syncfusion-react-dropdowns
Implementing Syncfusion React Dropdowns
AutoComplete
The AutoComplete component provides a matched suggestion list as the user types into an input field, allowing selection from the filtered results. It supports local and remote data, rich filtering options, templates, grouping, virtualization, and full accessibility.
Documentation and Navigation Guide
Getting Started
📄 Read: references/getting-started.md
- Package installation (
@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns) - CSS imports and theme configuration
- Basic component setup (functional and class components)
- Binding a simple string array
- Configuring popup height and width (
popupHeight,popupWidth)
Data Binding
📄 Read: references/data-binding.md
- Array of strings or numbers
- Array of objects with
fieldsmapping (value,groupBy,iconCss) - Array of complex/nested objects (dot-notation field mapping)
- Remote data with
DataManager(ODataV4Adaptor, WebApiAdaptor) - Using
queryproperty to filter/select remote data sortOrderfor alphabetical ordering
Filtering
📄 Read: references/filtering.md
- Filter types:
StartsWith,EndsWith,Contains suggestionCount– limit number of suggestionsminLength– minimum characters before search triggersignoreCase– case-sensitive filteringignoreAccent– diacritics filteringdebounceDelay– delay filtering to reduce requests- Custom filtering with the
filteringevent
Grouping
📄 Read: references/grouping.md
- Grouping items using
fields.groupBy - Fixed and inline group headers
- Custom group header with
groupTemplate
Templates
📄 Read: references/templates.md
itemTemplate– customize each list itemgroupTemplate– customize group headerheaderTemplate– static popup headerfooterTemplate– static popup footernoRecordsTemplate– message when no data foundactionFailureTemplate– message on remote fetch failure
Value Binding
📄 Read: references/value-binding.md
- Binding primitive values (string, number)
- Object binding with
allowObjectBinding - Presetting selected values with the
valueproperty
Virtualization
📄 Read: references/virtual-scroll.md
enableVirtualizationfor large datasets- Injecting the
VirtualScrollservice - Virtual scrolling with local data, remote data, and grouping
- Customizing item count with
query.take()
Disabled Items
📄 Read: references/disabled-items.md
- Disabling items via
fields.disabled disableItemmethod for dynamic disabling- Disabling the entire component with
enabled={false}
Accessibility and Localization
📄 Read: references/accessibility-localization.md
- WAI-ARIA roles and attributes
- Keyboard navigation shortcuts
- RTL support (
enableRtl) - Localization with
L10n(noRecordsTemplate, actionFailureTemplate text) - WCAG 2.2 compliance overview
Styling and Customization
📄 Read: references/styling.md
- CSS class targets for wrapper, icon, focus, placeholder, selection
- Float label customization
- Popup item appearance
cssClassproperty for custom class injection- Popup resize (
allowResize) - Mandatory asterisk styling
How-To: Autofill, Highlight, and Icons
📄 Read: references/how-to.md
autofill– suggest first matched item on Arrow Downhighlight– highlight typed characters in suggestion list- Icon support with
fields.iconCss
API Reference
📄 Read: references/api.md
- All properties with types, defaults, and descriptions
- All methods with parameters and return types
- All events with descriptions
Quick Start Example
Installation: Pin packages to a specific major version to reduce supply-chain risk.
npm install @syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns@^33.x.x @syncfusion/ej2-react-inputs@^33.x.x @syncfusion/ej2-base@^33.x.x
import { AutoCompleteComponent } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns'; // ^33.x.x
import '@syncfusion/ej2-base/styles/tailwind3.css';
import '@syncfusion/ej2-react-inputs/styles/tailwind3.css';
import '@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns/styles/tailwind3.css';
const sportsData: string[] = [
'Badminton', 'Basketball', 'Cricket', 'Football',
'Golf', 'Hockey', 'Rugby', 'Snooker', 'Tennis'
];
export default function App() {
return (
<AutoCompleteComponent
id="sports-ac"
dataSource={sportsData}
placeholder="Find a game"
/>
);
}
Common Patterns
Object data source with field mapping
const sportsData = [
{ id: 'Game1', game: 'Badminton' },
{ id: 'Game2', game: 'Basketball' },
];
const fields = { value: 'game' };
<AutoCompleteComponent dataSource={sportsData} fields={fields} placeholder="Find a game" />
Remote data binding (security-first)
Security: Do not call arbitrary third-party URLs directly from client code. Route external API calls through a trusted server-side proxy that enforces allowed endpoints, authentication, rate limits, and response validation.
import { DataManager, ODataV4Adaptor, Query } from '@syncfusion/ej2-data';
// Use a controlled server proxy endpoint here. Do not use public third-party URLs directly.
const customerData = new DataManager({
adaptor: new ODataV4Adaptor(),
crossDomain: true,
url: 'https://your-trusted-proxy.example/api/customers'
});
const query = new Query().from('Customers').select(['ContactName', 'CustomerID']).take(6);
const fields = { value: 'ContactName' };
<AutoCompleteComponent
dataSource={customerData}
query={query}
fields={fields}
sortOrder="Ascending"
placeholder="Find a customer" />
Filtering with custom options
<AutoCompleteComponent
dataSource={sportsData}
filterType="StartsWith"
minLength={2}
suggestionCount={5}
debounceDelay={300}
ignoreCase={true}
placeholder="Type to search"
/>
Accessing methods via ref
import { AutoCompleteComponent } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns';
import { useRef } from 'react';
export default function App() {
const acRef = useRef<AutoCompleteComponent>(null);
return (
<>
<AutoCompleteComponent ref={acRef} dataSource={sportsData} placeholder="Find a game" />
<button onClick={() => acRef.current?.showPopup()}>Open</button>
<button onClick={() => acRef.current?.clear()}>Clear</button>
</>
);
}
ComboBox
The ComboBox component provides a dropdown input that allows users to type to filter or select from a predefined list. It supports local and remote data binding, custom values, filtering, grouping, templates, virtual scrolling, and full accessibility.
