Datatables - Search Box outside datatable

I'm using DataTables (datatables.net) and I would like my search box to be outside of the table (for example in my header div).

Is this possible ?

You can use the DataTables api to filter the table. So all you need is your own input field with a keyup event that triggers the filter function to DataTables. With css or jquery you can hide/remove the existing search input field. Or maybe DataTables has a setting to remove/not-include it.

Checkout the Datatables API documentation on this.

Example:

HTML

<input type="text" id="myInputTextField">

JS

oTable = $('#myTable').DataTable();   //pay attention to capital D, which is mandatory to retrieve "api" datatables' object, as @Lionel said
$('#myInputTextField').keyup(function(){
      oTable.search($(this).val()).draw() ;
})

As per @lvkz comment :

if you are using datatable with uppercase d .DataTable() ( this will return a Datatable API object ) use this :

 oTable.search($(this).val()).draw() ;

which is @netbrain answer.

if you are using datatable with lowercase d .dataTable() ( this will return a jquery object ) use this :

 oTable.fnFilter($(this).val());

You can use the sDom option for this.

Default with search input in its own div:

sDom: '<"search-box"r>lftip'

If you use jQuery UI (bjQueryUI set to true):

sDom: '<"search-box"r><"H"lf>t<"F"ip>'

The above will put the search/filtering input element into it's own div with a class named search-box that is outside of the actual table.

Even though it uses its special shorthand syntax it can actually take any HTML you throw at it.

This one helped me for DataTables Version 1.10.4, because its new API

var oTable = $('#myTable').DataTable();    
$('#myInputTextField').keyup(function(){
   oTable.search( $(this).val() ).draw();
})

I had the same problem.

I tried all alternatives posted, but no work, I used a way that is not right but it worked perfectly.

Example search input

<input id="searchInput" type="text"> 

the jquery code

$('#listingData').dataTable({
  responsive: true,
  "bFilter": true // show search input
});
$("#listingData_filter").addClass("hidden"); // hidden search input

$("#searchInput").on("input", function (e) {
   e.preventDefault();
   $('#listingData').DataTable().search($(this).val()).draw();
});

For recent and new version of DataTables, You should follow these steps:

1- searching option must be true.

2- Hide default search input:

.dataTables_filter {
    display: none;
}

3- Add new search input:

<input type="text" id="search">

4- Request search:

$('#search').keyup(function() {
    var table = $('.table-meetups').DataTable();
    table.search($(this).val()).draw();
});

More recent versions have a different syntax:

var table = $('#example').DataTable();
 
// #myInput is a <input type="text"> element
$('#myInput').on('keyup change', function () {
    table.search(this.value).draw();
});

Note that this example uses the variable table assigned when datatables is first initialised. If you don't have this variable available, simply use:

var table = $('#example').dataTable().api();
 
// #myInput is a <input type="text"> element
$('#myInput').on('keyup change', function () {
    table.search(this.value).draw();
});

Since: DataTables 1.10

– Source: https://datatables.net/reference/api/search()

I want to add one more thing to the @netbrain's answer relevant in case you use server-side processing (see serverSide option).

Query throttling performed by default by datatables (see searchDelay option) does not apply to the .search() API call. You can get it back by using $.fn.dataTable.util.throttle() in the following way:

var table = $('#myTable').DataTable();
var search = $.fn.dataTable.util.throttle(
    function(val) {
        table.search(val).draw();
    },
    400  // Search delay in ms
);
 
$('#mySearchBox').keyup(function() {
    search(this.value);
});

This should be work for you:(DataTables 1.10.7)

oTable = $('#myTable').dataTable();

$('#myInputTextField').on('keyup change', function(){
  oTable.api().search($(this).val()).draw();
})

or

oTable = $('#myTable').DataTable();

$('#myInputTextField').on('keyup change', function(){
  oTable.search($(this).val()).draw();
})

You could move the div when the table is drawn using the fnDrawCallback function.

    $("#myTable").dataTable({
    "fnDrawCallback": function (oSettings) {
        $(".dataTables_filter").each(function () {
            $(this).appendTo($(this).parent().siblings(".panel-body"));
        });
    }
});

$('#example').DataTable({
   "bProcessing": true,
   "bServerSide": true,
   "sAjaxSource": "../admin/ajax/loadtransajax.php",
   "fnServerParams": function (aoData) {
        // Initialize your variables here
        // I have assign the textbox value for "text_min_val"
        var min_val = $("#min").val();  //push to the aoData
        aoData.push({name: "text_min_val", value:min_val});
   },
   "fnCreatedRow": function (nRow, aData, iDataIndex) {
       $(nRow).attr('id', 'tr_' + aData[0]);
       $(nRow).attr('name', 'tr_' + aData[0]);
       $(nRow).attr('min', 'tr_' + aData[0]); 
       $(nRow).attr('max', 'tr_' + aData[0]); 
   }
});

In loadtransajax.php you may receive the get value:

if ($_GET['text_min_val']){
    $sWhere = "WHERE ("; 
    $sWhere .= " t_group_no LIKE '%" . mysql_real_escape_string($_GET['text_min_val']) . "%' ";
    $sWhere .= ')';
}

If you are using JQuery dataTable so you need to just add "bFilter":true. This will display default search box outside table and its works dynamically..as per expected

$("#archivedAssignments").dataTable({
                "sPaginationType": "full_numbers",
                "bFilter":true,
                "sPageFirst": false,
                "sPageLast": false,
                "oLanguage": {
                "oPaginate": {
                    "sPrevious": "<< previous",
                    "sNext" : "Next >>",
                    "sFirst": "<<",
                    "sLast": ">>"
                    }
                },
            "bJQueryUI": false,
            "bLengthChange": false,
            "bInfo":false,
            "bSortable":true
        });