Hi fearburster,
Let me explain what Virtual Mode actually is. In virtual mode, the data operations are handled not by the Grid, but by the custom code written by the developer. In Virtual Mode, the Grid provides a callback function with parameters – Start Row Index and End Row Index. The result of that function is what the Grid will display. The virtual mode is usually used in Server scenarios i.e Sorting, Filtering and Paging are implemented on the Server and the Grid just displays the Data returned by the Server. You can look at the PHP Demos available on our web site. They show how to implement Filtering, Sorting and Paging when Virtual Mode is enabled.
Best Regards,
Peter Stoev
jQWidgets Team
http://www.jqwidgets.com/