Component Overview
The ComboBox is a specialized dropdown input that bridges typed input fields with selection lists. Key characteristics:
- Hybrid input: User can type to filter OR select from dropdown
- Smart filtering: Default filter searches by text, customizable for complex scenarios
- Flexible data: Supports strings, JSON objects, OData, Web APIs, DataManager
- Rich UI: Templates for items, headers, footers, selected values, no-results states
- Performance: Virtual scrolling efficiently handles thousands of items
- Global ready: Built-in localization, RTL support, ARIA attributes
- Accessible: Full keyboard navigation, screen reader support
Installation: Pin packages to a specific major version to reduce supply-chain risk.
npm install @syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns@^33.x.x
Documentation Navigation Guide
Choose your starting point based on your task:
Getting Started
📄 Read: references/getting-started.md
When to read:
- Setting up ComboBox in a new project
- First-time component implementation
- Understanding basic usage (class vs functional components)
- Adding CSS imports and themes
- Enabling custom values
Data Binding & Sources
📄 Read: references/data-binding.md
When to read:
- Binding local data (string arrays, JSON objects)
- Connecting to remote APIs (OData, Web API, DataManager)
- Mapping object fields (text, value, groupBy, iconCss)
- Handling complex data transformations
- Understanding data source configuration
Filtering & Search Behavior
📄 Read: references/filtering-and-search.md
When to read:
- Implementing text filtering
- Creating custom filter functions
- Configuring search behavior (case sensitivity, partial matching)
- Performance optimization for large datasets
- Handling no-results scenarios
Grouping & Sorting
📄 Read: references/grouping-and-sorting.md
When to read:
- Organizing items into logical groups
- Customizing group header appearance
- Applying sort orders (ascending/descending)
- Combining grouping with filtering
- Multi-level grouping scenarios
Templates & Customization
📄 Read: references/templates-and-customization.md
When to read:
- Creating custom item templates
- Displaying rich content (images, icons, descriptions)
- Header/footer templates (e.g., action buttons, summaries)
- Selected value template formatting
- CSS class-based styling and theme customization
Advanced Features
📄 Read: references/advanced-features.md
When to read:
- Virtual scrolling for large datasets (10,000+ items)
- Internationalization (i18n) and language switching
- RTL (right-to-left) support for Arabic/Hebrew
- Accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1, ARIA attributes)
- Disabled states and multi-select workflows
- Keyboard shortcuts and focus management
Styling & Theming
📄 Read: references/styling-and-theming.md
When to read:
- Applying built-in Syncfusion themes (Material, Bootstrap, Tailwind)
- CSS variable customization for brand colors
- Theme Studio integration for design customization
- Responsive design patterns
- Dark mode / light mode support
Popup Resizing
📄 Read: references/popup-resizing.md
When to read:
- Allowing users to dynamically resize the dropdown
- Saving resize preferences across sessions
- Handling long content with custom templates
- Mobile-friendly dropdown sizing
How-To Guide
📄 Read: references/how-to-guide.md
When to read:
- Implementing autofill (auto-complete while typing)
- Creating cascading/dependent dropdowns (Country → State → City)
- Displaying icons in list items
- Common practical implementation scenarios
Troubleshooting
📄 Read: references/troubleshooting.md
When to read:
- Performance issues (slow rendering, lag)
- Data binding problems
- Migration from EJ1 ComboBox
- Common edge cases and workarounds
- Debugging tips and community resources
API Reference
📄 Read: references/api.md
When to read:
- Looking up a specific property, method, or event name and its type
- Understanding default values for any configuration option
- Checking event argument shapes (
ChangeEventArgs,FilteringEventArgs, etc.) - Reviewing all available methods for programmatic control
- Exploring interface models (
FieldSettingsModel,PopupEventArgs, etc.)
Quick Start Example
Installation & Setup
Installation: Pin packages to a specific major version to reduce supply-chain risk.
npm install @syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns@^33.x.x
Basic ComboBox (Functional Component)
import { ComboBoxComponent } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns';
import '@syncfusion/ej2-base/styles/tailwind3.css';
import '@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns/styles/tailwind3.css';
export default function App() {
const sportsList = ['Badminton', 'Cricket', 'Football', 'Golf', 'Tennis'];
return (
<ComboBoxComponent
id="combobox"
dataSource={sportsList}
placeholder="Select a sport"
allowCustom={true}
/>
);
}
With Data Binding (JSON Objects)
export default function App() {
const sportsData = [
{ Id: 'game1', Game: 'Badminton', Players: 2 },
{ Id: 'game2', Game: 'Football', Players: 11 },
{ Id: 'game3', Game: 'Cricket', Players: 11 }
];
const fields = { text: 'Game', value: 'Id' };
return (
<ComboBoxComponent
id="combobox"
dataSource={sportsData}
fields={fields}
placeholder="Select a game"
change={(e) => console.log('Selected:', e.value)}
/>
);
}
Common Patterns
Pattern 1: Filtered Search for User Selection
Problem: User needs to find items in a list of 500+ entries.
Solution: Use filtering with controlled input to display only matching items. For very large datasets (5,000+ items), combine with enableVirtualization and inject VirtualScroll.
import { ComboBoxComponent, Inject, VirtualScroll } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns';
const [filterValue, setFilterValue] = useState('');
<ComboBoxComponent
dataSource={largeDataset}
fields={{ text: 'name', value: 'id' }}
filtering={(e) => filterByName(e, 'name')}
change={(e) => setFilterValue(e.value)}
allowFiltering={true}
enableVirtualization={true}
popupHeight="200px"
>
<Inject services={[VirtualScroll]} />
</ComboBoxComponent>
Pattern 2: Grouped Categories
Problem: Items need to be organized by type for clarity.
