Columns Overview

Each column in a DataTable is a PHP object that configures how a field is displayed, sorted, searched, and exported. All column classes extend AbstractColumn, which provides a common set of fluent methods.

Creating a Column

Use the static ::new() factory on the concrete column class:

use Pentiminax\UX\DataTables\Column\TextColumn;
use Pentiminax\UX\DataTables\Column\NumberColumn;
use Pentiminax\UX\DataTables\Column\DateColumn;

TextColumn::new('firstName', 'First Name');
NumberColumn::new('age', 'Age');
DateColumn::new('createdAt', 'Created');

The first argument is the data key (must match your mapRow() output), the second is the display header.

Choosing a Column Type

Inherited Methods (AbstractColumn)

All column types inherit these methods.

Display

$column
    ->setTitle('Full Name')           // Header label
    ->setClassName('text-primary')    // CSS class on each cell
    ->setWidth('200px')               // Column width
    ->setVisible(false)               // Hide the column
    ->setDefaultContent('N/A');       // Fallback for null values

Data

$column
    ->setData('user.name')            // Nested data path for inline rows
    ->setField('product.ref');        // Nested property path for entity rows

Sorting & Searching

$column
    ->setOrderable(false)             // Disable sorting
    ->setSearchable(false)            // Disable column search
    ->disableGlobalSearch();          // Exclude from global search

Sorting on a custom expression

By default, server-side ordering targets <alias>.<field>. For a computed column — one backed by a SELECT alias instead of a mapped entity field — that resolution fails (has no field or association named …). Use setOrderExpression() to provide the raw DQL expression or SELECT alias used verbatim in the ORDER BY, bypassing the default resolution:

NumberColumn::new('invoiceCount', 'Invoices')
    ->setOrderExpression('invoiceCount') // a SELECT alias added in customizeQueryBuilder()
    ->setSearchable(false)
    ->disableGlobalSearch();

See Sorting computed columns for the matching customizeQueryBuilder() setup.

Cell Type

$column->setCellType('th');           // Use <th> instead of <td>

Custom JS Rendering

Define arbitrary DataTables render callbacks client-side with the datatables:pre-connect event:

this.element.addEventListener('datatables:pre-connect', (event) => {
  event.detail.config.columns[0].render = (data) => `<strong>${data}</strong>`
})

Export

$column->setExportable(false);        // Exclude from CSV/Excel exports

Non-exportable columns automatically receive the not-exportable CSS class.

Edit Form Control

$column->hideWhenUpdating();          // Exclude from inline edit modal

Custom Options

Pass arbitrary options to the frontend renderer:

$column->setCustomOption('myKey', 'myValue');

ColumnType Enum

The ColumnType enum controls DataTables.net’s internal sort and search algorithm for a column:

Translating Column Titles

Pass a Symfony translator key as the title and it will be resolved automatically when using AbstractDataTable:

yield TextColumn::new('name', 'datatable.columns.name');
yield TextColumn::new('email', 'datatable.columns.email');

Serialization

jsonSerialize() returns the DataTables.net configuration array for a column:

$config = $column->jsonSerialize();
// ['data' => 'name', 'title' => 'Full Name', 'orderable' => true, ...]