DataTables example Nested object data (arrays)

The information read from an Ajax data source can be arbitrarily complex, but still be displayed by DataTables through the columns.data option, which is particularly useful for working with JSON feeds in an already defined format.

The columns.data option has the ability to read information not only from objects, but also from arrays using the same dotted object syntax as for objects. In addition to this, when working with an array data source columns.data can process the data to combine and display the data in simple forms (more complex forms can be defined by using columns.data as a function).

This example shows two different aspects of using columns.data to read arrays:

• The Name column is sourced from an array of two elements (first and last name), which are automatically concatenated together. This is done by using array bracket syntax, with the characters between the brackets being used as the glue between elements (e.g. name[, ]).
• The Position, Start date and Salary columns are read directly from array elements using dotted object notation (e.g. hr.0). Note that the order in which the data can be used in the columns does not have to match the order in which it is defined in the data source. The structure of the row's data source in this example is:

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{
    "name": [
        "Nixon",
        "Tiger"
    ],
    "hr": [
        "System Architect",
        "$3,120",
        "2011/04/25"
    ],
    "office": "Edinburgh",
    "extn": "5421"
}