Solution: Use groupBy field mapping with data grouped by category.
const categorizedData = [
{ Category: 'Sports', Item: 'Cricket', value: 1 },
{ Category: 'Sports', Item: 'Football', value: 2 },
{ Category: 'Games', Item: 'Chess', value: 3 },
{ Category: 'Games', Item: 'Carrom', value: 4 }
];
const fields = {
text: 'Item',
value: 'value',
groupBy: 'Category'
};
<ComboBoxComponent dataSource={categorizedData} fields={fields} />
Pattern 3: Remote Data with Loading (security-first)
Problem: Fetch data from an API based on user search.
Security-first solution: Route external API requests through a trusted server-side proxy that validates and sanitizes responses. Do not embed third‑party URLs directly in client-side code.
import { DataManager, WebApiAdaptor } from '@syncfusion/ej2-data';
// Use your server-side proxy here. The proxy should enforce allowed upstream hosts and
// sanitize responses before returning to the client.
const dataManager = new DataManager({
url: 'https://your-trusted-proxy.example/api/search',
adaptor: new WebApiAdaptor()
});
<ComboBoxComponent
dataSource={dataManager}
fields={{ text: 'name', value: 'id' }}
allowFiltering={true} />
Pattern 4: Custom Template for Rich Content
Problem: Display icons or additional info with each item.
Solution: Use itemTemplate prop for custom HTML rendering.
const itemTemplate = (props) => {
return (
<div className="flex items-center gap-2">
<span className={`icon icon-${props.value}`}></span>
<span>{props.name}</span>
<small className="text-gray-500">({props.players} players)</small>
</div>
);
};
<ComboBoxComponent
dataSource={sportsData}
itemTemplate={itemTemplate}
fields={{ text: 'name', value: 'id' }}
/>
Key Props Reference
| Prop | Type | Description | Common Use |
|---|---|---|---|
dataSource |
Array|DataManager | Data items to display | All use cases |
fields |
FieldSettingsModel | Map data fields (text, value, groupBy, iconCss, disabled) | Complex data |
placeholder |
string | Hint text when empty | UX guidance |
allowCustom |
boolean | Allow user to enter custom values not in the list. Default: true |
Open-ended input |
allowFiltering |
boolean | Enable filter bar (search box) in the popup. Default: false |
Search capability |
enableVirtualization |
boolean | Enable virtual scrolling for large datasets. Requires <Inject services={[VirtualScroll]} />. Default: false |
Large datasets (5,000+ items) |
sortOrder |
SortOrder | 'None' | 'Ascending' | 'Descending'. Default: null |
Sorted lists |
popupHeight |
string|number | Dropdown height (e.g., '300px'). Default: '300px' |
Layout control |
popupWidth |
string|number | Dropdown width (e.g., '100%'). Default: '100%' |
Layout control |
enabled |
boolean | Enable/disable component. Default: true |
Conditional rendering |
readonly |
boolean | Prevent user input. Default: false |
View-only mode |
showClearButton |
boolean | Show clear (×) button. Default: true |
Allow clearing selection |
change |
EmitType<ChangeEventArgs> | Fires when selection changes | Event handling |
filtering |
EmitType<FilteringEventArgs> | Fires when user types; use for custom filter logic | Advanced search |
itemTemplate |
Function|string | Custom item HTML for each list item | Rich UI |
Next Steps
- New to ComboBox? → Start with getting-started.md
- Need specific data? → Go to data-binding.md
- Performance concerns? → Check advanced-features.md
- Design customization? → See styling-and-theming.md
- Common scenarios? → Explore how-to-guide.md (autofill, cascading, icons)
- Resizable dropdowns? → Read popup-resizing.md
- Stuck? → Visit troubleshooting.md
- Need full API details? → See api.md for all properties, methods, events, and interface models
DropDownList
The DropDownList component provides a list of predefined values from which users can select a single value. It supports local and remote data binding, filtering, grouping, custom templates, virtual scrolling, accessibility, and rich customization.
Navigation Guide
Getting Started
📄 Read: references/getting-started.md
- Installation and package setup (
@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns) - CSS imports with tailwind3 theme
- Basic DropDownList (functional and class components)
- Binding a data source
- Configuring popup height and width
Data Binding & Value Binding
📄 Read: references/data-binding.md
- Binding primitive arrays (strings, numbers)
- Binding JSON object arrays with
fieldsmapping (text,value,groupBy,iconCss) - Remote data with
DataManager(OData, ODataV4, WebAPI adaptors) - Value binding: preselecting values, binding primitive vs. complex objects
- Disabling individual items with
fields.disabled
Filtering
📄 Read: references/filtering.md
- Enabling
allowFilteringfor search-as-you-type - Handling the
filteringevent withupdateData - Preventing default filtering — always set
args.preventDefaultAction = truein custom handlers - Filter types:
startswith,contains,endsWith, case-sensitive options - Filtering by multiple fields — use
Predicatewith.or()to match typed text against bothtextandvaluefields (or any combination) - Remote/server-side filtering with minimum character guard
- Diacritics filtering (
ignoreAccent), debounce delay - Highlight filtered text, custom search logic
Grouping & Templates
📄 Read: references/grouping-and-templates.md
- Grouping items with the
groupByfield - Fixed and inline group headers
- Custom group header template
- Item template, value (selected) template
- Header and footer templates
- No-records and action-failure templates
Features & Configuration
📄 Read: references/features-and-configuration.md
- Sorting (
sortOrder: ascending, descending) - Virtual scrolling for large lists (
enableVirtualization) - Popup resize (
allowResize) - Incremental search, clear button, readonly, disabled
- RTL support, Preact usage
Accessibility, Styling & Localization
📄 Read: references/accessibility-styling-localization.md
- WCAG 2.2 / Section 508 compliance
- Keyboard navigation shortcuts
- ARIA roles and attributes
cssClassprop — scoped per-instance CSS class, multiple classes, conditional classes, built-in utility classes (e-error,e-success)- CSS class customization (wrapper, icon, popup, list items, placeholder)
- Theming (tailwind3, material3, bootstrap5, fluent2)
- Localization (
L10n,noRecordsTemplate,actionFailureTemplate) - RTL layout (
enableRtl)
API Reference
📄 Read: references/api.md
- Complete properties reference with types, defaults, and usage examples
- All methods with signatures, parameters, and return types
- All events with argument interfaces and usage examples
- Interface details:
FieldSettingsModel,ChangeEventArgs,SelectEventArgs,PopupEventArgs,FilteringEventArgs - Quick-reference summary tables for properties, methods, and events
How-To Patterns
📄 Read: references/how-to.md
- Add, remove, or modify items dynamically
- Cascading (dependent) dropdowns
- Multiple cascading dropdowns
- Remote data how-to
- Close popup on scroll, tooltip on items, icons in items
- Value change event, clearing selected value
Quick Start Example
Installation: Pin packages to a specific major version to reduce supply-chain risk.
