How to Sort Data by Primary Key in jQuery DataTable

Discover how to properly display data in descending order using `jQuery DataTable` by sorting it via the primary key.
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Sorting Data by Primary Key in jQuery DataTable

When developing web applications, especially those that display data, you often need to ensure that your information is organized. One common requirement is sorting data by a primary key to improve readability and usability. In this guide, we'll address how to sort data displayed in a jQuery DataTable by its primary key, specifically focusing on sorting in descending order.

The Problem

You may find yourself using a jQuery DataTable to display data on your view page, but the data is not sorting properly based on your primary key. In this case, we are interested in sorting by BusinessId, which is the primary key in your dataset.

Here’s an example of the setup in the controller:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Despite the backend logic being correct, the data may not reflect the correct sorting in the front-end display.

The Existing HTML Structure

The HTML structure of your table looks something like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Here, we can see that the table includes data rows but fails to display them sorted by BusinessId.

The Solution

To resolve the sorting issue, follow these steps. We will need to make a small modification to the jQuery DataTable initialization script to ensure that the data is sorted correctly by BusinessId.

Step 1: Add the Column for BusinessId

First, ensure that the BusinessId is included as a hidden column at the beginning of your table:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This will not show the column in the front-end but will allow the sorting functionality to access it.

Step 2: Modify the jQuery DataTable Initialization

Next, update your jQuery DataTable initialization script to include the sorting configuration. Here's how to do it:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Config Explanation:

columnDefs: This defines the properties for the columns in your table. Here, we specify that the first column (index 0) should not be visible but still usable for sorting.

order: This specifies how to order the data. We set it to sort by the first column, which is BusinessId, in descending order.

Conclusion

By implementing the above changes, you should now see your data correctly sorted by BusinessId in descending order when displayed in your jQuery DataTable. Properly configuring your table for sorting is essential for an optimal user experience, particularly when dealing with large datasets.

If you have further questions or run into issues, feel free to leave a comment below. Happy coding!