Datatables filter ignore special characters with html data

Question

I'm having some trouble initializing a Datatables search filter to ignore special characters. I'm using the technique from the datatables accent neutralise plugin.

It works properly with string data, but not with html data in the table. My test case uses names with variations of the letter u (with or without an umlaut)... u, ü, U, Ü I would like for the filter to show results for the name "tuv", regardless of capitalization or the umlaut on u.

STRING example:
search for "tuv" finds all cases, regardless of accents... but "name" column sort is not functioning correctly.
http://jsfiddle.net/lbriquet/hdq8bLqn/

HTML example:
search for "tuv" finds only unaccented matches.. but "name" column sort functions correctly. http://jsfiddle.net/lbriquet/cj2s501L/

Here is the initialization code:

jQuery.fn.dataTable.ext.type.search.string = function(data) {
  return !data ?
    '' :
    typeof data === 'string' ?
    data
    .replace(/έ/g, 'ε')
    .replace(/ύ/g, 'υ')
    .replace(/ό/g, 'ο')
    .replace(/ώ/g, 'ω')
    .replace(/ά/g, 'α')
    .replace(/ί/g, 'ι')
    .replace(/ή/g, 'η')
    .replace(/\n/g, ' ')
    .replace(/[áÁ]/g, 'a')
    .replace(/[éÉ]/g, 'e')
    .replace(/[íÍ]/g, 'i')
    .replace(/[óÓ]/g, 'o')
    .replace(/[úÚ]/g, 'u')
    .replace(/[üÜ]/g, 'u')
    .replace(/ê/g, 'e')
    .replace(/î/g, 'i')
    .replace(/ô/g, 'o')
    .replace(/è/g, 'e')
    .replace(/ï/g, 'i')
    .replace(/ã/g, 'a')
    .replace(/õ/g, 'o')
    .replace(/ç/g, 'c')
    .replace(/ì/g, 'i') :
    data;
};

$(document).ready(function() {
  var oTable = $('#example').DataTable();
  // Remove accented character from search input as well
  $('#example_filter input').keyup(function() {
    oTable
      .search(
        jQuery.fn.dataTable.ext.type.search.string(this.value)
      )
      .draw();
  });
});

I think the strip html plugin could be adapted to address this problem. I've got it working to replace one special character, but I need to be able to replace several. The column sorting also works correctly with this method.

https://jsfiddle.net/lbriquet/ueo8x7up/

(function () {
var _div = document.createElement('div');
jQuery.fn.dataTable.ext.type.search.html = function(data) {
    _div.innerHTML = data;
  return _div.textContent ? 
    _div.textContent.replace(/[üÜ]/g, 'u') :
    _div.innerText.replace(/[üÜ]/g, 'u');
};
})();

$(document).ready(function() {
  var oTable = $('#example').DataTable({
    "columnDefs": [{
      "type": "html",
      "targets": '_all'
    }]
  });
});

Can anyone give me a hand with this?

Answer 1

I found the solution, by adapting the Datatables strip html plugin to replace a chain of special characters in the html.

The jQuery.fn.dataTable.ext.type.search.html method resolved the problems faced when tables contain html data that could not be resolved with the jQuery.fn.dataTable.ext.type.search.string method used in the Datatables accent neutralise plugin.

https://jsfiddle.net/lbriquet/xjzuahrt/1/

(function() {
  var _div = document.createElement('div');
  jQuery.fn.dataTable.ext.type.search.html = function(data) {
    _div.innerHTML = data;
    return _div.textContent ?
      _div.textContent
        .replace(/[áÁàÀâÂäÄãÃåÅæÆ]/g, 'a')
        .replace(/[çÇ]/g, 'c')
        .replace(/[éÉèÈêÊëË]/g, 'e')
        .replace(/[íÍìÌîÎïÏîĩĨĬĭ]/g, 'i')
        .replace(/[ñÑ]/g, 'n')
        .replace(/[óÓòÒôÔöÖœŒ]/g, 'o')
        .replace(/[ß]/g, 's')
        .replace(/[úÚùÙûÛüÜ]/g, 'u')
        .replace(/[ýÝŷŶŸÿ]/g, 'n') :
      _div.innerText
        .replace(/[áÁàÀâÂäÄãÃåÅæÆ]/g, 'a')
        .replace(/[çÇ]/g, 'c')
        .replace(/[éÉèÈêÊëË]/g, 'e')
        .replace(/[íÍìÌîÎïÏîĩĨĬĭ]/g, 'i')
        .replace(/[ñÑ]/g, 'n')
        .replace(/[óÓòÒôÔöÖœŒ]/g, 'o')
        .replace(/[ß]/g, 's')
        .replace(/[úÚùÙûÛüÜ]/g, 'u')
        .replace(/[ýÝŷŶŸÿ]/g, 'n');
  };
})();

$(document).ready(function() {
  var oTable = $('#example').DataTable({
    "columnDefs": [{
      "type": "html",
      "targets": '_all'
    }]
  });
 // Remove accented character from search input as well
    $('#example_filter input[type=search]').keyup( function () {
        var table = $('#example').DataTable(); 
        table.search(
            jQuery.fn.DataTable.ext.type.search.html(this.value)
        ).draw();
    } );
});