README

Datatables
==========

Rails plugin for adding JQuery DataTables to your application.

DataTables: http://datatables.net/index

Requirements:

JQuery, JQuery UI, and the DataTables JQuery plugin

Features:

Easy definition of a table for an ActiveRecord model.
Supports pagination.


TODO
=======

Add tests.
Add sorting.


Example
=======

In your controller, set up a datatables source. This is how the data is pulled from the server and returned with AJAX.

Controller
===========

datatables_source :users_source, :user, :columns => [
  :username, :fullname, {:name => "updated_at", :eval => 'obj.updated_at.getlocal.rfc2822'},
  {:name => "Options", :method => :user_options_column}], :numResults => 10

This defines a table, named users_source, for the User model.

The columns are (in order):

username, fullname, updated_at, and options

There are two special ways to display the data for a column/row.

eval:

Evaluates a string, "obj" is an instance of your model in the table (in this case, a User object).


method:

Calls a method in your controller with the instance of your model as the parameter.

When defining a method for a column, an example method in your controller would be:

def user_options_column(user)
  "<a href=\"#{url_for :action => 'view', :id => user.id}\">View User</a>"
end


Routes
=========

Because DataTables uses AJAX to load the data in the table, you must define a route to it. The first parameter of datatables_source is a *named route*. The rails plugin uses this to link the HTML for your DataTable.

Example
=========

map.users_source '/datatables/user', :controller => :user, :action => :users_source


Displaying the table
=========================

Displaying a table is probably the easiest part. In a view for your controller, you just do the following:

<%= datatables :users_source %>


Copyright (c) 2010 Chris Moos, released under the MIT license