'DataTables: Cannot read property style of undefined

I am getting this error with the following:

jquery.dataTables.js:4089 Uncaught TypeError: Cannot read property 'style' of undefined(…)
_fnCalculateColumnWidths @ jquery.dataTables.js:4089
_fnInitialise @ jquery.dataTables.js:3216
(anonymous function) @ jquery.dataTables.js:6457
each @ jquery-2.0.2.min.js:4
each @ jquery-2.0.2.min.js:4
DataTable @ jquery.dataTables.js:5993
$.fn.DataTable @ jquery.dataTables.js:14595
(anonymous function) @ VM3329:1
(anonymous function) @ VM3156:180
l @ jquery-2.0.2.min.js:4
fireWith @ jquery-2.0.2.min.js:4
k @ jquery-2.0.2.min.js:6
(anonymous function) @ jquery-2.0.2.min.js:6

The line above referring to (anonymous function) @ VM3156:180 is:

                TASKLISTGRID = $("#TASK_LIST_GRID").DataTable({
                    data : response,
                    columns : columns.AdoptionTaskInfo.columns,
                    paging: true
                });

So I am guessing this is where it is failing.

The HTML ID element exist:

  <table id="TASK_LIST_GRID" class="table table-striped table-bordered table-hover dataTable no-footer" width="100%" role="grid" aria-describedby="TASK_LIST_GRID_info">
  <thead>
    <tr role="row">
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Solution</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Status</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Category</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Type</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Due Date</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Create Date</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Owner</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Comments</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Mnemonic</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Domain</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Approve</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Dismiss</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody></tbody>
</table>

Also, the columns.AdoptionTaskInfo.columns & response object arrays exist. Not sure how to debug what's wrong.. Any suggestions will be helpful..

Solution 1:^[1]

The problem is that the number of <th> tags need to match the number of columns in the configuration (the array with the key "columns"). If there are fewer <th> tags than columns specified, you get this slightly cryptical error message.

(the correct answer is already present as a comment but I'm repeating it as an answer so it's easier to find - I didn't see the comments)

Solution 2:^[2]

POSSIBLE CAUSES

Number of th elements in the table header or footer differs from number of columns in the table body or defined using columns option.
Attribute colspan is used for th element in the table header.
Incorrect column index specified in columnDefs.targets option.

SOLUTIONS

Make sure that number of th elements in the table header or footer matches number of columns defined in the columns option.
If you use colspan attribute in the table header, make sure you have at least two header rows and one unique th element for each column. See Complex header for more information.
If you use columnDefs.targets option, make sure that zero-based column index refers to existing columns.

LINKS

See jQuery DataTables: Common JavaScript console errors - TypeError: Cannot read property ‘style’ of undefined for more information.

Solution 3:^[3]

You said any suggestions wold be helpful, so currently I resolved my DataTables "cannot read property 'style' of undefined" problem but my problem was basically using wrong indexes at data table initiation phase's columnDefs section. I got 9 columns and the indexes are 0, 1, 2, .. , 8 but I was using indexes for 9 and 10 so after fixing the wrong index issue the fault has disappeared. I hope this helps.

In short, you got to watch your columns amount and indexes if consistent everywhere.

Buggy Code:

    jQuery('#table').DataTable({
        "ajax": {
            url: "something_url",
            type: 'POST'
        },
        "processing": true,
        "serverSide": true,
        "bPaginate": true,
        "sPaginationType": "full_numbers",
        "columns": [
            { "data": "cl1" },
            { "data": "cl2" },
            { "data": "cl3" },
            { "data": "cl4" },
            { "data": "cl5" },
            { "data": "cl6" },
            { "data": "cl7" },
            { "data": "cl8" },
            { "data": "cl9" }
        ],
        columnDefs: [
            { orderable: false, targets: [ 7, 9, 10 ] } //This part was wrong
        ]
    });

Fixed Code:

    jQuery('#table').DataTable({
        "ajax": {
            url: "something_url",
            type: 'POST'
        },
        "processing": true,
        "serverSide": true,
        "bPaginate": true,
        "sPaginationType": "full_numbers",
        "columns": [
            { "data": "cl1" },
            { "data": "cl2" },
            { "data": "cl3" },
            { "data": "cl4" },
            { "data": "cl5" },
            { "data": "cl6" },
            { "data": "cl7" },
            { "data": "cl8" },
            { "data": "cl9" }
        ],
        columnDefs: [
            { orderable: false, targets: [ 5, 7, 8 ] } //This part is ok now
        ]
    });

Solution 4:^[4]

most of the time it happens when the table header count and data cel count is not matched

Solution 5:^[5]

I had this issue when i set colspan in table header. So my table was:

        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th colspan="2">Expenses</th>

                <th colspan="2">Income</th>

                <th>Profit/Loss</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>

Then once i change it to:

        <thead>
            <tr>
                <th>Expenses</th>
                <th></th>
                <th>Income</th>
                <th></th>
                <th>Profit/Loss</th>
            </tr>
        </thead>

Everything worked just fine.

Solution 6:^[6]

For me the data columns {data: columnName} had more columns than Table Heads <th>Column Name</th>

Solution 7:^[7]

Make sure that in your input data, response[i] and response[i][j], are not undefined/null.

If so, replace them with "".

Solution 8:^[8]

It can also happen when drawing a new (other) table. I solved this by first removing the previous table:

$("#prod_tabel_ph").remove();

Solution 9:^[9]

The solution is pretty simple.

  <table id="TASK_LIST_GRID" class="table table-striped table-bordered table-hover dataTable no-footer" width="100%" role="grid" aria-describedby="TASK_LIST_GRID_info">
  <thead>
    <tr role="row">
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Solution</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Status</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Category</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Type</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Due Date</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Create Date</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Owner</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Comments</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Mnemonic</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Domain</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Approve</th>
      <th class="sorting" tabindex="0" aria-controls="TASK_LIST_GRID" rowspan="1" colspan="1">Dismiss</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody></tbody>
</table>

                TASKLISTGRID = $("#TASK_LIST_GRID").DataTable({
                    data : response,
                    columns : columns.AdoptionTaskInfo.columns,
                    paging: true
                });
                
                //Note: columns : columns.AdoptionTaskInfo.columns has at least a column not definded in the <thead>

Note: columns : columns.AdoptionTaskInfo.columns has at least a column not defined in the table head

Solution 10:^[10]

Funnily i was getting the following error for having one th-/th pair too many and still google directed me here. I'll leave it written down so people can find it.

jquery.dataTables.min.js:27 Uncaught TypeError: Cannot read property 'className' of undefined
at ua (jquery.dataTables.min.js:27)
at HTMLTableElement.<anonymous> (jquery.dataTables.min.js:127)
at Function.each (jquery.min.js:2)
at n.fn.init.each (jquery.min.js:2)
at n.fn.init.j (jquery.dataTables.min.js:116)
at HTMLDocument.<anonymous> (history:619)
at i (jquery.min.js:2)
at Object.fireWith [as resolveWith] (jquery.min.js:2)
at Function.ready (jquery.min.js:2)
at HTMLDocument.K (jquery.min.js:2)

Solution 11:^[11]

The answers here put me on the right path, but none gave me the full answer I needed. I was using destroy: true as an option, but on a second iteration of a DataTable, I kept getting the error in the original question.

Instead, I had to call the destroy() method directly, and clear out the child entities of the HTML to force DataTables to properly repaint the DataTable on each iteration without a conflict between the <th> headers and the ones being passed in columns: like this:

if ($.fn.DataTable.isDataTable('#results_table')) {
    $('#results_table').DataTable().destroy();
}
$('#results_table thead').empty();
$('#results_table tbody').empty();

$('#results_table').DataTable({
    data: data,
    columns: columns,
    ...etc...
});

Solution 12:^[12]

In my case, I was updating the server-sided datatable twice and it gives me this error. Hope it helps someone.

Solution 13:^[13]

I resolved this error, by replacing the src attribute with https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.5.1.min.js, the problem is caused by the slim version of JQuery.

Solution 14:^[14]

I was having the same problem with Jquery Datatable. The number of table head ( tags) in table heading was same with tags in table body. I resolved this issue by removing one of the Datatable attribute called "scrollX": true". Then everything works fine for me.

Solution 15:^[15]

"aoColumns": [{
               "bVisible": false, 
               "render": function ( data, type, full, meta ) 
                {},
             ]

I solved this issue by setting bVisible as false. You can also set condition on bVisible as "bVisible": var1, where var1 can be true or false;

Solution 16:^[16]

I solved this issue by setting bVisible as false. You can also set condition on bVisible as "bVisible": var1, where var1 can be true or false.

Sources

This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Overflow and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Source: Stack Overflow

Solution	Source
Solution 1	ehrencrona
Solution 2	Gyrocode.com
Solution 3	Bahadir Tasdemir
Solution 4	Shiwantha Viraj
Solution 5	JustLearning
Solution 6	SagarKapasi099
Solution 7
Solution 8	gkubed
Solution 9
Solution 10	Tomás Gaete
Solution 11	FlipperPA
Solution 12
Solution 13
Solution 14
Solution 15	ashish29494
Solution 16	Tyler2P

'DataTables: Cannot read property style of undefined

Solution 1:[1]

Solution 2:[2]

POSSIBLE CAUSES

SOLUTIONS

LINKS

Solution 3:[3]

Solution 4:[4]

Solution 5:[5]

Solution 6:[6]

Solution 7:[7]

Solution 8:[8]

Solution 9:[9]

Solution 10:[10]

Solution 11:[11]

Solution 12:[12]

Solution 13:[13]

Solution 14:[14]

Solution 15:[15]

Solution 16:[16]