Angular DropDownBox - Overview

The DropDownBox is a UI component that consists of a text field, which displays the current value, and a drop-down field, which can contain any UI element.

View Demo

The simplest UI component configuration requires specifying a dataSource, value and contentTemplate. The following code adds the DropDownBox to your page:

jQuery
JavaScript
$(function () {
    const fruits = ["Apples", "Oranges", "Lemons", "Pears", "Pineapples"];
    $("#dropDownBoxContainer").dxDropDownBox({
        value: fruits[0],
        dataSource: fruits,
        contentTemplate: function(e) {
            const $list = $("<div>").dxList({
                dataSource: e.component.option("dataSource"),
                selectionMode: "single",
                onSelectionChanged: function(arg) {
                    e.component.option("value", arg.addedItems[0]);
                    e.component.close();
                } 
            });
            return $list;
        }
    });
});
Angular
HTML
TypeScript
<dx-drop-down-box
    [(value)]="selectedFruit"
    [(opened)]="isDropDownBoxOpened"
    [dataSource]="fruits">
    <dx-list 
        [dataSource]="fruits"
        selectionMode="single"
        (onSelectionChanged)="changeDropDownBoxValue($event)">
    </dx-list>
</dx-drop-down-box>
import { DxDropDownBoxModule, DxListModule } from "devextreme-angular";
// ...
export class AppComponent {
    fruits = ["Apples", "Oranges", "Lemons", "Pears", "Pineapples"];
    selectedFruit = this.fruits[0];
    isDropDownBoxOpened = false;
    changeDropDownBoxValue = function (args) {
        this.selectedFruit = args.addedItems[0];
        this.isDropDownBoxOpened = false;
    }
}
@NgModule({
    imports: [
        // ...
        DxDropDownBoxModule,
        DxListModule
    ],
    // ...
})
Vue
App.vue
<template>
    <div>
        <DxDropDownBox
            v-model:value="selectedFruit"
            v-model:opened="isDropDownBoxOpened"
            :data-source="dataSource">
            <DxList
                :data-source="dataSource"
                selection-mode="single"
                @selection-changed="changeDropDownBoxValue($event)">
            </DxList>
        </DxDropDownBox>
    </div>
</template>

<script>
import 'devextreme/dist/css/dx.light.css';

import DxDropDownBox from "devextreme-vue/drop-down-box";
import DxList from "devextreme-vue/list";

export default {
    components: {
        DxDropDownBox,
        DxList
    },
    data() {
        const fruits = ["Apples", "Oranges", "Lemons", "Pears", "Pineapples"];
        return {
            dataSource: fruits,
            isDropDownBoxOpened: false,
            selectedFruit: fruits[0]
        }
    },
    methods: {
        changeDropDownBoxValue(e) {
            this.selectedFruit = e.addedItems[0];
            this.isDropDownBoxOpened = false;
        }
    }
}
</script>
React
import React from 'react';
import 'devextreme/dist/css/dx.light.css';

import { DropDownBox } from 'devextreme-react/drop-down-box';
import { List } from 'devextreme-react/list';

const fruits = ['Apples', 'Oranges', 'Lemons', 'Pears', 'Pineapples'];

class App extends React.Component {
    constructor(props) {
        super(props);

        this.state = {
            selectedFruit: fruits[0]
        };

        this.dataSource = fruits;
        this.dropDownBoxRef = React.createRef();

        this.changeDropDownBoxValue = this.changeDropDownBoxValue.bind(this);
    }

    changeDropDownBoxValue(e) {
        this.setState({
            selectedFruit: e.addedItems[0]
        });
        this.dropDownBoxRef.current.instance.close();
    }

    render() {
        return (
            <DropDownBox
                ref={this.dropDownBoxRef}
                value={this.state.selectedFruit}
                dataSource={this.dataSource}>
                <List
                    dataSource={this.dataSource}
                    selectionMode="single"
                    onSelectionChanged={this.changeDropDownBoxValue}
                />
            </DropDownBox>
        );
    }
}

export default App;
ASP.NET MVC Controls
Razor C#
@(Html.DevExtreme().DropDownBox()
    .ID("dropDownBox")
    .DataSource(new[] { "Apples", "Oranges", "Lemons", "Pears", "Pineapples" })
    .Value("Apples")
    .ContentTemplate(new TemplateName("list"))
)
@using (Html.DevExtreme().NamedTemplate("list")) {
    @(Html.DevExtreme().List()
        .DataSource(new JS("component.option('dataSource')"))
        .SelectionMode(ListSelectionMode.Single)
        .OnSelectionChanged("innerList_selectionChanged")
    )
}

