README

Server-side DataTables integration for CodeIgniter 4.
PHP only – you write your own frontend (plain JS, jQuery, or any tool).

Requirements

• PHP 8.1+
• CodeIgniter 4.4+
• Composer

Installation

composer require nongbit/codeigniter-datatable

Usage

Use DataTableTrait (recommended) or instantiate DataTable directly.

<?php

namespace App\Controllers;

use App\Models\UserModel;
use Nongbit\DataTable\Traits\DataTableTrait;

class UserController extends BaseController
{
    use DataTableTrait;

    public function datatable()
    {
        $model = new UserModel();
        $builder = $model->builder();
        $dt = $this->getDatatable($builder);
        return $this->response->setJSON($dt->toArray());
    }
}

Complex Queries (Where, Join, Group By, Order By)

You can modify the BaseBuilder before passing it to datatable(). All query conditions will be respected.

Example with WHERE and JOIN

public function datatable()
{
    $builder = $this->db->table('orders o')
        ->select('o.id, o.customer_id, c.name as customer_name, o.total, o.status')
        ->join('customers c', 'c.id = o.customer_id', 'left')
        ->where('o.status !=', 'cancelled')
        ->where('o.total >', 1000);

    $dt = $this->getDatatable($builder);
    return $this->response->setJSON($dt->toArray());
}

Example with GROUP BY and HAVING

public function datatable()
{
    $builder = $this->db->table('sales')
        ->select('product_id, SUM(amount) as total_sales')
        ->groupBy('product_id')
        ->having('SUM(amount) >', 5000);

    $dt = $this->getDatatable($builder);
    return $this->response->setJSON($dt->toArray());
}

Example with Complex WHERE Conditions

public function datatable()
{
    $builder = $this->db->table('products')
        ->where('price >=', 100)
        ->where('stock >', 0)
        ->groupStart()
            ->where('category', 'electronics')
            ->orWhere('category', 'computers')
        ->groupEnd()
        ->orderBy('created_at', 'DESC');

    $dt = $this->getDatatable($builder);
    return $this->response->setJSON($dt->toArray());
}

Example with Raw SQL Conditions

public function datatable()
{
    $builder = $this->db->table('employees')
        ->select('*, YEAR(hire_date) as hire_year')
        ->where('YEAR(hire_date) >', 2020)
        ->orderBy('hire_year', 'DESC');

    $dt = $this->getDatatable($builder);
    return $this->response->setJSON($dt->toArray());
}

Important: The package automatically adds LIMIT and OFFSET for pagination, and applies LIKE conditions for searching. It does not remove any existing WHERE, GROUP BY, HAVING, or ORDER BY clauses. However, if you specify an ORDER BY and DataTables sends its own ordering, both will be applied (your default ordering first, then DataTables ordering). To avoid conflicts, consider removing orderBy() from the builder if you want DataTables to fully control ordering.

Without Trait (Direct Instantiation)

use Nongbit\DataTable\DataTable;

$builder = $model->builder()->where('active', 1);
$dt = new DataTable($builder);
return $this->response->setJSON($dt->toArray());

Column Formatting with Callbacks

Use setCallback() to transform column data before sending to the frontend.

$dt->setCallback('created_at', function($value, $row) {
    return date('d-m-Y', strtotime($value));
});

The callback receives $value (raw column value) and $row (full record array).

Important Notes

• The package automatically handles searching, ordering, and pagination based on DataTables request parameters.
• DataTables individual column search (columns[i][search][value]) is supported.
• For complex queries with table aliases or joins, set the name attribute in your DataTables column definition to avoid ambiguous column names (e.g., { data: 'customer_name', name: 'c.name' }).
• The builder is cloned internally to prevent side effects.
• If you use parameterized where() clauses, bindings are preserved in the clone – this is usually safe.

Troubleshooting

Ambiguous column name in ORDER BY

If you get an error like Column 'id' in order clause is ambiguous, set the name attribute in your DataTables column definition:

columns: [
    { data: 'order_id', name: 'o.id' },
    { data: 'customer_name', name: 'c.name' }
]

Custom search logic

The package uses LIKE for searching. If you need different logic (e.g., full-text search), extend the class or modify the builder before passing.

Bonus: Integration with Vite

If you use nongbit/codeigniter-vite, you can write your own datatable.js and import it into your Vite entry point. Example:

// app/Views/assets/js/datatable.js
import DataTable from 'datatables.net-dt';
import 'jquery';

export function initDataTable(selector, ajaxUrl) {
	return new DataTable(selector, {
		processing: true,
		serverSide: true,
		ajax: ajaxUrl,
		columns: [
			{ data: 'id', name: 'id' },
			{ data: 'name', name: 'name' },
			{ data: 'email', name: 'email' },
		]
	});
}

// app/Views/assets/js/app.js
import { initDataTable } from './datatable.js';
initDataTable('#usersTable', '/user/datatable');

Then in your view: <?= vite('app') ?>.

This package provides no frontend assets; you are free to use CDN, Vite, or any other method.

License

MIT