npm install @syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns@^33.x.x --save
// 1. See pinned install command above.
// 2. CSS in src/App.css
// @import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-base/styles/tailwind3.css";
// @import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-inputs/styles/tailwind3.css";
// @import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns/styles/tailwind3.css";
import { DropDownListComponent } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns';
import './App.css';
export default function App() {
const sportsData: string[] = ['Badminton', 'Cricket', 'Football', 'Golf', 'Tennis'];
return (
<DropDownListComponent
id="ddlelement"
dataSource={sportsData}
placeholder="Select a game"
/>
);
}
Common Patterns
JSON Object Data with Fields Mapping
import { DropDownListComponent } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns';
export default function App() {
const countryData = [
{ Id: 'au', Country: 'Australia' },
{ Id: 'br', Country: 'Brazil' },
{ Id: 'cn', Country: 'China' },
{ Id: 'in', Country: 'India' },
];
const fields = { text: 'Country', value: 'Id' };
return (
<DropDownListComponent
dataSource={countryData}
fields={fields}
placeholder="Select a country"
/>
);
}
Filtering (Search-as-you-type)
import { DropDownListComponent, FilteringEventArgs } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns';
import { Query } from '@syncfusion/ej2-data';
export default function App() {
const searchData = [
{ Index: 's1', Country: 'Alaska' },
{ Index: 's2', Country: 'California' },
{ Index: 's3', Country: 'Florida' },
];
const fields = { text: 'Country', value: 'Index' };
function onFiltering(args: FilteringEventArgs) {
// Local example: updateData is applied against local `searchData` below.
// For remote filtering, route requests through a trusted server proxy and
// validate/sanitize responses before calling `updateData`.
args.preventDefaultAction = true; // prevent built-in filter from running alongside custom logic
let query = new Query();
query = args.text !== '' ? query.where('Country', 'startswith', args.text, true) : query;
args.updateData(searchData, query);
}
return (
<DropDownListComponent
dataSource={searchData}
fields={fields}
allowFiltering={true}
filtering={onFiltering}
placeholder="Select a country"
/>
);
}
Preselect a Value
<DropDownListComponent
dataSource={sportsData}
value="Cricket"
placeholder="Select a game"
/>
Grouped Items
const vegetableData = [
{ Vegetable: 'Cabbage', Category: 'Leafy and Salad', Id: 'item1' },
{ Vegetable: 'Chickpea', Category: 'Beans', Id: 'item6' },
{ Vegetable: 'Garlic', Category: 'Bulb and Stem', Id: 'item9' },
];
const fields = { groupBy: 'Category', text: 'Vegetable', value: 'Id' };
<DropDownListComponent dataSource={vegetableData} fields={fields} placeholder="Select a vegetable" />
Key Props
| Prop | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
dataSource |
any[] | DataManager |
Data for the list items |
fields |
FieldSettingsModel |
Maps text, value, groupBy, iconCss, disabled |
value |
string | number |
Selected/preselected value |
placeholder |
string |
Input placeholder text |
allowFiltering |
boolean |
Enables search filtering |
filtering |
event |
Handler for custom filter logic |
popupHeight |
string |
Popup list height (default auto) |
popupWidth |
string |
Popup list width (default matches input) |
sortOrder |
SortOrder |
'None', 'Ascending', 'Descending' |
enableVirtualization |
boolean |
Virtual scroll for large data |
allowResize |
boolean |
User-resizable popup |
enabled |
boolean |
Enable/disable entire component |
readonly |
boolean |
Read-only mode |
showClearButton |
boolean |
Shows ✕ button to clear selection |
enableRtl |
boolean |
Right-to-left layout |
Common Use Cases
Simple static list → Pass string[] to dataSource, done.
Data from API → Use DataManager with WebApiAdaptor; read references/data-binding.md.
Search/filter as user types → Set allowFiltering={true}, handle filtering event; read references/filtering.md.
Categorized items → Map groupBy field; read references/grouping-and-templates.md.
Custom item layout → Use itemTemplate; read references/grouping-and-templates.md.
Large dataset (10k+ items) → Enable enableVirtualization + inject VirtualScroll; read references/features-and-configuration.md.
Dependent dropdowns → Reload second dropdown's dataSource on first's change event; read references/how-to.md.
ListBox
The Syncfusion ListBox component displays a list of items in a scrollable container, enabling single or multiple selection. It supports local and remote data binding, drag-and-drop reordering, filtering, grouping, custom templates, dual-list transfer, and full accessibility.
