Features

The table controls and information elements that are placed around a DataTable are termed "features", each with its own configuration options. Placement of the features is defined by the layout option, where each slot can contain a feature descriptor.

DataTables has four built in features:

info - Summary information about the table
pageLength - Page length control
paging - Pagination control
search - Global search input

New features can be added using the DataTable.feature.register() method and this is extensively used by the official extensions for DataTables.

The following option shows the layout option being used to disable the default pageLength at the top left of the table and to place a paging control at the top right.

new DataTable('#myTable', {
    layout: {
        topStart: null
        topEnd: 'paging'
    }
} );

Search:

Library	Name	Summary
Built in - Info	`info`	Table information display
Built in - Info	`info.callback`	Information display callback
Built in - Info	`info.empty`	Empty table text
Built in - Info	`info.postfix`	Information string postfix
Built in - Info	`info.search`	Appended to the info string when searching is active
Built in - Info	`info.text`	Table summary information display string
Built in - Page Length	`pageLength`	Paging length control
Built in - Page Length	`pageLength.menu`	Text for page length control
Built in - Page Length	`pageLength.text`	Text for page length control
Built in - Paging	`paging`	Pagination buttons
Built in - Paging	`paging.boundaryNumbers`	Include (or not) the leading first and last page in the numbers.
Built in - Paging	`paging.buttons`	Set the maximum number of paging number buttons
Built in - Paging	`paging.type`	Paging button display options
Built in - Search	`search`	Global search input
Built in - Search	`search.placeholder`	Placeholder for the input element
Built in - Search	`search.text`	Text for search control
Buttons	`buttons`	Table control buttons
Buttons	`buttons.buttons`	List of buttons to be created
Buttons	`buttons.buttons.action`	Action to take when the button is activated
Buttons	`buttons.buttons.async`	Indicate that a button's action processing should be performed asynchronously.
Buttons	`buttons.buttons.attr`	Collection of attribute key / values to set for a button
Buttons	`buttons.buttons.available`	Ensure that any requirements have been satisfied before initialising a button
Buttons	`buttons.buttons.className`	Set the class name for the button
Buttons	`buttons.buttons.destroy`	Function that is called when the button is destroyed
Buttons	`buttons.buttons.enabled`	Set a button's initial enabled state
Buttons	`buttons.buttons.extend`	Define which button type the button should be based on
Buttons	`buttons.buttons.init`	Initialisation function that can be used to add events specific to this button
Buttons	`buttons.buttons.key`	Define an activation key for a button
Buttons	`buttons.buttons.name`	Set a name for each selection
Buttons	`buttons.buttons.namespace`	Unique namespace for every button
Buttons	`buttons.buttons.split`	Split dropdown buttons
Buttons	`buttons.buttons.tag`	Set the tag for the button
Buttons	`buttons.buttons.text`	The text to show in the button
Buttons	`buttons.buttons.titleAttr`	Button `title` attribute text
Buttons	`buttons.name`	Set a name for the instance for the group selector
SearchBuilder	`searchBuilder`	Enable and configure the SearchBuilder extension for DataTables
SearchBuilder	`searchBuilder.columns`	Restrict which columns can be filtered on
SearchBuilder	`searchBuilder.conditions`	Define custom conditions for SearchBuilder
SearchBuilder	`searchBuilder.depthLimit`	Impose a limit on the depth of the groups
SearchBuilder	`searchBuilder.enterSearch`	Trigger a search on the enter key rather than every keypress
SearchBuilder	`searchBuilder.filterChanged`	Function to update title text when selections are made.
SearchBuilder	`searchBuilder.greyscale`	Removes the colours from SearchBuilder
SearchBuilder	`searchBuilder.liveSearch`	Control live search operation
SearchBuilder	`searchBuilder.logic`	Set the default logic operator
SearchBuilder	`searchBuilder.preDefined`	Set a predefined search query
SearchPanes	`searchPanes`	Enable Search Panes
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.cascadePanes`	Allow panes to cascade under selection
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.clear`	Disable buttons to allow quick clearing of selections in panes
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.collapse`	Allow the SearchPanes to be collapsed
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.columns`	Select which columns should be considered when displaying panes
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.controls`	Hide the control buttons and disable searching in all panes
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.dtOpts`	Define properties of the DataTables being used as Panes
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.emptyMessage`	Deprecated. Set custom empty message
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.filterChanged`	Function to update title text when selections are made.
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.hideCount`	Hide the count column in all panes
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.i18n`	Container for options for language
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.i18n.clearMessage`	Set the message to be displayed in the Clear button
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.i18n.collapse`	Set the message to be displayed in the SearchPanes Button
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.i18n.collapseMessage`	Set the message to be displayed in the Collapse button
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.i18n.count`	Set the message to be displayed in the count column when not searching
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.i18n.countFiltered`	Set the message to be displayed in the count column when searching
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.i18n.emptyMessage`	Add internationalisation to the empty message displayed as a pane option
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.i18n.emptyPanes`	Add internationalisation to the message shown when no panes are displayed
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.i18n.loadMessage`	Add internationalisation to the message shown when the panes are loading
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.i18n.showMessage`	Set the message to be displayed in the Show button
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.i18n.title`	Add internationalisation to the title showing how many panes are selected
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.initCollapsed`	Collapse the SearchPanes on initialisation
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.layout`	Set the layout of how the panes are displayed on the page
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.order`	Set the order of the Panes
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.orderable`	Hide the ordering buttons in all panes
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.panes`	Define custom panes to filter across all columns
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.panes.className`	Add a custom class for a custom pane
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.panes.dtOpts`	Define the DataTables options for a custom pane
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.panes.header`	Define the header for custom panes
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.panes.options`	Define the options for custom panes
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.panes.options.className`	Add classes to specific options of a custom pane
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.panes.options.label`	Define the label for an option of a custom pane
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.panes.options.value`	Define the value for an option of a custom pane
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.panes.preSelect`	Deprecated. Define any preSelections for the custom panes
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.preSelect`	Pre-selected options in a pane
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.threshold`	Set the minimum ratio of unique values to total values needed in a column to display it's pane
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.viewCount`	Show the count column in all panes
SearchPanes	`searchPanes.viewTotal`	Update the count column when searching to show visible count