I know this is probably a lot easier than I think it is... but I didn't find any examples.

Using Buttons, I have a New and Delete button.

I have a column of checkboxes, and using the Select plugin, when the user selects a given row, based on the CHILD RECORDS column, I want to prevent the user from SELECTING the ROW, thereby preventing the Delete button from activating.

I thought dependent() might work... but it seemed more geared towards callbacks.

var thecolumns = [];
        ps = $('#PROJECTSPECIFIC').val();
        thecolumns = [{
                data: null,
                defaultContent: '',
                className: 'select-checkbox',
                orderable: false
        },{
            data: "ELINID",
            visible: true,
            title: "ELIN ID",
            editable: false
        }, {
            data: "ELINNUMBER",
            visible: true,
            title: "DRL NO",
            editable: true
        }, {
            data: "ELINTITLE",
            sortable: true,
            title: "DRL TITLE",
            editable: true
        }, {
            data: "LEADREVIEWER",
            sortable: false,
            title: "LEAD REVIEWER",
            editable: true
        }, {
            data: "ALTLEADREVIEWER",
            sortable: false,
            title: "ALT LEAD REVIEWER",
            editable: true
        }, {
            data: "REVIEWERS",
            sortable: false,
            title: "REVIEWERS",
            editable: true          
        }, {
            data: "ECATEGORY",
            sortable: false,
            title: "SWBS ELEMENT/GROUP",
            editable: true
        }, {
            "data": "FREQCNT",
            "visible": true,
            "title": "CHILD RECORDS"
            
        }];
        
        editor = new $.fn.dataTable.Editor({
            ajax: "drlAndTitle_test.cfc?method=dtAction",
            table: "#drltitletable",
            idSrc: "ELINID",
            fields: [{
                label: "DRL TITLE:",
                name: "ELINTITLE"
            }, {
                label: "LEAD REVIEWER",
                name: "LEADREVIEWER",
                placeholder: 'Choose a LEAD REVIEWER:',
                type: "select"
            }, {
                label: "ALT LEAD REVIEWER",
                name: "ALTLEADREVIEWER",
                placeholder: 'Choose an ALT LEAD REVIEWER:',
                type: "select"
            }, {
                label: "REVIEWERS:",
                name: "REVIEWERS",
                type: "select",
                separator: ", ",
                multiple: true
            }, {
                label: "CATEGORY:",
                name: "ECATEGORY",
                placeholder: 'Choose a CATEGORY:',
                type: "select"
            }, {
                label: "ELIN NO:",
                name: "ELINNUMBER"
            }]
        });
        
        var table = $('#drltitletable').DataTable({
            dom: "Bfrtip",
            serverSide: true,
            order: [1, "asc"],
            destroy: true,
            ajax: {
                "url": "drlAndTitle_test.cfc?method=getData&ReturnFormat=json",
                "type": "POST",
                "data": {
                    PROJECTSPECIFIC: ps
                },
            },
            columns: thecolumns,
            search: true,
            processing: true,
            autoFill: {
                columns: ':not(:first-child)',
                editor: editor
            },
            select: true,
            buttons: [
                { extend: "create", editor: editor },
                { extend: "remove", editor: editor }
            ]
        });

    $('#drltitletable').on( 'click', 'tbody td:not(:first-child)', function (e) {
        editor.inline( this, {
            buttons: { label: '>', fn: function () { 
                this.submit(); 
            } }
        } );
    } );