Documentation Guide
Navigate to specific topics based on your implementation needs:
Getting Started
📄 Read: references/getting-started.md
- React app setup (Vite/Create React App)
- Installing Syncfusion packages
- CSS imports and theming
- Basic ListBox component creation
- Running the application
Selection & Events
📄 Read: references/selection.md
- Single selection mode
- Multiple selection mode
- Selection events and handlers
- Programmatic selection management
- Working with selected items
Data Binding & Structure
📄 Read: references/data-binding.md
- Array and object data binding
- Text and value properties
- Data source configuration
- Grouping data
- Hierarchical data structures
Custom Templates & Icons
📄 Read: references/icons-and-templates.md
- Icon rendering in items
- Custom item templates
- HTML content rendering
- Template variables and syntax
- Conditional rendering
Advanced Features
📄 Read: references/features.md
- Drag and drop functionality
- Filtering and search
- Sorting and grouping
- Dual ListBox (transfer list)
- Scroller configuration
- Item enable/disable
Styling & Appearance
📄 Read: references/style-and-appearance.md
- CSS class customization
- Theme integration
- Styling items and groups
- Responsive design
- Custom CSS variables
Accessibility
📄 Read: references/accessibility.md
- WCAG 2.2 compliance
- Keyboard navigation
- ARIA attributes
- Screen reader support
- RTL (right-to-left) support
How-To Guides
📄 Read: references/how-to-guides.md
- Add items dynamically
- Select items programmatically
- Enable/disable items
- Filter ListBox data
- Enable scroller for long lists
- Form integration & submission
Dual ListBox (Transfer)
📄 Read: references/dual-list-box.md
- Two-way item transfer between lists
- Toolbar operations (move up/down, transfer)
- Permission and skill assignment patterns
- Custom styling and responsive design
- Capacity limits and validation
API Reference
📄 Read: references/api.md
- Complete list of all properties with types and defaults
- All public methods with parameter details and return types
- All events with full event argument interfaces
- Sub-interfaces:
SelectionSettingsModel,ToolbarSettingsModel,FieldSettingsModel,SourceDestinationModel
Quick Start Example
Installation: Pin packages to a specific major version to reduce supply-chain risk.
npm install @syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns@^33.x.x @syncfusion/ej2-base@^33.x.x
Basic ListBox with single selection:
import { ListBoxComponent } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns'; // ^33.x.x
import './App.css';
function App() {
const data = [
{ text: 'JavaScript', id: '1' },
{ text: 'TypeScript', id: '2' },
{ text: 'React', id: '3' },
{ text: 'Vue', id: '4' },
{ text: 'Angular', id: '5' }
];
const handleChange = (e) => {
console.log('Selected:', e.value);
};
return (
<ListBoxComponent
dataSource={data}
fields={{ text: 'text', value: 'id' }}
selectionSettings={{ mode: 'Single' }}
change={handleChange}
/>
);
}
export default App;
Common Patterns
Multiple Selection
<ListBoxComponent
dataSource={data}
selectionSettings={{ mode: 'Multiple' }}
/>
Checkbox Selection
Requires injecting
CheckBoxSelectionservice.
import { ListBoxComponent, SelectionSettingsModel, Inject, CheckBoxSelection } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns';
const selectionSettings: SelectionSettingsModel = { showCheckbox: true };
<ListBoxComponent dataSource={data} selectionSettings={selectionSettings}>
<Inject services={[CheckBoxSelection]} />
</ListBoxComponent>
With Search/Filter
<ListBoxComponent
dataSource={data}
allowFiltering={true}
filterBarPlaceholder="Search items"
/>
Custom Item Template
const itemTemplate = (props) => {
return (
<div>
<span className="icon">{props.icon}</span>
<span>{props.text}</span>
</div>
);
}
<ListBoxComponent
dataSource={data}
itemTemplate={itemTemplate}
/>
Grouping Items
<ListBoxComponent
dataSource={groupedData}
fields={{ text: 'text', groupBy: 'category' }}
/>
Key Props & Configuration
| Prop | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
dataSource |
Array of items to display | [{ text: 'Item', id: '1' }] |
fields |
Maps data properties to display | { text: 'name', value: 'id' } |
selectionSettings |
Defines selection mode and checkbox display. For showCheckbox: true, inject CheckBoxSelection service |
{ mode: 'Multiple' } / { showCheckbox: true } |
allowFiltering |
Enables filter search box | true |
allowDragAndDrop |
Enables item drag-drop | true |
itemTemplate |
Custom template for items | Function returning JSX |
enabled |
Enables/disables the component | true / false |
Common Use Cases
- Select Framework - Single selection from framework list with icons
- Multi-Select Languages - Multiple selection with search filter
- Skill Picker - Custom templates with badges and descriptions
- Drag-Drop Transfer - Dual ListBox for moving items between lists
- Grouped Categories - Organizing items by category with group headers
- Searchable Item List - Large list with filter functionality
- Accessible Menu - Full keyboard navigation and screen reader support
Next Steps
- Start with Getting Started for initial setup
- Choose your use case (selection mode, templates, features)
- Read relevant reference for implementation details
- Copy code examples and customize for your needs
- Use Accessibility guide for WCAG compliance
Need help? Each reference file contains examples, edge cases, and troubleshooting tips.
Mention
The Mention Component attaches to a target editable element (e.g. a <div contenteditable>) and displays a suggestion popup when the user types a trigger character (default @). Selecting an item inserts it inline into the editor.
Documentation and Navigation Guide
Getting Started
📄 Read: references/getting-started.md
- Installation and package setup (
@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns) - CSS theme imports
- Basic
MentionComponentsetup withtargetprop - Binding a simple data source
- Custom trigger character (
mentionChar) andshowMentionChar
⚠️ Security Note: Installing npm packages (
@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdownsand related) must be a deliberate, user-confirmed step. Do not allow automated agents to runnpm installwithout explicit user approval, as this introduces supply-chain risk.
