DataTables Node.js server-side libraries

This is a Node.js library to provide easy server-side support for DataTables - the Javascript table library.

These libraries provide support for:

• Server-side processing - work with millions of rows
• Editor - CRUD UI for DataTables
• ColumnControl - Column search controls for DataTables
• SearchBuilder - Complex search logic UI

The library is framework-agnostic and can be used in any web framework. It uses Knex.js to work with many different databases, including Postgres, MySQL, SQLServer and Sqlite.

Installation

Available on NPM, this package can be installed with:

npm install --save datatables.net-editor-serverdatatables.net-editor-server

There are two primary entry point classes in the library:

• DataTable - for read only tables
• Editor - for read / write tables, with Editor

There are also a number of supporting classes such as Options, Mjoin and more.

Quick Start

The database connection is a standard Knex object, configured to access your database.

The DataTables Node.js libraries expose both ESM and CJS modules and so can be loaded as appropriate for your software - e.g.:

import { Editor, Field, Format, Validate } from 'datatables.net-editor-server';

or

const { Editor, Field, Format, Validate } = require('datatables.net-editor-server');

The following shows an Express controller that makes use of the Editor class to handle all CRUD requests for a table with four columns defined. Validators and formatters are used were appropriate.

import { Editor, Field, Format, Validate } from 'datatables.net-editor-server';
import { Router } from 'express';
import db from '../db.js';

const router = Router();

router.all('/api/staff', async function (req, res) {
	let editor = new Editor(db, 'datatables_demo').fields(
		new Field('first_name').validator(Validate.notEmpty()),
		new Field('last_name').validator(Validate.notEmpty()),
		new Field('age')
			.validator(Validate.numeric())
			.setFormatter(Format.ifEmpty(null)),
		new Field('start_date')
			.validator(
				Validate.dateFormat(
					'YYYY-MM-DD',
					null,
					new Validate.Options().message(
						'Please enter a date in the format yyyy-mm-dd'
					)
				)
			)
			.getFormatter(Format.sqlDateToFormat('YYYY-MM-DD'))
			.setFormatter(Format.formatToSqlDate('YYYY-MM-DD'))
	);

	await editor.process(req.body);
	res.json(editor.data());
});

export default router;

Similarly, if your table is readonly, the DataTable and Column classes can be used (this will support DataTables' client-side or server-side processing modes):

import { DataTable, Column } from 'datatables.net-editor-server';
import { Router } from 'express';
import db from '../db.js';

const router = Router();

router.all('/api/staff', async function (req, res) {
	let table = new DataTable(db, 'datatables_demo').columns(
		new Column('first_name'),
		new Column('last_name'),
		new Column('age'),
		new Column('start_date')
			.getFormatter(Format.sqlDateToFormat('YYYY-MM-DD'))
	);

	await table.process(req.body);
	res.json(table.data());
});

export default router;

Documentation

For full documentation, please refer to the DataTables site.

License

MIT — see LICENSE for full text.