gistfile1.php

<?php
public $components = array(

	'Paginator',
	'RequestHandler',
	'DataTable.DataTable' => array(
		'Employee' => array(
			'columns' => array(
				'id' => false, // bSearchable and bSortable will be false
				'last_name' => array(
					'label' => 'Last Name',
					'bSearchable' => true,
					'bSortable' => true
				) , // bSearchable and bSortable will be true, with a custom label `Name`
				'first_name' => array(
					'label' => 'First Name',
					'bSearchable' => true,
					'bSortable' => true,
				) ,
				'nic_number' => array(
					'label' => 'NIC #',
					'bSearchable' => true,
					'bSortable' => true
				) ,
				'tax_number' => array(
					'label' => 'Tax Number',
					'bSearchable' => true,
					'bSortable' => true
				) ,
				'tax_code' => array(
					'label' => 'Tax Code',
					'bSearchable' => true,
					'bSortable' => true
				) ,
				'active' => array(
					'label' => 'Active',
					'bSortable' => true
				) ,
				'department' => array(
					'useField' => false
				) , //array('label' => 'Department', 'bSearchable' => true, 'bSortable' => true),//
				'Actions' => array(
					'useField' => false
				) // tells DataTable that this column is not tied to a field
			) ,
			'contain' => array(
				'EmploymentData' => array(
					'fields' => array(
						'department_id'
					) ,
					'Department' => array(
						'fields' => 'name'
					)
				)
			) ,
			'recursive' => - 1,
			'joins' => array(
				array(
					'table' => 'employment_data',
					'alias' => 'EmploymentDatum',
					'type' => 'LEFT',
					'conditions' => array(
						'EmploymentDatum.employee_id = Employee.id'
					)
				) ,
				array(
					'table' => 'departments',
					'alias' => 'Department',
					'type' => 'LEFT',
					'conditions' => array(
						'Department.id = EmploymentData.department_id'
					)
				)
			)
		) ,
		'Department' => array(
			'columns' => array(
				'name' => array(
					'label' => 'Name',
					'bSearchable' => true,
					'bSortable' => true
				) , // bSearchable and bSortable will be true, with a custom label `Name`
			)
		)
	)
);