How to display the column headers dynamically in jquery data table

Question

I have the below code for displaying array of objects having property and a value in a data table. But here the column headers are hardcoded as seen in my below html code. How can I make it dynamic based on the input dataset?

 var dataSet = [{
  "Latitude": 18.00,
  "Longitude": 23.00,
  "Name": "Pune"
}, {
  "Latitude": 14.00,
  "Longitude": 24.00,
  "Name": "Mumbai"
}, {
  "Latitude": 34.004654,
  "Longitude": -4.005465,
  "Name": "Delhi"
},{
  "Latitude": 23.004564,
  "Longitude": 23.007897,
  "Name": "Jaipur"
}];
$(document).ready(function() {
    $('#example').DataTable( {
        data: dataSet,
        "columns": [
            { "data": "Name" ,"title":"Custom Name"},
            { "data": "Latitude" },
            { "data": "Longitude" },

        ]
    } );
} );




<table id="example" class="display" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Name</th>
                <th>Latitude</th>
                <th>Longitude</th>

            </tr>
        </thead>

    </table>

nanytech · Accepted Answer · 2016-09-22 17:29:00Z

14

Assuming the structure of the objects in the dataSet does not change, you could use the first object to build the json object external to the DataTable declaration. If the objects are not of a consistent structure, then you can tweak the logic inside the $.each structure to handle that.

Here's a quick hack:

var dataSet = [{
  "Latitude": 18.00,
  "Longitude": 23.00,
  "Name": "Pune"
}, {
  "Latitude": 14.00,
  "Longitude": 24.00,
  "Name": "Mumbai"
}, {
  "Latitude": 34.004654,
  "Longitude": -4.005465,
  "Name": "Delhi"
}, {
  "Latitude": 23.004564,
  "Longitude": 23.007897,
  "Name": "Jaipur"
}];

var my_columns = [];

$.each( dataSet[0], function( key, value ) {
        var my_item = {};
        my_item.data = key;
        my_item.title = key;
        my_columns.push(my_item);
});

$(document).ready(function() {
  $('#example').DataTable({
    data: dataSet,
    "columns": my_columns
  });
});

You should also consider removing all the static table content in your HTML like this

<table id="example" class="display" cellspacing="0" width="100%"></table>

Here's the jsFiddle https://jsfiddle.net/z4t1po8o/18/

Have fun.

edited Sep 22, 2016 at 17:29

answered Sep 22, 2016 at 16:53

nanytech

3981 gold badge3 silver badges10 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

3 Comments

Akshay Over a year ago

Thanks, that helped. I do have inconsistent data structure..so what do you mean by tweaking the logic inside the $.each structure to handle that ??

nanytech Over a year ago

Sak, The $.each block loops through the first item and builds the object structure for my_columns, which is used to initialize the DataTable in document.ready. If the first item does not represent the full definition of the table, then the 0 index in dataSet[0] needs to change to point to the item that does. Alternatively, some other manual massaging of the object is required to make sure the my_columns object accurately represents the columns in the table.

Vinh The Nguyen Over a year ago

If wraning with parameter you can use add more option: "columnDefs": [{ "defaultContent": "-", "targets": "_all" }]

ankush · Accepted Answer · 2018-08-15 15:51:39Z

Here is the answer to fetch it from external json

HTML

<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.3.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
  <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf8" src="https://cdn.datatables.net/1.10.16/js/jquery.dataTables.js"></script>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="https://cdn.datatables.net/1.10.16/css/jquery.dataTables.css">
<script type="text/javascript" charset="utf8" src="script.js"></script>
<div><table id="example"></div>

script.js

jQuery( document ).ready( function( $ ) {
        // Code using $ as usual goes here.

        $.ajax( {
            url: '1.json',
            dataType: "json",
            "success": function ( json ) {
              var tables = $("#example").DataTable({               
                dom : 'l<"#add">frtip',
                "language": {
    "paginate": {
      "previous": "<&nbsp;Previous",
      "next": "next&nbsp;>"
    }
  },
                "columnDefs": [ {
    "targets": 2,
    "createdCell": function (td, cellData, rowData, row, col) {
      if (( cellData > 3 ) && ( cellData < 30 )){
        $(td).css('color', 'green')
      }
      else
           if (( cellData > 31 ) && ( cellData < 50 )){
        $(td).css('color', 'orange')
      }
      else
           if (( cellData > 51 ) && ( cellData < 100 )){
        $(td).css('color', 'red')
      }
    }
  } ],
                "ajax": {
                    "url": "1.json",
                    "type": "POST",
                    "datatype": "json"
                },
                "columns": json.columns
            });
            $('<label/>').text('Search Column:').appendTo('#add')
$select = $('<select/>').appendTo('#add')
$('<option/>').val('0').text('Index').appendTo($select);
$('<option/>').val('1').text('Name').appendTo($select);
$('<option/>').val('2').text('Age').appendTo($select);
$('<option/>').val('2').text('Image').appendTo($select);
$('input[type="search"]').on( 'keyup change recheck', function () {
  var searchValue = $(this).val();
  var columnSearch = $select.val();

  $('#example').DataTable().columns().every(function() {
    //alert('hi');
        this.search('');
    }); 

  if(columnSearch == 'All'){
    tables.search(searchValue).draw();
  } else {
    tables.columns(columnSearch).search(searchValue).draw();
  }
 });
 $select.on('change', function() {
 $('#example').DataTable().search('').draw();
 $('input[type="search"]').trigger('recheck');
 });
            },

        } );
    });

1.json

{
   "data":[
      {
         "Index": 4,
         "Name": "Bob",
         "Age": 7,
         "Image": "None"
      },
      {
         "Index": 2,
         "Name": "Timmy",
         "Age": 4,
         "Image": "None"
      },
      {
         "Index": 3,
         "Name": "Heather",
         "Age": 55,
         "Image": "ddd"
      },
      {
         "Index": 5,
         "Name": "Sally",
         "Age": 22,
         "Image": "None"
      }
   ],
    "columns": [
        { "title": "Index", "data" : "Index" },
        { "title": "Name",  "data": "Name" },
        { "title": "Age", "data": "Age" },
        { "title": "Image", "data": "Image" }
    ]
}

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

How to display the column headers dynamically in jquery data table

2 Answers 2

3 Comments

HTML

script.js

1.json

Comments

Your Answer

Linked

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

2 Answers 2

3 Comments

HTML

script.js

1.json

Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Linked

Related