DataTables example Show / hide columns dynamically

This example shows how you can make use of the column().visible()DT API method to dynamically show and hide columns in a table. Also included here is scrolling, just to show it enabled with this API method, although that is not required for the API function to work.

In addition to this, groups of columns can be shown and hidden at the same time using the columns()DT method to select multiple columns and then using the columns().visible()DT method to set their state.

If you are looking for a more complete column visibility interaction controls ColVis for DataTables provides a complete interface for allowing the user to show and hide columns in the table.

Toggle column: Name - Position - Office - Age - Start date - Salary
NamePositionOfficeAgeStart dateSalary
Name
Position
Office
Age
Start date
Salary
Airi Satou Accountant Tokyo 33 2008/11/28 $162,700
Angelica Ramos Chief Executive Officer (CEO) London 47 2009/10/09 $1,200,000
Ashton Cox Junior Technical Author San Francisco 66 2009/01/12 $86,000
Bradley Greer Software Engineer London 41 2012/10/13 $132,000
Brenden Wagner Software Engineer San Francisco 28 2011/06/07 $206,850
Brielle Williamson Integration Specialist New York 61 2012/12/02 $372,000
Bruno Nash Software Engineer London 38 2011/05/03 $163,500
Caesar Vance Pre-Sales Support New York 21 2011/12/12 $106,450
Cara Stevens Sales Assistant New York 46 2011/12/06 $145,600
Cedric Kelly Senior Javascript Developer Edinburgh 22 2012/03/29 $433,060
Charde Marshall Regional Director San Francisco 36 2008/10/16 $470,600
Colleen Hurst Javascript Developer San Francisco 39 2009/09/15 $205,500
Dai Rios Personnel Lead Edinburgh 35 2012/09/26 $217,500
Donna Snider Customer Support New York 27 2011/01/25 $112,000
Doris Wilder Sales Assistant Sidney 23 2010/09/20 $85,600
Finn Camacho Support Engineer San Francisco 47 2009/07/07 $87,500
Fiona Green Chief Operating Officer (COO) San Francisco 48 2010/03/11 $850,000
Garrett Winters Accountant Tokyo 63 2011/07/25 $170,750
Gavin Cortez Team Leader San Francisco 22 2008/10/26 $235,500
Gavin Joyce Developer Edinburgh 42 2010/12/22 $92,575
Gloria Little Systems Administrator New York 59 2009/04/10 $237,500
Haley Kennedy Senior Marketing Designer London 43 2012/12/18 $313,500
Hermione Butler Regional Director London 47 2011/03/21 $356,250
Herrod Chandler Sales Assistant San Francisco 59 2012/08/06 $137,500
Hope Fuentes Secretary San Francisco 41 2010/02/12 $109,850
Howard Hatfield Office Manager San Francisco 51 2008/12/16 $164,500
Jackson Bradshaw Director New York 65 2008/09/26 $645,750
Jena Gaines Office Manager London 30 2008/12/19 $90,560
Jenette Caldwell Development Lead New York 30 2011/09/03 $345,000
Jennifer Acosta Junior Javascript Developer Edinburgh 43 2013/02/01 $75,650
Jennifer Chang Regional Director Singapore 28 2010/11/14 $357,650
Jonas Alexander Developer San Francisco 30 2010/07/14 $86,500
Lael Greer Systems Administrator London 21 2009/02/27 $103,500
Martena Mccray Post-Sales support Edinburgh 46 2011/03/09 $324,050
Michael Bruce Javascript Developer Singapore 29 2011/06/27 $183,000
Michael Silva Marketing Designer London 66 2012/11/27 $198,500
Michelle House Integration Specialist Sidney 37 2011/06/02 $95,400
Olivia Liang Support Engineer Singapore 64 2011/02/03 $234,500
Paul Byrd Chief Financial Officer (CFO) New York 64 2010/06/09 $725,000
Prescott Bartlett Technical Author London 27 2011/05/07 $145,000
Quinn Flynn Support Lead Edinburgh 22 2013/03/03 $342,000
Rhona Davidson Integration Specialist Tokyo 55 2010/10/14 $327,900
Sakura Yamamoto Support Engineer Tokyo 37 2009/08/19 $139,575
Serge Baldwin Data Coordinator Singapore 64 2012/04/09 $138,575
Shad Decker Regional Director Edinburgh 51 2008/11/13 $183,000
Shou Itou Regional Marketing Tokyo 20 2011/08/14 $163,000
Sonya Frost Software Engineer Edinburgh 23 2008/12/13 $103,600
Suki Burks Developer London 53 2009/10/22 $114,500
Tatyana Fitzpatrick Regional Director London 19 2010/03/17 $385,750
Thor Walton Developer New York 61 2013/08/11 $98,540
Tiger Nixon System Architect Edinburgh 61 2011/04/25 $320,800
Timothy Mooney Office Manager London 37 2008/12/11 $136,200
Unity Butler Marketing Designer San Francisco 47 2009/12/09 $85,675
Vivian Harrell Financial Controller San Francisco 62 2009/02/14 $452,500
Yuri Berry Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) New York 40 2009/06/25 $675,000
Zenaida Frank Software Engineer New York 63 2010/01/04 $125,250
Zorita Serrano Software Engineer San Francisco 56 2012/06/01 $115,000
NamePositionOfficeAgeStart dateSalary
Showing 1 to 57 of 57 entries

The Javascript shown below is used to initialise the table shown in this example:

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$(document).ready(function() {
    var table = $('#example').DataTable( {
        "scrollY": "200px",
        "paging": false
    } );
 
    $('a.toggle-vis').on( 'click', function (e) {
        e.preventDefault();
 
        // Get the column API object
        var column = table.column( $(this).attr('data-column') );
 
        // Toggle the visibility
        column.visible( ! column.visible() );
    } );
} );

In addition to the above code, the following Javascript library files are loaded for use in this example: