Checkbox for each button to select a column in Datatables 1.10 without ColVis

Question

As ColVis is deprecated in Datatables 1.10, I am looking for a way to add a checkbox to each button to select a column in the table in the same way it is done in this example that uses ColVis.

In the following JSFiddle is what I have done so far. Below is the code that I am using.

$(document).ready(function() {
var table = $('#example').DataTable( {
    dom: 'B',
    "buttons": [
                {
                    extend: 'colvis',
                    postfixButtons: [
                        {
                            extend: 'colvisRestore',
                            text: 'Restore'
                        }
                    ],
                    buttons : [{
                        extend: 'columnsToggle',
                    }],
                }
            ],
    }
); } );

I would really appreciate your share of expertise on this one.

Answer 1

SOLUTION

Checkboxes has been replaced by inset/outset styles. However you can simulate a checkbox using CSS, see the rules below:

.dt-button-collection a.buttons-columnVisibility:before,
.dt-button-collection a.buttons-columnVisibility.active span:before {
    display:block;
    position:absolute;
    top:1.2em;
    left:0;
    width:12px;
    height:12px;
    box-sizing:border-box;
}

.dt-button-collection a.buttons-columnVisibility:before {
    content:' ';
    margin-top:-6px;
    margin-left:10px;
    border:1px solid black;
    border-radius:3px;
}

.dt-button-collection a.buttons-columnVisibility.active span:before {
    content:'\2714';
    margin-top:-11px;
    margin-left:12px;
    text-align:center;
    text-shadow:1px 1px #DDD, -1px -1px #DDD, 1px -1px #DDD, -1px 1px #DDD;
}

.dt-button-collection a.buttons-columnVisibility span {
    margin-left:20px;    
}

DEMO

See this jsFiddle for code and demonstration.

NOTES

See my other answer to your question explaining why action will not work for columnsToggle button.

Answer 2

I built upon @gyrocode-com's answer to make it look less "button-y" and more like a simple list of checkboxes, as well as to support newer versions of DataTables and Buttons because they now generate the colvis buttons using <button> HTML tag and not <a>.

buttons: ['colvis']

CSS

.dt-button-collection .dt-button.buttons-columnVisibility {
    background: none !important;
    background-color: transparent !important;
    box-shadow: none !important;
    border: none !important;
    padding: 0.25em 1em !important;
    margin: 0 !important;
    text-align: left !important;
}
.dt-button-collection .buttons-columnVisibility:before,
.dt-button-collection .buttons-columnVisibility.active span:before {
    display:block;
    position:absolute;
    top:1.2em;
    left:0;
    width:12px;
    height:12px;
    box-sizing:border-box;
}
.dt-button-collection .buttons-columnVisibility:before {
    content:' ';
    margin-top:-8px;
    margin-left:10px;
    border:1px solid black;
    border-radius:3px;
}
.dt-button-collection .buttons-columnVisibility.active span:before {
    font-family: 'Arial' !important;
    content:'\2714';
    margin-top: -15px;
    margin-left: 12px;
    text-align: center;
    text-shadow: 1px 1px #fff, -1px -1px #fff, 1px -1px #fff, -1px 1px #fff;
}
.dt-button-collection .buttons-columnVisibility span {
    margin-left:17px;    
}

This also works well with the multi-column colvis templates like the two-column and fixed two-column for example.

buttons: [{
     extend: 'colvis',
     collectionLayout: 'two-column'
  }]

DEMO

JSFiddle for a live demo.