javascript - How can I search multiple columns in DataTables?

Question

I am trying to combine a column search and a normal search on specific columns.

If you look for example at the snippet below, I want to be able to search the columns Name and Position, with the "normal" search, and ignore the rest of it, but I still want to be able to select an value at the bottom of the Office column.

$(document).ready(function () {
    $('#example').DataTable({
        initComplete: function () {
            this.api().columns().every(function () {
                var column = this;
                var select = $('<select><option value=""></option></select>')
                    .appendTo($(column.footer()).empty())
                    .on('change', function () {
                    var val = $.fn.dataTable.util.escapeRegex(
                    $(this).val());

                    column.search(val ? '^' + val + '$' : '', true, false)
                        .draw();
                });

                column.data().unique().sort().each(function (d, j) {
                    select.append('<option value="' + d + '">' + d + '</option>')
                });
            });
        }
    });
});

<link href="https://cdn.datatables.net/1.10.10/css/jquery.dataTables.min.css" rel="stylesheet">
<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
<script src="https://cdn.datatables.net/1.10.10/js/jquery.dataTables.min.js"></script>
<table id="example" class="display" cellspacing="0" width="100%">
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th>Name</th>
            <th>Position</th>
            <th>Office</th>
            <th>Age</th>
            <th>Start date</th>
            <th>Salary</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tfoot>
        <tr>
            <th>Name</th>
            <th>Position</th>
            <th>Office</th>
            <th>Age</th>
            <th>Start date</th>
            <th>Salary</th>
        </tr>
    </tfoot>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td>Tiger Nixon</td>
            <td>System Architect</td>
            <td>Edinburgh</td>
            <td>61</td>
            <td>2011/04/25</td>
            <td>$320,800</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Garrett Winters</td>
            <td>Accountant</td>
            <td>Tokyo</td>
            <td>63</td>
            <td>2011/07/25</td>
            <td>$170,750</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Ashton Cox</td>
            <td>Junior Technical Author</td>
            <td>San Francisco</td>
            <td>66</td>
            <td>2009/01/12</td>
            <td>$86,000</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Cedric Kelly</td>
            <td>Senior Javascript Developer</td>
            <td>Edinburgh</td>
            <td>22</td>
            <td>2012/03/29</td>
            <td>$433,060</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Airi Satou</td>
            <td>Accountant</td>
            <td>Tokyo</td>
            <td>33</td>
            <td>2008/11/28</td>
            <td>$162,700</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Brielle Williamson</td>
            <td>Integration Specialist</td>
            <td>New York</td>
            <td>61</td>
            <td>2012/12/02</td>
            <td>$372,000</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Herrod Chandler</td>
            <td>Sales Assistant</td>
            <td>San Francisco</td>
            <td>59</td>
            <td>2012/08/06</td>
            <td>$137,500</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Rhona Davidson</td>
            <td>Integration Specialist</td>
            <td>Tokyo</td>
            <td>55</td>
            <td>2010/10/14</td>
            <td>$327,900</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Colleen Hurst</td>
            <td>Javascript Developer</td>
            <td>San Francisco</td>
            <td>39</td>
            <td>2009/09/15</td>
            <td>$205,500</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Sonya Frost</td>
            <td>Software Engineer</td>
            <td>Edinburgh</td>
            <td>23</td>
            <td>2008/12/13</td>
            <td>$103,600</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Jena Gaines</td>
            <td>Office Manager</td>
            <td>London</td>
            <td>30</td>
            <td>2008/12/19</td>
            <td>$90,560</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Quinn Flynn</td>
            <td>Support Lead</td>
            <td>Edinburgh</td>
            <td>22</td>
            <td>2013/03/03</td>
            <td>$342,000</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Charde Marshall</td>
            <td>Regional Director</td>
            <td>San Francisco</td>
            <td>36</td>
            <td>2008/10/16</td>
            <td>$470,600</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Haley Kennedy</td>
            <td>Senior Marketing Designer</td>
            <td>London</td>
            <td>43</td>
            <td>2012/12/18</td>
            <td>$313,500</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Tatyana Fitzpatrick</td>
            <td>Regional Director</td>
            <td>London</td>
            <td>19</td>
            <td>2010/03/17</td>
            <td>$385,750</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Michael Silva</td>
            <td>Marketing Designer</td>
            <td>London</td>
            <td>66</td>
            <td>2012/11/27</td>
            <td>$198,500</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Paul Byrd</td>
            <td>Chief Financial Officer (CFO)</td>
            <td>New York</td>
            <td>64</td>
            <td>2010/06/09</td>
            <td>$725,000</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Gloria Little</td>
            <td>Systems Administrator</td>
            <td>New York</td>
            <td>59</td>
            <td>2009/04/10</td>
            <td>$237,500</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Bradley Greer</td>
            <td>Software Engineer</td>
            <td>London</td>
            <td>41</td>
            <td>2012/10/13</td>
            <td>$132,000</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Dai Rios</td>
            <td>Personnel Lead</td>
            <td>Edinburgh</td>
            <td>35</td>
            <td>2012/09/26</td>
            <td>$217,500</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Jenette Caldwell</td>
            <td>Development Lead</td>
            <td>New York</td>
            <td>30</td>
            <td>2011/09/03</td>
            <td>$345,000</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Yuri Berry</td>
            <td>Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)</td>
            <td>New York</td>
            <td>40</td>
            <td>2009/06/25</td>
            <td>$675,000</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Caesar Vance</td>
            <td>Pre-Sales Support</td>
            <td>New York</td>
            <td>21</td>
            <td>2011/12/12</td>
            <td>$106,450</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Doris Wilder</td>
            <td>Sales Assistant</td>
            <td>Sidney</td>
            <td>23</td>
            <td>2010/09/20</td>
            <td>$85,600</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Angelica Ramos</td>
            <td>Chief Executive Officer (CEO)</td>
            <td>London</td>
            <td>47</td>
            <td>2009/10/09</td>
            <td>$1,200,000</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Gavin Joyce</td>
            <td>Developer</td>
            <td>Edinburgh</td>
            <td>42</td>
            <td>2010/12/22</td>
            <td>$92,575</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Jennifer Chang</td>
            <td>Regional Director</td>
            <td>Singapore</td>
            <td>28</td>
            <td>2010/11/14</td>
            <td>$357,650</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Brenden Wagner</td>
            <td>Software Engineer</td>
            <td>San Francisco</td>
            <td>28</td>
            <td>2011/06/07</td>
            <td>$206,850</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Fiona Green</td>
            <td>Chief Operating Officer (COO)</td>
            <td>San Francisco</td>
            <td>48</td>
            <td>2010/03/11</td>
            <td>$850,000</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Shou Itou</td>
            <td>Regional Marketing</td>
            <td>Tokyo</td>
            <td>20</td>
            <td>2011/08/14</td>
            <td>$163,000</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Michelle House</td>

Answer 1

You can override the built in search / filter with a custom filter :

$('.dataTables_filter input').unbind().on('keyup', function() {
    var searchTerm = this.value.toLowerCase();
    $.fn.dataTable.ext.search.push(function(settings, data, dataIndex) {
       //search only in column 1 and 2
       if (~data[0].toLowerCase().indexOf(searchTerm)) return true;
       if (~data[1].toLowerCase().indexOf(searchTerm)) return true;
       return false;
   })
   table.draw(); 
   $.fn.dataTable.ext.search.pop();
})

By this the "normal search" only applies to the first two columns, Name and Position - and you still have working select boxes in the footer. Forked fiddle -> https://jsfiddle.net/g9gLjtjh/