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I'm using jQuery DataTables and I would like to know if there's possible to disable automatic sorting on the first column of the table?

My code looks like this:

        /* Default class modification */
        $.extend( $.fn.dataTableExt.oStdClasses, {
            "sWrapper": "dataTables_wrapper form-inline"
        } );

        /* API method to get paging information */
        $.fn.dataTableExt.oApi.fnPagingInfo = function ( oSettings )
        {
            return {
                "iStart":         oSettings._iDisplayStart,
                "iEnd":           oSettings.fnDisplayEnd(),
                "iLength":        oSettings._iDisplayLength,
                "iTotal":         oSettings.fnRecordsTotal(),
                "iFilteredTotal": oSettings.fnRecordsDisplay(),
                "iPage":          Math.ceil( oSettings._iDisplayStart / oSettings._iDisplayLength ),
                "iTotalPages":    Math.ceil( oSettings.fnRecordsDisplay() / oSettings._iDisplayLength )
            };
        }

        /* Bootstrap style pagination control */
        $.extend( $.fn.dataTableExt.oPagination, {
            "bootstrap": {
                "fnInit": function( oSettings, nPaging, fnDraw ) {
                    var oLang = oSettings.oLanguage.oPaginate;
                    var fnClickHandler = function ( e ) {
                        e.preventDefault();
                        if ( oSettings.oApi._fnPageChange(oSettings, e.data.action) ) {
                            fnDraw( oSettings );
                        }
                    };

                    $(nPaging).addClass('pagination').append(
                        '<ul>'+
                            '<li class="prev disabled"><a href="#">&larr; '+oLang.sPrevious+'</a></li>'+
                            '<li class="next disabled"><a href="#">'+oLang.sNext+' &rarr; </a></li>'+
                        '</ul>'
                    );
                    var els = $('a', nPaging);
                    $(els[0]).bind( 'click.DT', { action: "previous" }, fnClickHandler );
                    $(els[1]).bind( 'click.DT', { action: "next" }, fnClickHandler );
                },

                "fnUpdate": function ( oSettings, fnDraw ) {
                    var iListLength = 5;
                    var oPaging = oSettings.oInstance.fnPagingInfo();
                    var an = oSettings.aanFeatures.p;
                    var i, j, sClass, iStart, iEnd, iHalf=Math.floor(iListLength/2);

                    if ( oPaging.iTotalPages < iListLength) {
                        iStart = 1;
                        iEnd = oPaging.iTotalPages;
                    }
                    else if ( oPaging.iPage <= iHalf ) {
                        iStart = 1;
                        iEnd = iListLength;
                    } else if ( oPaging.iPage >= (oPaging.iTotalPages-iHalf) ) {
                        iStart = oPaging.iTotalPages - iListLength + 1;
                        iEnd = oPaging.iTotalPages;
                    } else {
                        iStart = oPaging.iPage - iHalf + 1;
                        iEnd = iStart + iListLength - 1;
                    }

                    for ( i=0, iLen=an.length ; i<iLen ; i++ ) {
                        // Remove the middle elements
                        $('li:gt(0)', an[i]).filter(':not(:last)').remove();

                        // Add the new list items and their event handlers
                        for ( j=iStart ; j<=iEnd ; j++ ) {
                            sClass = (j==oPaging.iPage+1) ? 'class="active"' : '';
                            $('<li '+sClass+'><a href="#">'+j+'</a></li>')
                                .insertBefore( $('li:last', an[i])[0] )
                                .bind('click', function (e) {
                                    e.preventDefault();
                                    oSettings._iDisplayStart = (parseInt($('a', this).text(),10)-1) * oPaging.iLength;
                                    fnDraw( oSettings );
                                } );
                        }

                        // Add / remove disabled classes from the static elements
                        if ( oPaging.iPage === 0 ) {
                            $('li:first', an[i]).addClass('disabled');
                        } else {
                            $('li:first', an[i]).removeClass('disabled');
                        }

                        if ( oPaging.iPage === oPaging.iTotalPages-1 || oPaging.iTotalPages === 0 ) {
                            $('li:last', an[i]).addClass('disabled');
                        } else {
                            $('li:last', an[i]).removeClass('disabled');
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        });

        /* Show/hide table column */
        function dtShowHideCol( iCol ) {
            var oTable = $('#example-2').dataTable();
            var bVis = oTable.fnSettings().aoColumns[iCol].bVisible;
            oTable.fnSetColumnVis( iCol, bVis ? false : true );
        };

        /* Table #example */
        $(document).ready(function() {
            $('.datatable').dataTable( {
                "sDom": "<'row'<'span6'l><'span6'f>r>t<'row'<'span6'i><'span6'p>>",
                "sPaginationType": "bootstrap",                    
                "oLanguage": {
                    "sLengthMenu": "_MENU_ records per page"
                },
                "aoColumnDefs": [
                    { 
                        "bSortable": false, 
                        "aTargets": [ -1 ] // <-- gets last column and turns off sorting
                    } 
                ]
            });
            $('.datatable-controls').on('click','li input',function(){
                dtShowHideCol( $(this).val() );
            })
        });
share|improve this question
up vote 76 down vote accepted

Set the aaSorting option to an empty array. It will disable initial sorting, whilst still allowing manual sorting when you click on a column.

"aaSorting": []

The aaSorting array should contain an array for each column to be sorted initially containing the column's index and a direction string ('asc' or 'desc').

share|improve this answer
    
Works just fine, thank you! – Psyche Aug 27 '12 at 15:41
    
This is the solution ;) thanks dude – isabelle martz Mar 26 '15 at 20:32
    
It doesn't work with the option "bStateSave": true. – Mohit Mehta Jul 7 '15 at 11:33
5  
For the newer version of DataTables (version 1.10.7), see my answer below. – jbgarr Jul 16 '15 at 20:14
    
Yes, worked for me... thanks. – Buminda Nov 25 '15 at 3:23

In the newer version of datatables (version 1.10.7) it seems things have changed. The way to prevent DataTables from automatically sorting by the first column is to set the order option to an empty array.

You just need to add the following parameter to the DataTables options:

"order": [] 

Set up your DataTable as follows in order to override the default setting:

$('#example').dataTable( {
    "order": [],
    // Your other options here...
} );

That will override the default setting of "order": [[ 0, 'asc' ]].

You can find more details regarding the order option here: https://datatables.net/reference/option/order

share|improve this answer
    
I'd like to clarify that the thing that has changed with newer versions of DataTables is the naming convention of the options has been simplified, but the options themselves haven't changed. The old option names still work; "aaSorting" and "order" are interchangeable. Also, "aaData" is now "data", "sTitle" is now "title", "bSortable" is now "sortable" and so on. – BobRodes Jun 27 at 8:53

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