Trying to use a custom data source

[bigdogdman]

I have a custom data source, which is API endpoints. I am trying to use those endpoints (1 per page) as my "database" for my DataTables. I was told by a member of the DataTables community to use a custom ajax config setting for my DataTable, but I'm unsure on how to do that with Yajra. Is there anything I can do to make my DataTable not use the default db connection defined in .env? Here is my index.blade.php:

<x-app-layout>
    <x-slot name="slot">
        <div class="container text-white">
            <div class="card">
                <div class="card-header">REGIONS (***TESTING***)</div>
                <div class="card-body">
                    {{ $dataTable->table(['data' => $data]) }}
                </div>
            </div>
        </div>
        @push('scripts')
            {{ $dataTable->scripts(attributes: ['type' => 'module', 'serverSide' => true, 'ajax' => route('user-data')]) }}
        @endpush
    </x-slot>
</x-app-layout>

My 'user-data' route also returns a custom Eloquent Builder object that should include everything needed, but I can't get my DT to actually use it to see if it's correct or not. Any help would be extremely appreciated! :)

Update: Okay, I got my ajax callback route set up correctly (by reading this page), but now it's not hitting it on initial load, whereas before it was (when it was throwing an error--and hitting the wrong endpoint), so no data loads, and the paginate buttons don't display. I have to manually change the number of records to get it to show any data at all. Also, is there a reason it's not using the initial $data object I'm passing to it to load onto the screen? Is there some way I can force it to do that? Thanks again! :)

[bigdogdman]

Further update: now the ajax callback isn't working anymore. It's hitting the callback, but it's acting like it's returning the wrong datatype again. This was working just a few days ago, and I haven't changed that much in the code; I even tried reverting my changes but I was still getting the error. The error I'm getting is Yajra\DataTables\Utilities\Helper::compileContent(): Argument #3 ($param) must be of type object|array, int given on my DataTables API endpoint return line: return DataTables::of(collect($response->get('results')))->addColumn('action', 'regions.action')->make(true);.
When I manipulate what I'm returning from my API endpoint, the error changes (depending on what's being returned), so I know it has something to do with what the DataTable is expecting back. However, when I return what was working just last week, it gives me this setContent() error: Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Response::setContent(): Argument #1 ($content) must be of type ?string, Yajra\DataTables\CollectionDataTable given.
I have no idea what I'm doing anymore....

Here is my endpoint code that, when I return $returnData it gives me the compileContent() error:

        $tokens = ['offset' => $queryParams['start'] ?? '0'];
        $response = Netbox::getData('dcim/regions?limit=0', $tokens);
        $data = $response->get('results');
        $returnData = DataTables::of($response)->addColumn('action', 'regions.action')->make(true);
        dd($returnData);

Netbox is my custom data model that I'm using in conjunction with my custom auth file that it's throwing the setContent() error on when I return what I assume should be correct, which is DataTables::of(collect($response->get('results'))).

[yajra]

The controller can be a simple get:

Route::get('/regions', [RegiosController::class, 'index']);

-- regions controller
public function index(RegionsDataTable $dataTable)
{
  return $dataTable->render('regions.index');
}

[yajra]

Also, enable APP_DEBUG=true then inspect the network request. The ajax response should give you some hints on the issue.

[bigdogdman]

So you're saying that the ajax callback should also be hitting index? And, which ajax response should I look at after turning debug on? The callback response? Because all I'm seeing from that one is the data that's displayed in the table. This is the full backtrace of the error msg in the console:

Ok so after I switched the callback to hit index, I was finally hitting RegionsDataTable::dataTable($query) method, but then that threw this error: Yajra\\DataTables\\Processors\\DataProcessor::editColumns(): Argument #2 ($row) must be of type object|array, int given, called in vendor/yajra/laravel-datatables-oracle/src/Processors/DataProcessor.php on line 75.
Is that the clue we were after? Cuz I've definitely seen that one before...also, it's still not displaying the data on initial load (as it's still giving the _select error).

Also, switching the callback to hit index ('/regions'), the data object changed from a Collection (from query()) to a CollectionDataTable (from dataTable()). Collection return object works for my RegionsDataTable, CollectionDataTable doesn't seem to. If that helps at all.

[yajra]

Can you create a repository to replicate the issue?

[bigdogdman]

I...cannot. I am limited by my work and am unable to make any of this public. It wouldn't work even if I could. It's behind a login and a VPN. You can see more of my history with this problem here. Hopefully this can shed some more light on what could possibly be happening.
I apologize for taking up so much of your time on this issue, but you are literally my last hope on getting this working. I will do anything I possibly can to help you diagnose this problem short of making this project publicly viewable.