jQuery DataTables render column data

Question

I'm using jQuery DataTables to display information from JSON encoded PHP response. The JSON response contains the object "name". "name" contains "Full Name", "Last Name", "ID". I have been using columns to display the data the way I want but, I've ran into a problem I can't figure out.

In the code below example 1 works fine and will display "Full Name" while sorting by "Last Name". However, example 2 is not working at all. The desired output would contain HTML rendered display and sorted by "Last Name". In example 3 the display is rendered the way I would like but it is not sorted correctly.

Does anyone know how to adjust example 2 to output what I am looking for (rendered and sorted data)?

var oTable = $('#table').DataTable({
'ajax': {
    url: 'PHP-file-returns-JSON.php',
    type: "POST",
    dataSrc: function ( data ) {
            return data.cols;
        },       
    data: function(d) {

       ///send additional values to POST
       var frm_data = $('#val1, #val2').serializeArray();
       $.each(frm_data, function(key, val) {
             d[val.name] = val.value;
       });
     }
},
'columns':[

        // exapmle 1 - works but not rendered with HTML
        { data: {
                _:    "name.Full Name",
                sort: "name.Last Name",
                } 
        },

        // example 2 not working at all
        { data: 'name', "render": function ( data, type, row ) {
                return '<span id="'+data.ID+'">'+data.Full Name+'</span>';
            },
            "sort" : "name.Last Name",
        },

        // example 3 works fine with HTML rendered display but not sorted
        { data: 'name', "render": function ( data, type, row ) {
                return '<span id="'+data.ID+'">'+data.Full Name+'</span>';
            } 
        },
]
});

UPDATE:

HERE is the JSFiddle that shows the data structure I'm working with. The working example only shows the Full Name sorted by the Last Name. I am trying to figure out how to make the display contain a span element with the ID as the id attribute.

Answer 1

Turns out that using name.Full Name will not work. It has to be name.FullName without the space. Here is what ended up working for me.

  'columns': [
        { 
            "data": "name",                   
            "render": function ( data, type, row ) {
                if(type === 'display'){
                    return '<span id="'+data.ID+'">'+data.FullName+'</span>';
                }else if(type === 'sort'){
                    return data.LastName;
                }else{
                    return data;
                }
            }
        }
   ]

Answer 2

If you need to sort the column on the last name this should work:

$.extend($.fn.dataTableExt.oSort, {
  "last-name-pre": function(a) {
    return $(a).data("lastname");
  },
  "last-name-asc": function(a, b) {
    return ((a < b) ? -1 : ((a > b) ? 1 : 0));
  },
  "last-name-desc": function(a, b) {
    return ((a < b) ? 1 : ((a > b) ? -1 : 0));
  }
});


$("#example").DataTable({
  "data": data,
  "columns": [{
    "title": "Full Name",
    "data": "Full Name",
    "render": function(data, type, row) {
      return $("<span></span>", {
        "text": data,
        "data-lastname": row["Last Name"]
      }).prop("outerHTML");
    },
    "type": 'last-name'
  }]
});

It's working here. You could also remove the render function and just adapt the last-name function to split the full name and return the last name:

$.extend($.fn.dataTableExt.oSort, {
  "last-name-pre": function(a) {
    return a.split(" ")[1];
  },
  "last-name-asc": function(a, b) {
    return ((a < b) ? -1 : ((a > b) ? 1 : 0));
  },
  "last-name-desc": function(a, b) {
    return ((a < b) ? 1 : ((a > b) ? -1 : 0));
  }
});


$("#example").DataTable({
  "data": data,
  "columns": [{
    "title": "Full Name",
    "data": "Full Name",
    "type": 'last-name'
  }]
});

Which is here. Hope that helps, and that I've understood your requirements properly.

Answer 3

enter code herefunction Display() {
    $('#xyz').dataTable({
         "bServerSide": true,
            "bSort": false,
           "sAjaxSource": ,
            "lengthMenu": [10, 25, 50, 100],
            "iDisplayLength": 10,
            "bDestroy": true,
            "bFilter": true,
            "bPaginate": true,
            "bInfo": true,
            "sSearch": true,
            "bLengthChange": true,
            "sEmptyTable": "Loading data from server",
            "fnServerData": function (sSource, aoData, fnCallback) {
                $.ajax({
                    "dataType": 'json',
                    "type": "POST",
                    "url": sSource,
                    "data": aoData,
                    "success": fnCallback
                });
            },
            "columns": [
                {
                    "sWidth": "0.5%",
                    "render": function (data, type, row, meta) {
                        return '<a href="javascript:void(0);" User_ID="' + row[0] + 
                            '" Otp_Mobile="' + row[11] + '" IsActive="' + row[12] +

                            '"  onclick="GetEdit(this);"><i class="glyphicon glyphicon-edit"></i></a>';
                    }, "targets": 0
                },

                {
                    "sWidth": "0.5%",
                    "render": function (data, type, row, meta) {
                        return '<a href="javascript:void(0);" onclick="DeleteData(' + row[0] + ')"><i class="glyphicon glyphicon-trash"></i></a>';
                    }, "targets": 0
                },
                {
                    "sWidth": "2%",
                    "render": function (data, type, row) {
                      return row[2];
                    }
                },

                {
                    "sWidth": "2%",
                    "render": function (data, type, row) {
                        return row[1];
                    }
                },
                {
                    "sWidth": "2%",
                    "render": function (data, type, row) {
                        return row[5];
                    }
                },
                {
                    "sWidth": "2%",
                    "render": function (data, type, row) {
                        return row[7];
                    }
                },
                {
                    "sWidth": "2%",
                    "render": function (data, type, row) {
                        return row[12];
                    }
                },

            ],
     });
  }