Dependent fields
When working with complex forms, you often have fields whose state is dependent upon the input values of other fields in the form. For example you might
have a select
list of options, the options
for which depend upon the value selected for another select
list.
The dependent()
method is available in
Editor to make this type of complex interaction trivial. You simply attach the dependent()
method to a field that you want to trigger an update
the form when its value changes. You then have the option of defining a local callback or an Ajax call that will return an object that will reconfigure the
form. You have the options of showing, hiding, enabling and disabling fields. You can also update labels, options, values, information messages and error
messages! See the dependent()
documentation
for full details.
This example shows dependent()
attached
to a simple select
field that is used to show
and hide additional fields in the table (a simple and complex view). This is just a very simple example to show how easy it is to get started with dependent()
.
Name | Position | Office | Extn. | Start date | Salary |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Position | Office | Extn. | Start date | Salary |
- Javascript
- HTML
- CSS
- Ajax
- Server-side script
- Comments
The Javascript shown below is used to initialise the table shown in this example:
var editor; // use a global for the submit and return data rendering in the examples
$(document).ready(function() {
editor = new $.fn.dataTable.Editor( {
ajax: "../php/staff.php",
table: "#example",
fields: [ {
label: "First name:",
name: "first_name"
}, {
label: "Last name:",
name: "last_name"
}, {
label: "Show options:",
name: "options",
type: "select",
options: [ "Simple", "All" ],
def: "Simple"
}, {
label: "Position:",
name: "position"
}, {
label: "Office:",
name: "office"
}, {
label: "Extension:",
name: "extn"
}, {
label: "Start date:",
name: "start_date",
type: "datetime"
}, {
label: "Salary:",
name: "salary"
}
]
} );
editor.dependent( 'options', function ( val ) {
return val === 'Simple' ?
{ hide: ['position', 'office', 'extn', 'start_date', 'salary'] } :
{ show: ['position', 'office', 'extn', 'start_date', 'salary'] };
} );
$('#example').DataTable( {
dom: "Bfrtip",
ajax: "../php/staff.php",
columns: [
{ data: null, render: function ( data, type, row ) {
// Combine the first and last names into a single table field
return data.first_name+' '+data.last_name;
} },
{ data: "position" },
{ data: "office" },
{ data: "extn" },
{ data: "start_date" },
{ data: "salary", render: $.fn.dataTable.render.number( ',', '.', 0, '$' ) }
],
select: true,
buttons: [
{ extend: "create", editor: editor },
{ extend: "edit", editor: editor },
{ extend: "remove", editor: editor }
]
} );
} );
In addition to the above code, the following Javascript library files are loaded for use in this example:
- https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.5.1.js
- https://cdn.datatables.net/1.13.4/js/jquery.dataTables.min.js
- https://cdn.datatables.net/buttons/2.3.6/js/dataTables.buttons.min.js
- https://cdn.datatables.net/select/1.6.2/js/dataTables.select.min.js
- https://cdn.datatables.net/datetime/1.4.1/js/dataTables.dateTime.min.js
- ../../extensions/Editor/js/dataTables.editor.min.js
The HTML shown below is the raw HTML table element, before it has been enhanced by DataTables:
This example uses a little bit of additional CSS beyond what is loaded from the library files (below), in order to correctly display the table. The additional CSS used is shown below:
The following CSS library files are loaded for use in this example to provide the styling of the table:
- https://cdn.datatables.net/1.13.4/css/jquery.dataTables.min.css
- https://cdn.datatables.net/buttons/2.3.6/css/buttons.dataTables.min.css
- https://cdn.datatables.net/select/1.6.2/css/select.dataTables.min.css
- https://cdn.datatables.net/datetime/1.4.1/css/dataTables.dateTime.min.css
- ../../extensions/Editor/css/editor.dataTables.min.css
This table loads data by Ajax. The latest data that has been loaded is shown below. This data will update automatically as any additional data is loaded.
The script used to perform the server-side processing for this table is shown below. Please note that this is just an example script using PHP. Server-side processing scripts can be written in any language, using the protocol described in the DataTables documentation.
Other examples
Simple initialisation
- Basic initialisation
- Multi-row editing
- Field types
- Setting defaults
- Local table editing
- Internationalisation (local)
- Internationalisation (from JSON file)
- In table form controls
- Server-side processing
- Custom form layout / templates (attributes)
- Custom form layout / templates (tags)
- Join tables - working with multiple SQL tables
Advanced initialisation
- Data shown only in the form
- Data shown in table only
- Multi-item editing (rows, columns, cells)
- REST interface
- Complex (nested) JSON data source
- Ajax override - using localStorage for the data source
- Row ID source specification
- Compound database primary key
- DOM sourced table
- SQL VIEW
- Join tables - self referencing join
- Join tables - link table
- Join tables - Cascading lists
- Join tables - one-to-many join
- File upload
- File upload (many)
- Parent child editor
DataTables extensions
- Excel like keyboard navigation
- Excel like AutoFill feature
- AutoFill and KeyTable together
- Export buttons
- CSV import
- Responsive table extension
- Row reordering
- SearchBuilder Integration for Editor
- SearchBuilder Integration for Editor with Set Types
- SearchBuilder Integration for Editor with PreDefined Criteria
- SearchPanes Integration for Editor
- SearchBuilder Integration for Editor with Select Elements
- SearchPanes Integration for Editor with ViewTotal
- SearchPanes Integration for Editor with CascadePanes
Inline editing
- Simple inline editing
- Tab between columns
- Editing options - submit on blur
- Editing options - submit full row data
- Inline editing with a submit button
- Edit icon
- Joined tables
- Selected columns only
- Responsive integration
- FixedColumns integration
- Server-side processing
- Whole row - icon controls
- Whole row - any cell acivation
- Whole row - inline create
- Whole row - blur submit
Styling
- Bootstrap 3
- Bootstrap 4
- Bootstrap 5
- Bootstrap 5 with floating labels
- Foundation
- Bulma
- Fomantic-UI (formally Semantic-UI)
- jQuery UI
- Field display styling options
- Multi-column layout
- Large window layout
- Stacked inputs
- Envelope display controller
- Envelope display with in table controls
- Custom form layout / templates