Working with Data
📄 Read: references/working-with-data.md
- Binding array of strings, JSON objects, and complex nested data
- Mapping
fields(text, value, groupBy, iconCss) - Remote data with OData V4 (
ODataV4Adaptor) - Remote data with Web API (
WebApiAdaptor) - Using
queryto filter/select remote fields
Filtering Data
📄 Read: references/filtering-data.md
- Setting minimum filter character length (
minLength) - Changing filter type:
Contains,StartsWith,EndsWith - Allowing spaces within search text (
allowSpaces) - Customizing the suggestion count (
suggestionCount) - Debounce delay for filtering (
debounceDelay)
Templates
📄 Read: references/template.md
- Item template (
itemTemplate) for custom list rendering - Display template (
displayTemplate) for selected value format - No-records template (
noRecordsTemplate) - Spinner/loading template (
spinnerTemplate) - Group header template (
groupTemplate)
Customization
📄 Read: references/customization.md
- Show/hide mention character in output (
showMentionChar) - Appending suffix text after selection (
suffixText) - Configuring popup height and width (
popupHeight,popupWidth) - Custom trigger character (
mentionChar) - Leading space requirement (
requireLeadingSpace) - CSS class customization (
cssClass) - Highlight matched characters (
highlight) - Ignore accent/case in search (
ignoreAccent,ignoreCase) - Z-index for popup (
zIndex)
Sorting
📄 Read: references/sorting.md
- Sorting suggestion list:
Ascending,Descending,None
Disabled Items
📄 Read: references/disabled-items.md
- Disabling items via
fields.disabled - Dynamically disabling items with
disableItem()method
Accessibility
📄 Read: references/accessibility.md
- WAI-ARIA attributes (
aria-selected,aria-activedescendent,aria-owns) - Keyboard navigation shortcuts
- WCAG 2.2 and Section 508 compliance
- RTL support (
enableRtl)
Localization
📄 Read: references/localization.md
- Localizing the
noRecordsTemplatetext viaL10n - Setting
localeproperty
API Reference
📄 Read: references/api.md
- All properties, methods, and events
target,dataSource,fields,mentionChar,minLength,suggestionCount- Methods:
addItem,disableItem,getDataByValue,getItems,showPopup,hidePopup,search,destroy - Events:
select,change,filtering,beforeOpen,opened,closed,dataBound,actionBegin,actionComplete,actionFailure
Quick Start Example
import { MentionComponent } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns';
import * as React from 'react';
// CSS imports
// @import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-base/styles/tailwind3.css";
// @import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns/styles/tailwind3.css";
function App() {
const mentionTarget = '#commentBox';
const users = [
{ Name: 'Selma Rose', EmailId: 'selma@example.com' },
{ Name: 'Robert', EmailId: 'robert@example.com' },
{ Name: 'William', EmailId: 'william@example.com' },
];
const fields = { text: 'Name' };
return (
<div>
<label>Comments</label>
<div id="commentBox" placeholder="Type @ to mention a user"></div>
<MentionComponent
target={mentionTarget}
dataSource={users}
fields={fields}
/>
</div>
);
}
export default App;
Common Patterns
Custom Trigger Character
Use mentionChar to trigger with # instead of @:
<MentionComponent
target="#editor"
dataSource={tags}
mentionChar="#"
showMentionChar={true}
/>
Remote Data with Filtering (security-first)
import { DataManager, ODataV4Adaptor, Query } from '@syncfusion/ej2-data';
// SECURITY: Do not call third-party endpoints from the browser. Use a server-side
// proxy that you control and that validates/sanitizes upstream responses.
const dataSource = new DataManager({
url: 'https://your-trusted-proxy.example/api/mentions',
adaptor: new ODataV4Adaptor(),
crossDomain: true,
});
const query = new Query().from('Customers').select(['ContactName', 'CustomerID']).take(6);
const fields = { text: 'ContactName', value: 'CustomerID' };
<MentionComponent
target="#editor"
dataSource={dataSource}
fields={fields}
query={query}
minLength={2}
popupWidth="250px" />
Handling Selection Events
import { SelectEventArgs } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns';
function onSelect(args: SelectEventArgs) {
console.log('Selected item:', args.itemData);
console.log('Selected text:', args.text);
}
<MentionComponent
target="#editor"
dataSource={users}
fields={{ text: 'Name' }}
select={onSelect}
/>
Popup Configuration
<MentionComponent
target="#editor"
dataSource={data}
fields={{ text: 'Name' }}
popupHeight="200px"
popupWidth="300px"
suggestionCount={10}
sortOrder="Ascending"
suffixText=" "
/>
Key Props Summary
| Prop | Type | Default | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
target |
string|HTMLElement |
— | CSS selector or element for the editable area |
dataSource |
array|DataManager |
[] |
Data for suggestions |
fields |
FieldSettingsModel |
{text:null,value:null} |
Maps data fields |
mentionChar |
string |
'@' |
Trigger character |
showMentionChar |
boolean |
false |
Prepend trigger char to inserted text |
minLength |
number |
0 |
Min chars before search |
suggestionCount |
number |
25 |
Max items in popup |
filterType |
FilterType |
'Contains' |
Filter match strategy |
allowSpaces |
boolean |
false |
Allow spaces in search |
sortOrder |
SortOrder |
'None' |
Sort direction |
popupHeight |
string|number |
'300px' |
Popup height |
popupWidth |
string|number |
'auto' |
Popup width |
suffixText |
string |
null |
Text appended after selection |
requireLeadingSpace |
boolean |
true |
Space required before trigger char |
highlight |
boolean |
false |
Highlight search characters |
MultiSelect
A comprehensive skill for implementing the MultiSelect Dropdown component — enabling users to select multiple values from a list with support for filtering, grouping, templates, checkboxes, chips, virtual scrolling, and more.
