$(document).ready(function() {  

  var dataSet = [

    {name:'Sally Smith', debt:{display: '$100,000', value: 100000, alarm: 'RED'}, position:'Accountant', age:40},

    {name:'Sam Smith',   debt:{display: '$500',     value: 500,    alarm: null}, position:'Accountant', age:50},

    {name:'Fred Smith',  debt:{display: '$800',     value: 800,    alarm: null}, position:'Accountant', age:50},

    {name:'Joe Newbee',  debt:{display: '$300,000', value: 300000, alarm: 'RED'}, position:'Office Worker', age:25}

  ];

​

  function styleCell( cell, cellData ) {

     var highlight = cellData.alarm;

     if ( highlight ) {

        $(cell).addClass( highlight.toLowerCase() + '_cell_highlight' );

     }

  }

​

/*

  function processCell(cell, cellData, excel=false) {

    console.log({msg:'processCell',excel:excel,cellData:cellData});

    if (excel) {

      data = cellData;

    } else {

      data = cellData.alarm;

    }

    console.log({msg:'processCell returning',data:data});

    return data;

  } 

*/

  function renderCellValue( data, type, row, meta ) {

     if ( data === null ) { return null; }

     if ( type === 'display' ) {

        return data.display;

     } else if ( type === 'excel' ) {

        // append alarm (very hacky, better way?)

        return data.value + '|' + data.alarm;

     } else {   // will be used for 'filter' and 'sort'

        return data.value;

     }

  }

  var table = $('#example').DataTable({

      dom: 'Bfrtip',

      pageLength: 2,

      data: dataSet,

      deferRender: true,

      "columns": [

        { "data": "name" },

        { "data": "debt", render: renderCellValue, createdCell: styleCell },

        { "data": "position" },

        { "data": "age" }

      ],

    buttons: [{

      extend: 'excelHtml5',

      exportOptions: { orthogonal: 'excel' },

      customize: function ( xlsx ) {

        var sheet = xlsx.xl.worksheets['sheet1.xml'];

        $('row c[r^="B"]', sheet).each(function() {

          var excelCell = $(this);

          var cell     = excelCell.html();

          var cellData = excelCell.text();

          console.log( 'cellData = ' + cellData );

//          var valPlusColor = processCell(cell, cellData, true);

          var valPlusColor = cellData;

          var pipeIdx = valPlusColor.indexOf('|');

          if ( pipeIdx >= 0 ) {

             var val   = valPlusColor.substring(0, pipeIdx);

             var color = valPlusColor.substring(pipeIdx+1);

             console.log( 'val = ' + val + ', color = ' + color );

             console.table( excelCell );

             excelCell.text( val );

             if ( color === 'RED' ) {

               excelCell.attr('s', 39);

             }

          }

        });

      }

    }]

  });

​

​

} );