Fix: Memory leak with child rows in a table that is destroyed

New: `dt-api row().child.remove()` and `dt-api row().child().remove()` methods to provide the ability to remove and destroy child rows
Fix docs: Note that the row().child() method's return value can have an effect on the chaining

* This fixed DataTables/DataTables issue #326.
* Special thanks to `Scottmitch1` (on github) for help with this one!

.datatables-commit-sync

@@ -1 +1 @@
-56e4fd1cdbaddc9b9ca4d4788c88640caa7db1e3
+2cee9bcfddd46dfb0afc36325d550b8fb99f0f1d

examples/api/row_details.html

@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ $(document).ready(function() {
 
 		if ( row.child.isShown() ) {
 			// This row is already open - close it
-			row.child.hide();
+			row.child( false );
 			tr.removeClass('shown');
 		}
 		else {
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ $(document).ready(function() {
 
 		if ( row.child.isShown() ) {
 			// This row is already open - close it
-			row.child.hide();
+			row.child( false );
 			tr.removeClass('shown');
 		}
 		else {

media/js/jquery.dataTables.js

@@ -7717,26 +7717,42 @@
 	};
 	
 	
-	var __details_display = function ( show ) {
-		var ctx = this.context;
+	var __details_remove = function ( api )
+	{
+		var ctx = api.context;
 	
-		if ( ctx.length && this.length ) {
-			var row = ctx[0].aoData[ this[0] ];
+		if ( ctx.length && api.length ) {
+			var row = ctx[0].aoData[ api[0] ];
+	
+			if ( row._details ) {
+				row._details.remove();
+	
+				row._detailsShow = undefined;
+				row._details = undefined;
+			}
+		}
+	};
+	
+	
+	var __details_display = function ( api, show ) {
+		var ctx = api.context;
+	
+		if ( ctx.length && api.length ) {
+			var row = ctx[0].aoData[ api[0] ];
 	
 			if ( row._details ) {
 				row._detailsShow = show;
+	
 				if ( show ) {
 					row._details.insertAfter( row.nTr );
 				}
 				else {
-					row._details.remove();
+					row._details.detach();
 				}
 	
 				__details_events( ctx[0] );
 			}
 		}
-	
-		return this;
 	};
 	
 	
@@ -7746,15 +7762,17 @@
 		var namespace = '.dt.DT_details';
 		var drawEvent = 'draw'+namespace;
 		var colvisEvent = 'column-visibility'+namespace;
+		var destroyEvent = 'destroy'+namespace;
+		var data = settings.aoData;
 	
-		api.off( drawEvent +' '+ colvisEvent );
+		api.off( drawEvent +' '+ colvisEvent +' '+ destroyEvent );
 	
-		if ( _pluck( settings.aoData, '_details' ).length > 0 ) {
+		if ( _pluck( data, '_details' ).length > 0 ) {
 			// On each draw, insert the required elements into the document
 			api.on( drawEvent, function () {
 				api.rows( {page:'current'} ).eq(0).each( function (idx) {
 					// Internal data grab
-					var row = settings.aoData[ idx ];
+					var row = data[ idx ];
 	
 					if ( row._detailsShow ) {
 						row._details.insertAfter( row.nTr );
@@ -7768,22 +7786,36 @@
 				// a colspan)
 				var row, visible = _fnVisbleColumns( settings );
 	
-				for ( var i=0, ien=settings.aoData.length ; i<ien ; i++ ) {
-					row = settings.aoData[i];
+				for ( var i=0, ien=data.length ; i<ien ; i++ ) {
+					row = data[i];
 	
 					if ( row._details ) {
 						row._details.children('td[colspan]').attr('colspan', visible );
 					}
 				}
 			} );
+	
+			// Table destroyed - nuke any child rows
+			api.on( destroyEvent, function () {
+				for ( var i=0, ien=data.length ; i<ien ; i++ ) {
+					if ( data[i]._details ) {
+						__details_remove( data[i] );
+					}
+				}
+			} );
 		}
 	};
 	
+	// Strings for the method names to help minification
+	var _emp = '';
+	var _child_obj = _emp+'row().child';
+	var _child_mth = _child_obj+'()';
+	
 	// data can be:
 	//  tr
 	//  string
 	//  jQuery or array of any of the above
-	_api_register( 'row().child()', function ( data, klass ) {
+	_api_register( _child_mth, function ( data, klass ) {
 		var ctx = this.context;
 	
 		if ( data === undefined ) {
@@ -7792,6 +7824,14 @@
 				ctx[0].aoData[ this[0] ]._details :
 				undefined;
 		}
+		else if ( data === true ) {
+			// show
+			this.child.show();
+		}
+		else if ( data === false ) {
+			// remove
+			__details_remove( this );
+		}
 		else if ( ctx.length && this.length ) {
 			// set
 			__details_add( ctx[0], ctx[0].aoData[ this[0] ], data, klass );
@@ -7800,23 +7840,35 @@
 		return this;
 	} );
 	
+	
 	_api_register( [
-		'row().child.show()',
-		'row().child().show()'
-	], function () {
-		__details_display.call( this, true );
+		_child_obj+'.show()',
+		_child_mth+'.show()' // only when `child()` was called with parameters (without
+	], function ( show ) {   // it returns an object and this method is not executed)
+		__details_display( this, true );
 		return this;
 	} );
 	
+	
 	_api_register( [
-		'row().child.hide()',
-		'row().child().hide()'
-	], function () {
-		__details_display.call( this, false );
+		_child_obj+'.hide()',
+		_child_mth+'.hide()' // only when `child()` was called with parameters (without
+	], function () {         // it returns an object and this method is not executed)
+		__details_display( this, false );
 		return this;
 	} );
 	
-	_api_register( 'row().child.isShown()', function () {
+	
+	_api_register( [
+		_child_obj+'.remove()',
+		_child_mth+'.remove()' // only when `child()` was called with parameters (without
+	], function () {           // it returns an object and this method is not executed)
+		__details_remove( this );
+		return this;
+	} );
+	
+	
+	_api_register( _child_obj+'.isShown()', function () {
 		var ctx = this.context;
 	
 		if ( ctx.length && this.length ) {