NOTE!

Demo

First Name (desc)
Last Name (asc)
Age (desc)
Total (asc)
Discount (desc)
Date (asc)
Peter Parker 28 $9.99 20% Jul 6, 2006 8:14 AM
John Hood 33 $19.99 25% Dec 10, 2002 5:14 AM
Clark Kent 18 $15.89 44% Jan 12, 2003 11:14 AM
Bruce Almighty 45 $153.19 44% Jan 18, 2001 9:12 AM
Bruce Evans 22 $13.19 11% Jan 18, 2007 9:12 AM

Javascript

$(function(){
$("table").tablesorter({
theme : 'blue',

// default sortInitialOrder setting
sortInitialOrder: "asc",

// pass the headers argument and passing a object
headers: {
// set initial sort order by column, this headers option setting overrides the sortInitialOrder option
0: { sortInitialOrder: 'desc' }
}

});
});

HTML

<table class="tablesorter">
<thead>
<tr>
<th>First Name (desc)</th>
<th>Last Name (asc)</th>
<th class="sortInitialOrder-desc">Age (desc)</th>
<th>Total (asc)</th>
<th data-sortinitialorder="desc">Discount (desc)</th> <!-- equivalent to data-sortInitialOrder="desc" or data-sort-initialorder="desc" -->
<th>Date (asc)</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Peter</td>
<td>Parker</td>
<td>28</td>
<td>$9.99</td>
<td>20%</td>
<td>Jul 6, 2006 8:14 AM</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>John</td>
<td>Hood</td>
<td>33</td>
<td>$19.99</td>
<td>25%</td>
<td>Dec 10, 2002 5:14 AM</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Clark</td>
<td>Kent</td>
<td>18</td>
<td>$15.89</td>
<td>44%</td>
<td>Jan 12, 2003 11:14 AM</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bruce</td>
<td>Almighty</td>
<td>45</td>
<td>$153.19</td>
<td>44%</td>
<td>Jan 18, 2001 9:12 AM</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Bruce</td>
<td>Evans</td>
<td>22</td>
<td>$13.19</td>
<td>11%</td>
<td>Jan 18, 2007 9:12 AM</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Next up: Using sortReset & sortRestart ››