Requirements and limitations

Requirements and limitations

There are few points that you should take in account when use DataTables.Queryable:

columnDefs: data/name

You should specify data or/and name for each column in columnDefs section of datatables configuration:

// client-side code (JavaScript)
var table = $('#table').DataTable({
    serverSide: true,
    order: [[0, "asc"]],
    pageLength: 10,
    ajax: { url: '/DataTables/GetPersons' },
    columnDefs: [
        { targets: 0, data: 'Name' },
        { targets: 1, data: 'Position' },
        { targets: 2, data: 'Office' },
        { targets: 3, data: 'Extn' },
        ...
    ]
});

Properties names matching

Model type used on server side should have public properties with same names as data or/and name on client side:

// server-side code (C#)
public class Person
{
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public string Position { get; set; }
    public string Office { get; set; }
    public int Extn { get; set; }
    ...
}

EF limitations

If you use custom filtering or modified search predicates features of DataTables.Queryable with Entity Framework, please remember that only limited number of expressions can be translated to SQL queries.

• Do not use custom C# functions in predicates:

private bool MyMatcherFunction(Person p, string textToMatch)
{
    return p.Name.StartsWith(textToMatch);
}

...

// will not work!
request.Columns[p => p.Name]
    .GlobalSearchPredicate = p => MyMatcherFunction(p, request.GlobalSearchValue);

// this is OK
request.Columns[p => p.Name]
    .GlobalSearchPredicate = p => p.Name.StartsWith(request.GlobalSearchValue);

• Do not use complex type conversions

// will not work!
request.Columns[p => p.StartDate]
    .GlobalSearchPredicate = (p) => p.StartDate.ToString("dd-MM-yyyy").StartsWith(request.GlobalSearchValue);

• Do not use regular expressions

// will not work!
var regex = new Regex(request.GlobalSearchValue);
request.Columns[p => p.Name]
    .GlobalSearchPredicate = (p) => regex.IsMatch(p.Name);