Datatables - Search Box outside datatable

Question

I'm using DataTables (datatables.net) and I would like my search box to be outside of the table (for example in my header div).

Is this possible ?

Answer 1

You can use the DataTables api to filter the table. So all you need is your own input field with a keyup event that triggers the filter function to DataTables. With css or jquery you can hide/remove the existing search input field. Or maybe DataTables has a setting to remove/not-include it.

Checkout the Datatables API documentation on this.

Example:

HTML

<input type="text" id="myInputTextField">

JS

oTable = $('#myTable').DataTable();   //pay attention to capital D, which is mandatory to retrieve "api" datatables' object, as @Lionel said
$('#myInputTextField').keyup(function(){
      oTable.search($(this).val()).draw() ;
})

Answer 2

As per @lvkz comment :

if you are using datatable with uppercase d .DataTable() ( this will return a Datatable API object ) use this :

 oTable.search($(this).val()).draw() ;

which is @netbrain answer.

if you are using datatable with lowercase d .dataTable() ( this will return a jquery object ) use this :

 oTable.fnFilter($(this).val());

Answer 3

You can use the sDom option for this.

Default with search input in its own div:

sDom: '<"search-box"r>lftip'

If you use jQuery UI (bjQueryUI set to true):

sDom: '<"search-box"r><"H"lf>t<"F"ip>'

The above will put the search/filtering input element into it's own div with a class named search-box that is outside of the actual table.

Even though it uses its special shorthand syntax it can actually take any HTML you throw at it.

Answer 4

This one helped me for DataTables Version 1.10.4, because its new API

var oTable = $('#myTable').DataTable();    
$('#myInputTextField').keyup(function(){
   oTable.search( $(this).val() ).draw();
})

Answer 5

More recent versions have a different syntax:

var table = $('#example').DataTable();

// #myInput is a <input type="text"> element
$('#myInput').on('keyup change', function () {
    table.search(this.value).draw();
});

Note that this example uses the variable table assigned when datatables is first initialised. If you don't have this variable available, simply use:

var table = $('#example').dataTable().api();

// #myInput is a <input type="text"> element
$('#myInput').on('keyup change', function () {
    table.search(this.value).draw();
});

Since: DataTables 1.10

– Source: https://datatables.net/reference/api/search()

Answer 6

I had the same problem.

I tried all alternatives posted, but no work, I used a way that is not right but it worked perfectly.

Example search input

<input id="searchInput" type="text"> 

the jquery code

$('#listingData').dataTable({
  responsive: true,
  "bFilter": true // show search input
});
$("#listingData_filter").addClass("hidden"); // hidden search input

$("#searchInput").on("input", function (e) {
   e.preventDefault();
   $('#listingData').DataTable().search($(this).val()).draw();
});

Answer 7

This should be work for you:(DataTables 1.10.7)

oTable = $('#myTable').dataTable();

$('#myInputTextField').on('keyup change', function(){
  oTable.api().search($(this).val()).draw();
})

or

oTable = $('#myTable').DataTable();

$('#myInputTextField').on('keyup change', function(){
  oTable.search($(this).val()).draw();
})

Answer 8

I want to add one more thing to the @netbrain's answer relevant in case you use server-side processing (see serverSide option).

Query throttling performed by default by datatables (see searchDelay option) does not apply to the .search() API call. You can get it back by using $.fn.dataTable.util.throttle() in the following way:

var table = $('#myTable').DataTable();
var search = $.fn.dataTable.util.throttle(
    function(val) {
        table.search(val).draw();
    },
    400  // Search delay in ms
);

$('#mySearchBox').keyup(function() {
    search(this.value);
});

Answer 9

You could move the div when the table is drawn using the fnDrawCallback function.

    $("#myTable").dataTable({
    "fnDrawCallback": function (oSettings) {
        $(".dataTables_filter").each(function () {
            $(this).appendTo($(this).parent().siblings(".panel-body"));
        });
    }
});

Answer 10

$('#example').DataTable({
   "bProcessing": true,
   "bServerSide": true,
   "sAjaxSource": "../admin/ajax/loadtransajax.php",
   "fnServerParams": function (aoData) {
        // Initialize your variables here
        // I have assign the textbox value for "text_min_val"
        var min_val = $("#min").val();  //push to the aoData
        aoData.push({name: "text_min_val", value:min_val});
   },
   "fnCreatedRow": function (nRow, aData, iDataIndex) {
       $(nRow).attr('id', 'tr_' + aData[0]);
       $(nRow).attr('name', 'tr_' + aData[0]);
       $(nRow).attr('min', 'tr_' + aData[0]); 
       $(nRow).attr('max', 'tr_' + aData[0]); 
   }
});

In loadtransajax.php you may receive the get value:

if ($_GET['text_min_val']){
    $sWhere = "WHERE ("; 
    $sWhere .= " t_group_no LIKE '%" . mysql_real_escape_string($_GET['text_min_val']) . "%' ";
    $sWhere .= ')';
}

Answer 11

If you are using JQuery dataTable so you need to just add "bFilter":true. This will display default search box outside table and its works dynamically..as per expected

$("#archivedAssignments").dataTable({
                "sPaginationType": "full_numbers",
                "bFilter":true,
                "sPageFirst": false,
                "sPageLast": false,
                "oLanguage": {
                "oPaginate": {
                    "sPrevious": "<< previous",
                    "sNext" : "Next >>",
                    "sFirst": "<<",
                    "sLast": ">>"
                    }
                },
            "bJQueryUI": false,
            "bLengthChange": false,
            "bInfo":false,
            "bSortable":true
        });