How to Handle Special Characters in jQuery Datatables

Discover how to properly display special characters in jQuery Datatables and avoid issues with HTML entities.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/72358299/ asked by the user 'Francisco José Gimeno Esteban' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/10739284/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/72358770/ provided by the user 'Rory McCrossan' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/519413/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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How to Handle Special Characters in jQuery Datatables

When working with data in web applications, you might come across the issue of special characters not displaying as expected. A common problem arises when using jQuery with datatables, particularly when clicking on a row that contains HTML entities like >. In this guide, we’ll look at why this occurs and provide a straightforward solution.

The Problem

Imagine you have set up a jQuery datatable that displays various data, including special characters. In your case, the character > is correctly displayed in the table, but when you click on a row to interact with it, the corresponding code shows up as > instead of the expected >. This can be frustrating, especially when you want to present the data as cleanly and correctly as possible.

Example of the Issue

Here's an example of the code you're working with:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

While it's functioning correctly in showing the > character in the datatable, the output when interacting with the data leaves much to be desired.

The Solution

The root of the issue here lies in how jQuery handles text and HTML elements. By using the method text(), jQuery escapes HTML entities, which is why you're seeing > instead of >. To resolve this, we can switch to using the html() method instead.

Step-by-Step Implementation

Identify the Data: Confirm the text you want to display, which includes special characters.

Update Your JavaScript Code: Instead of using text(), change it to html() to properly render the HTML entities as characters.

Here's how your code will look after making the change:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Full Example

For a complete view, here’s how both the JavaScript and HTML are structured:

JavaScript:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

HTML:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Key Takeaways

Use html() for HTML Entities: When you need special characters or HTML entities to render correctly, always prefer html() over text().

Save Time with Solutions: Addressing such issues early can save you time and confusion later on in your project.

By following these simple adjustments, you will assure that your datatable not only functions as intended but also presents data correctly, enhancing user experience.

Now, go ahead and implement these changes in your code! Happy coding!

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