New: ajax API methods:

- Introducing several methods which will control the ajax aspects of
  DataTables through the API:

  - ajax.json() - get the last JSON returned from the server
  - ajax.reload() - reload from JSON source
  - ajax.url( [url] ) - get / set the Ajax URL
  - ajax.url( url ).load() - load data from new URL after a set

- Note that this effectively replaces the old fnReloadAjax plug-in which
  was quite popular.

- Not yet fully tested - further work required.

media/js/jquery.dataTables.js

@@ -7383,7 +7383,6 @@
 	var _Api = DataTable.Api;
 	
 	
-	
 	/**
 	 * Get the current page index.
 	 *
@@ -7487,6 +7486,126 @@
 	} );
 	
 	
+	}());
+	
+	
+	
+	(/** @lends <global> */function() {
+	
+	var _Api = DataTable.Api;
+	
+	var _reload = function ( settings ) {
+		if ( settings.oFeatures.bServerSide ) {
+			_fnDraw( settings );
+		}
+		else {
+			// Trigger xhr
+			_fnBuildAjax( settings, [], function( json ) {
+				// xxx can this be reduced?
+				_fnClearTable( settings );
+	
+				var data = _fnAjaxDataSrc( settings, json );
+				for ( i=0 ; i<data.length ; i++ ) {
+					_fnAddData( settings, data[i] );
+				}
+	
+				_fnReDraw( settings );
+			} );
+		}
+	};
+	
+	
+	/**
+	 * Get the JSON response from the last Ajax request that DataTables made to the
+	 * server. Note that this returns the JSON from the first table in the current
+	 * context.
+	 *
+	 * @return {object} JSON received from the server.
+	 */
+	_Api.register( 'ajax.json()', function () {
+		var ctx = this.context;
+	
+		if ( ctx.length > 0 ) {
+			var xhr = ctx[0].jqXHR;
+	
+			if ( xhr ) {
+				return $.parseJSON( xhr.responseText );
+			}
+		}
+	
+		// else return undefined;
+	} );
+	
+	
+	/**
+	 * Reload tables from the Ajax data source.
+	 *
+	 * @returns {DataTables.Api} this
+	 */
+	_Api.register( 'ajax.reload()', function () {
+		return this.tables( _reload );
+	} );
+	
+	
+	/**
+	 * Get the current Ajax URL. Note that this returns the URL from the first
+	 * table in the current context.
+	 *
+	 * @return {string} Current Ajax source URL
+	 *//**
+	 * Set the Ajax URL. Note that this will set the URL for all tables in the
+	 * current context.
+	 *
+	 * @param {string} url URL to set.
+	 * @returns {DataTables.Api} this
+	 */
+	_Api.register( 'ajax.url()', function ( url ) {
+		var ctx = this.context;
+	
+		if ( url === undefined ) {
+			// get
+			if ( ctx.length === 0 ) {
+				return undefined;
+			}
+			ctx = ctx[0];
+	
+			return ctx.ajax ?
+				$.isPlainObject( ctx.ajax ) ?
+					ctx.ajax.url :
+					ctx.ajax :
+				ctx.sAjaxSource;
+		}
+	
+		// set
+		return this.tables( function ( settings ) {
+			if ( $.isPlainObject( settings.ajax ) ) {
+				settings.ajax.url = url;
+			}
+			else {
+				settings.ajax = url;
+			}
+			// No need to consider sAjaxSource here since DataTables gives priority
+			// to `ajax` over `sAjaxSource`. So setting `ajax` here, renders any
+			// value of `sAjaxSource` redundant.
+		} );
+	} );
+	
+	
+	/**
+	 * Load data from the newly set Ajax URL. Note that this method is only
+	 * available when `ajax.url()` is used to set a URL. Additionally, this method
+	 * has the same effect as calling `ajax.reload()` but is provided for
+	 * convenience when setting a new URL.
+	 *
+	 * @returns {DataTables.Api} this
+	 */
+	_Api.register( 'ajax.url().load()', function () {
+		// Same as a reload, but makes sense to present it for easy access after a
+		// url change
+		return this.tables( _reload );
+	} );
+	
+	
 	}());
 	
 	/**

media/src/DataTables.js

@@ -112,6 +112,7 @@
 	require('api.table.js');
 	require('api.draw.js');
 	require('api.page.js');
+	require('api.ajax.js');
 	require('api.static.js');
 
 	/**

media/src/api/api.ajax.js

@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+
+
+(/** @lends <global> */function() {
+
+var _Api = DataTable.Api;
+
+var _reload = function ( settings ) {
+	if ( settings.oFeatures.bServerSide ) {
+		_fnDraw( settings );
+	}
+	else {
+		// Trigger xhr
+		_fnBuildAjax( settings, [], function( json ) {
+			// xxx can this be reduced?
+			_fnClearTable( settings );
+
+			var data = _fnAjaxDataSrc( settings, json );
+			for ( i=0 ; i<data.length ; i++ ) {
+				_fnAddData( settings, data[i] );
+			}
+
+			_fnReDraw( settings );
+		} );
+	}
+};
+
+
+/**
+ * Get the JSON response from the last Ajax request that DataTables made to the
+ * server. Note that this returns the JSON from the first table in the current
+ * context.
+ *
+ * @return {object} JSON received from the server.
+ */
+_Api.register( 'ajax.json()', function () {
+	var ctx = this.context;
+
+	if ( ctx.length > 0 ) {
+		var xhr = ctx[0].jqXHR;
+
+		if ( xhr ) {
+			return $.parseJSON( xhr.responseText );
+		}
+	}
+
+	// else return undefined;
+} );
+
+
+/**
+ * Reload tables from the Ajax data source.
+ *
+ * @returns {DataTables.Api} this
+ */
+_Api.register( 'ajax.reload()', function () {
+	return this.tables( _reload );
+} );
+
+
+/**
+ * Get the current Ajax URL. Note that this returns the URL from the first
+ * table in the current context.
+ *
+ * @return {string} Current Ajax source URL
+ *//**
+ * Set the Ajax URL. Note that this will set the URL for all tables in the
+ * current context.
+ *
+ * @param {string} url URL to set.
+ * @returns {DataTables.Api} this
+ */
+_Api.register( 'ajax.url()', function ( url ) {
+	var ctx = this.context;
+
+	if ( url === undefined ) {
+		// get
+		if ( ctx.length === 0 ) {
+			return undefined;
+		}
+		ctx = ctx[0];
+
+		return ctx.ajax ?
+			$.isPlainObject( ctx.ajax ) ?
+				ctx.ajax.url :
+				ctx.ajax :
+			ctx.sAjaxSource;
+	}
+
+	// set
+	return this.tables( function ( settings ) {
+		if ( $.isPlainObject( settings.ajax ) ) {
+			settings.ajax.url = url;
+		}
+		else {
+			settings.ajax = url;
+		}
+		// No need to consider sAjaxSource here since DataTables gives priority
+		// to `ajax` over `sAjaxSource`. So setting `ajax` here, renders any
+		// value of `sAjaxSource` redundant.
+	} );
+} );
+
+
+/**
+ * Load data from the newly set Ajax URL. Note that this method is only
+ * available when `ajax.url()` is used to set a URL. Additionally, this method
+ * has the same effect as calling `ajax.reload()` but is provided for
+ * convenience when setting a new URL.
+ *
+ * @returns {DataTables.Api} this
+ */
+_Api.register( 'ajax.url().load()', function () {
+	// Same as a reload, but makes sense to present it for easy access after a
+	// url change
+	return this.tables( _reload );
+} );
+
+
+}());
+