How to set column widths to a jQuery datatable?

Question

I have a jQuery datatable(outlined in red), but what happens is that the table jumps out of the width I have set for the div(which is 650 px).

Here is the screen shot

Answer 1

The best solution I found this to work for me guys after trying all the other solutions.... Basically i set the sScrollX to 200% then set the individual column widths to the required % that I wanted. The more columns that you have and the more space that you require then you need to raise the sScrollX %... The null means that I want those columns to retain the datatables auto width they have set in their code.

            $('#datatables').dataTable
            ({  
                "sScrollX": "200%", //This is what made my columns increase in size.
                "bScrollCollapse": true,
                "sScrollY": "320px",

                "bAutoWidth": false,
                "aoColumns": [
                    { "sWidth": "10%" }, // 1st column width 
                    { "sWidth": "null" }, // 2nd column width 
                    { "sWidth": "null" }, // 3rd column width
                    { "sWidth": "null" }, // 4th column width 
                    { "sWidth": "40%" }, // 5th column width 
                    { "sWidth": "null" }, // 6th column width
                    { "sWidth": "null" }, // 7th column width 
                    { "sWidth": "10%" }, // 8th column width 
                    { "sWidth": "10%" }, // 9th column width
                    { "sWidth": "40%" }, // 10th column width
                    { "sWidth": "null" } // 11th column width
                    ],
                "bPaginate": true,              
                "sDom": '<"H"TCfr>t<"F"ip>',
                "oTableTools": 
                {
                    "aButtons": [ "copy", "csv", "print", "xls", "pdf" ],
                    "sSwfPath": "copy_cvs_xls_pdf.swf"
                },
                "sPaginationType":"full_numbers",
                "aaSorting":[[0, "desc"]],
                "bJQueryUI":true    

            });