DataTables server-side processing with user selectable rows example

# Preamble

When you want to detail with user selectable rows and DataTables, it is relatively simple when using DOM based data - but if using server-side processing, DataTables doesn't retain state over pages / filters etc, leaving this to the server-side instead. As such, you will need to keep a track of which rows a user as selected and mark them as selected on each draw. This is shown in this demo, which uses a unique ID assigned to the TR element (this is done automatically through the use of the DT_RowId special property returned as part of the object given by the server for each row).

# Live example

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

# Initialisation code

    $(document).ready(function() {
    	var aSelected = [];

    	/* Init the table */
    	$("#example").dataTable({
    		"bProcessing": true,
    		"bServerSide": true,
    		"sAjaxSource": "scripts/id.php",
    		"fnRowCallback": function( nRow, aData, iDisplayIndex ) {
    			if ( jQuery.inArray(aData.DT_RowId, aSelected) !== -1 ) {
    				$(nRow).addClass('row_selected');
    			}
    			return nRow;
    		}
    	});

    	/* Click event handler */
    	$('#example tbody tr').live('click', function () {
    		var id = this.id;
    		var index = jQuery.inArray(id, aSelected);

    		if ( index === -1 ) {
    			aSelected.push( id );
    		} else {
    			aSelected.splice( index, 1 );
    		}

    		$(this).toggleClass('row_selected');
    	} );
    } );

# Server response

The code below shows the latest JSON data that has been returned from the server in response to the Ajax request made by DataTables. This will update as further requests are made.

# 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