Component Overview
Installation: Pin packages to a specific major version to reduce supply-chain risk.
npm install @syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns@^33.x.x @syncfusion/ej2-base@^33.x.x @syncfusion/ej2-buttons@^33.x.x @syncfusion/ej2-inputs@^33.x.x
import { MultiSelectComponent } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns'; // ^33.x.x
import '@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns/styles/tailwind3.css';
// Also import base dependencies:
// @syncfusion/ej2-base/styles/tailwind3.css
// @syncfusion/ej2-buttons/styles/tailwind3.css
// @syncfusion/ej2-inputs/styles/tailwind3.css
Package: @syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns
Main component: MultiSelectComponent
Checkbox module: CheckBoxSelection (inject via <Inject services={[CheckBoxSelection]} />)
Virtual scroll module: VirtualScroll (inject via <Inject services={[VirtualScroll]} />)
Quick Start Example
import { MultiSelectComponent } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns';
import * as React from 'react';
export default function App() {
const sportsData = ['Badminton', 'Basketball', 'Cricket', 'Football', 'Golf', 'Tennis'];
return (
<MultiSelectComponent
id="multiselect"
dataSource={sportsData}
placeholder="Select sports"
/>
);
}
With objects and field mapping:
import { MultiSelectComponent } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-dropdowns';
import * as React from 'react';
export default function App() {
const sportsData = [
{ id: 'game1', sports: 'Badminton' },
{ id: 'game2', sports: 'Football' },
{ id: 'game3', sports: 'Tennis' },
];
const fields = { text: 'sports', value: 'id' };
return (
<MultiSelectComponent
id="multiselect"
dataSource={sportsData}
fields={fields}
placeholder="Select a game"
/>
);
}
Documentation and Navigation Guide
Getting Started
📄 Read: references/getting-started.md
- Installation and package setup (Vite / CRA)
- CSS imports and theming
- Basic MultiSelect implementation (class & functional components)
- Binding a simple data source
- Popup height/width configuration
Data Binding
📄 Read: references/data-binding.md
- Array of strings vs array of objects
- Field mapping (
text,value,groupBy,iconCss,disabled) - Remote data via
DataManager(OData, OData V4, Web API) - JSON/JSONP formats
- Complex data binding gotchas
Grouping
📄 Read: references/grouping.md
- Grouping items by category with
groupBy - Inline vs fixed group headers
- Group header templates
- Ordering and multi-level grouping
Filtering
📄 Read: references/filtering.md
- Enabling
allowFiltering - Handling the
filteringevent - Query API with
where()conditions - Filter types: startswith, contains, endswith
- Case sensitivity, multiple conditions, performance
Templates
📄 Read: references/templates.md
- Item templates for custom list item layouts
- Value/chip templates for selected display
- Group header templates
- Header, footer, no-records, and action-failure templates
Selection Modes and Features
📄 Read: references/selection-and-features.md
- Checkbox mode (inject
CheckBoxSelection) - Chip/tag display and the
taggingevent - Custom values (
allowCustomValue) - Value binding (primitive and object types)
- Disabled items via
fields.disabled - Popup resizing (
allowResize) - Virtual scrolling for large datasets (inject
VirtualScroll)
Accessibility, Styling, and Localization
📄 Read: references/accessibility-styling-localization.md
- WAI-ARIA attributes and keyboard shortcuts
- WCAG 2.2 / Section 508 / Screen reader support
- CSS customization (chips, wrapper, icon, delimiter)
- RTL support
- Localization with
L10n
API Reference
📄 Read: references/api.md
- Complete list of all properties with types, descriptions, and defaults
- All public methods with parameter details and return types
- All events with their argument types and trigger conditions
Key Props Reference
| Prop | Type | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
dataSource |
string[] | object[] | DataManager |
Always required — data to display |
fields |
FieldSettingsModel |
When using object data; map text, value, groupBy, disabled |
mode |
'Default' | 'Box' | 'CheckBox' | 'Delimiter' |
Change selection display: chips (Box), checkboxes, or comma-delimited |
value |
string[] | number[] | object[] |
Pre-select items on load |
allowFiltering |
boolean |
Enable search-as-you-type filtering |
allowCustomValue |
boolean |
Let users type values not in the list |
allowObjectBinding |
boolean |
Return full objects as selected values instead of primitives |
enableVirtualization |
boolean |
Use for 500+ items to improve performance |
allowResize |
boolean |
Let users resize the popup |
popupHeight |
string |
Limit popup list height (default: 300px) |
popupWidth |
string |
Set popup width (default: matches input) |
placeholder |
string |
Input placeholder text |
Common Use Cases
Multi-tag input (chip display):
→ Use mode="Box" (default). Each selection becomes a chip.
Checkbox multi-selection:
→ Use mode="CheckBox" and inject CheckBoxSelection module.
Search/filter a long list:
→ Set allowFiltering={true} and handle the filtering event for remote data.
Pre-select values:
→ Pass value prop as an array of value-field values: value={['id1', 'id2']}.
Group by category:
→ Add groupBy to the fields prop: fields={{ text: 'name', value: 'id', groupBy: 'category' }}.
Large datasets (1000+ items):
→ Set enableVirtualization={true} and inject VirtualScroll module.
Disable specific options:
→ Add a boolean disabled column to your data and map it: fields={{ ..., disabled: 'isDisabled' }}.
Custom entry not in list:
→ Set allowCustomValue={true}; handle customValueSelection event for custom actions.
Decision Guide
User wants multiple selections?
├── Visual chips with filter → mode="Box" (default) + allowFiltering
├── Checkbox-style list → mode="CheckBox" + Inject CheckBoxSelection
└── Comma-separated display → mode="Delimiter"
Data source type?
├── Simple strings/numbers → Pass array directly to dataSource
├── Objects → Pass array + fields={{ text, value }}
└── Remote API → Use DataManager + allowFiltering + filtering event
List is very long?
└── Yes (500+) → enableVirtualization={true} + Inject VirtualScroll
Need custom item layout?
└── Use itemTemplate, valueTemplate, groupTemplate props
Need localization?
└── Read references/accessibility-styling-localization.md
MultiColumn ComboBox
The Syncfusion MultiColumnComboBoxComponent renders a combo box with a multi-column popup grid, enabling users to select from structured tabular data. It supports local and remote data, filtering, sorting, grouping, templates, virtualization, and full accessibility compliance.
