it is not generated correctly. This is outside the scope of Datatables.

Kevin

crush123

if you look at the child page, you will see the following javascript generated (the page renders properly and the link works as it should)...

{ data: "tbldocuments.DocumentPath",
            render: function ( data, type, row ) {
                if ( row.tbldocuments.DocumentPath.length >0) {
                return '<a href="/documents/'+data+'">'+data+'</a>' ;
                } else {
                return '<a href="'+row.tbldocuments.DocumentLink+'">'+row.tbldocuments.DocumentLink+'</a>';
                }
            }
        },

if you look at the parent page, you will see this

        { data: "tbldocuments.DocumentPath",
            render: function ( data, type, row ) {
                if ( row.tbldocuments.DocumentPath.length >0) {
                return '<a href="/documents/'+data+'">'+data+'</a>' ;
                } else {
                return '<a href="plugins"+row.tbldocuments.DocumentLink+'">'+row.tbldocuments.DocumentLink+'</a>';
                }
            }
        },

there is no syntax error, but because the folder in which the child page resides is called 'plugins', this folder name is embedded in the link, which gives an apparent missing single quote

crush123

...frustratingly,

if I add a backslash, i get the site root (as expected) on both parent and child pages

eg return '<a href="/'+data+'">'+data+'</a>' ;

if i add a folder name, i get the folder name on both parent and child pages

return '<a href="/folder/'+data+'">'+data+'</a>' ;

the problem demonstrated only occurs if i leave the value blank

return '<a href="'+data+'">'+data+'</a>' ;

where the child page is fine, but the parent page gives the error

kthorngren

there is no syntax error, but because the folder in which the child page resides is called 'plugins', this folder name is embedded in the link, which gives an apparent missing single quote

When loading the Parent page the browser's console shows this error:

Uncaught SyntaxError: Invalid or unexpected token documentsx.php:170

This is a Javascript error. The problem is that line 170 has improper Javascript syntax. The single quote is missing. This has nothing to do with Datatables. You will need to look at the code that is generating the Javascript to determine why it is not providing proper Javascript syntax when it is adding the folder plugins.

Kevin