DataTables server-side column ordering example

# Preamble

When using server-side processing it may be considerably easier on the server-side to output the data in an order which is not exactly that shown by the table to the end user. For this reason you can 'name' each column and this information will be sent to the server (comma delimited) as the variable 'sColumns' - this is the column information that DataTables expects to get back from a request.

Equally there you can defined an 'sColumns' in the JSON return which tells DataTables the order of the columns that has been returned. If the order is different from what it expects, then it will automatically re-order for you. The following example shows a server-side return which gives the columns "out of order".

# Live example

Rendering engine | Browser | Platform(s) | Engine version | CSS grade
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Loading data from server
Rendering engine | Browser | Platform(s) | Engine version | CSS grade

# Initialisation code

    $(document).ready(function() {
    	$('#example').dataTable( {
    		"bProcessing": true,
    		"bServerSide": true,
    		"sAjaxSource": "scripts/ordering.php",
    		"aoColumns": [
    			{ "sName": "engine" },
    			{ "sName": "browser" },
    			{ "sName": "platform" },
    			{ "sName": "version" },
    			{ "sName": "grade" }
    		]
    	} );
    } );

# Other examples

## Basic initialisation

- Zero configuration
- Feature enablement
- Sorting data
- Multi-column sorting
- Multiple tables
- Hidden columns
- Complex headers - grouping with colspan
- DOM positioning
- 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 with fnGetNodes
- 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)

## 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
- Custom column ordering (in callback 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