Package: @syncfusion/ej2-react-multicolumn-combobox
Navigation Guide
Getting Started
📄 Read: references/getting-started.md
- Installation and package setup
- CSS imports and theme configuration (Tailwind 3)
- Rendering the first
MultiColumnComboBoxComponent - Binding
dataSource,fields, andcolumnswithColumnDirective - Configuring
popupHeightandpopupWidth - Minimal working example (functional and class components)
Columns
📄 Read: references/columns.md
- Defining columns with
ColumnDirectiveandColumnsDirective field,header,width— core column propertiestextAlignfor column text alignmenttemplatefor cell-level custom renderingdisplayAsCheckBoxfor boolean columnscustomAttributesfor column CSS customizationheaderTemplatefor custom column headersformatfor data formatting
Data Binding
📄 Read: references/data-binding.md
- Binding local object arrays via
dataSource - Remote data binding with
DataManagerandWebApiAdaptor - Mapping
fields(text,value,groupBy) - Using
queryproperty for filtered/limited data sets - OData, OData V4, Web API adaptor patterns
Filtering
📄 Read: references/filtering.md
- Enabling/disabling filtering with
allowFiltering - Changing filter mode with
filterType(StartsWith,EndsWith,Contains) filteringevent for custom filter logic- Disabling filtering for read-only scenarios
Sorting
📄 Read: references/sorting.md
- Enabling sorting with
allowSorting - Setting initial sort order with
sortOrder(None,Ascending,Descending) - Sorting multiple columns with
sortType(OneColumn,MultipleColumns) - Clicking column headers to toggle sort direction
Grouping
📄 Read: references/grouping.md
- Grouping data with
fields.groupBy - Fixed group headers in popup
- Using
groupTemplateto customize group headers
Templates
📄 Read: references/templates.md
itemTemplatefor customizing each rowheaderTemplate(onColumnDirective) for custom column headersgroupTemplatefor group header customizationfooterTemplatefor popup footer contentnoRecordsTemplatefor empty state displayactionFailureTemplatefor remote fetch error state
Items and Configuration
📄 Read: references/items.md
- Setting initial selection with
text,value,index placeholderandfloatLabelTypefor input label behaviorshowClearButtonto allow clearing selectiondisabledandreadonlystateswidth,popupWidth,popupHeightfor sizingcssClassfor custom stylinghtmlAttributesfor additional HTML attributesgridSettingsfor grid lines, row height, and alternate rowsqueryfor data constraintsaddItemsmethod,focusIn,focusOut,showPopup,hidePopup
Virtualization
📄 Read: references/virtualization.md
- Enabling
enableVirtualizationfor large datasets - Virtual scrolling with local and remote data
- Combining with
gridSettings.rowHeight
Events
📄 Read: references/events.md
change— fired when value changes or item is selectedselect— fired on item selectionopen/close— popup open/close lifecyclefiltering— fired on character input for custom filteringactionBegin/actionComplete/actionFailure— data fetch lifecycle
API Reference
📄 Read: references/api.md
- Complete list of all properties with types and defaults
- All events with their argument types
- All methods:
addItems,focusIn,focusOut,getDataByValue,getItems,showPopup,hidePopup ColumnModelpropertiesGridSettingsModelpropertiesFieldSettingsModelproperties
Accessibility
📄 Read: references/accessibility.md
- WCAG 2.2 and Section 508 compliance
- WAI-ARIA attributes (
role,aria-expanded,aria-selected, etc.) - Keyboard navigation shortcuts
- RTL support with
enableRtl - Screen reader support
Localization
📄 Read: references/localization.md
- Localizing
noRecordsTemplatetext usingL10n - Setting
localeproperty for culture-specific rendering - Loading translation objects
Quick Start
import { MultiColumnComboBoxComponent, ColumnsDirective, ColumnDirective } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-multicolumn-combobox';
import * as React from 'react';
import './App.css';
// CSS in App.css:
// @import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-base/styles/tailwind3.css";
// @import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-inputs/styles/tailwind3.css";
// @import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-grids/styles/tailwind3.css";
// @import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-popups/styles/tailwind3.css";
// @import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-react-multicolumn-combobox/styles/tailwind3.css";
function App() {
const empData = [
{ EmpID: 1001, Name: 'Andrew Fuller', Designation: 'Team Lead', Country: 'England' },
{ EmpID: 1002, Name: 'Robert', Designation: 'Developer', Country: 'USA' },
{ EmpID: 1003, Name: 'Michael', Designation: 'HR', Country: 'Russia' },
];
const fields = { text: 'Name', value: 'EmpID' };
return (
<MultiColumnComboBoxComponent
id="multicolumn"
dataSource={empData}
fields={fields}
placeholder="Select an employee"
>
<ColumnsDirective>
<ColumnDirective field='EmpID' header='Employee ID' width={120} />
<ColumnDirective field='Name' header='Name' width={120} />
<ColumnDirective field='Designation' header='Designation' width={120} />
<ColumnDirective field='Country' header='Country' width={100} />
</ColumnsDirective>
</MultiColumnComboBoxComponent>
);
}
export default App;
Common Patterns
Pre-select an item by text
<MultiColumnComboBoxComponent dataSource={empData} fields={fields} text="Michael">
{/* columns */}
</MultiColumnComboBoxComponent>
Enable filtering with Contains mode
<MultiColumnComboBoxComponent
dataSource={empData}
fields={fields}
allowFiltering={true}
filterType="Contains"
>
{/* columns */}
</MultiColumnComboBoxComponent>
Enable sorting (descending) with multi-column support
import { SortOrder } from '@syncfusion/ej2-react-multicolumn-combobox';
<MultiColumnComboBoxComponent
dataSource={empData}
fields={fields}
allowSorting={true}
sortOrder={SortOrder.Descending}
sortType="MultipleColumns"
>
{/* columns */}
</MultiColumnComboBoxComponent>
Handle value change event
<MultiColumnComboBoxComponent
dataSource={empData}
fields={fields}
change={(args) => console.log('Selected:', args.value)}
>
{/* columns */}
</MultiColumnComboBoxComponent>
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