Proper syntax for applying DataTables

Hi guys;
I am puzzled. When I first started using DataTables 11 months ago this was the proper format for applying datatables to a table
$('#tblContractLines').dataTable({
"aaSorting": []
});
However Now I am seeing in the examples:
sometimes the previous usages and at other times

$('#example').DataTable();

My code has been working since February. So I am curious, given that JavaScript is case-sensitive which one is the valid syntax.