<script>
    function innerList_selectionChanged (e) {
        const dropDownBox = $("#dropDownBox").dxDropDownBox("instance");
        dropDownBox.option("value", e.addedItems[0]);
        dropDownBox.close();
    }
</script>

If your data is an array of objects, specify:

  • valueExpr
    The data field whose value is written into the value property.
  • displayExpr
    The data field whose value is displayed in the input field of the UI component.
jQuery
JavaScript
$(function () {
    const customers = [
        { ID: 1, companyName: "Premier Buy", city: "Dallas", phone: "(233)2123-11" },
        { ID: 2, companyName: "ElectrixMax", city: "Naperville", phone: "(630)438-7800" },
        // ...
    ];
    const selectedValue = customers[0].ID;
    $("#dropDownBoxContainer").dxDropDownBox({
        value: selectedValue,
        valueExpr: "ID",
        displayExpr: "companyName",
        dataSource: new DevExpress.data.ArrayStore({
            data: customers,
            key: "ID"
        }),
        contentTemplate: function(e){
            const $dataGrid = $("<div>").dxDataGrid({
                dataSource: e.component.option("dataSource"),
                columns: ["companyName", "city", "phone"],
                height: 265,
                selection: { mode: "single" },
                selectedRowKeys: [selectedValue],
                onSelectionChanged: function(selectedItems){
                    const keys = selectedItems.selectedRowKeys,
                        hasSelection = keys.length;
                    e.component.option("value", hasSelection ? keys[0] : null); 
                    e.component.close();
                }
            });
            return $dataGrid;
        }
    });
});
Angular
HTML
TypeScript
<dx-drop-down-box
    [(value)]="selectedValue"
    [(opened)]="isDropDownBoxOpened"
    valueExpr="ID"
    displayExpr="companyName"
    [dataSource]="customerDataSource">
    <dx-data-grid 
        [dataSource]="customerDataSource"
        [selection]="{ mode: 'single' }"
        [columns]="['companyName', 'city', 'phone']"
        [height]="265"
        [(selectedRowKeys)]="selectedCustomers"
        (onSelectionChanged)="changeDropDownBoxValue($event)">
    </dx-data-grid>
</dx-drop-down-box>
import { DxDropDownBoxModule, DxDataGridModule } from "devextreme-angular";
import ArrayStore from "devextreme/data/array_store";
// ...
export class AppComponent  {
    customers = [
        { ID: 1, companyName: "Premier Buy", city: "Dallas", phone: "(233)2123-11" },
        { ID: 2, companyName: "ElectrixMax", city: "Naperville", phone: "(630)438-7800" },
        // ...
    ];
    customerDataSource = new ArrayStore({
        data: this.customers,
        key: "ID"
    });
    selectedCustomers = [this.customers[0].ID];
    selectedValue = this.selectedCustomers[0];
    isDropDownBoxOpened = false;
    changeDropDownBoxValue(args) {
        this.selectedValue = this.selectedCustomers[0];
        this.isDropDownBoxOpened = false;
    }
}
@NgModule({
    imports: [
        // ...
        DxDropDownBoxModule,
        DxDataGridModule
    ],
    // ...
})
Vue
App.vue
<template>
    <div>
        <DxDropDownBox
            v-model:value="selectedValue"
            v-model:opened="isDropDownBoxOpened"
            :data-source="customerDataSource"
            value-expr="ID"
            display-expr="companyName">
            <DxDataGrid
                :data-source="customerDataSource"
                :columns="['companyName', 'city', 'phone']"
                :height="265"
                v-model:selected-row-keys="selectedCustomers"
                @selection-changed="changeDropDownBoxValue">
                <DxSelection mode="single"/>
            </DxDataGrid>
        </DxDropDownBox>
    </div>
</template>

<script>
import 'devextreme/dist/css/dx.light.css';

import DxDropDownBox from "devextreme-vue/drop-down-box";
import { DxDataGrid, DxSelection } from "devextreme-vue/data-grid";
import ArrayStore from "devextreme/data/array_store";

export default {
    components: {
        DxDropDownBox,
        DxDataGrid,
        DxSelection
    },
    data() {
        const customers = [
            { ID: 1, companyName: "Premier Buy", city: "Dallas", phone: "(233)2123-11" },
            { ID: 2, companyName: "ElectrixMax", city: "Naperville", phone: "(630)438-7800" },
            // ...
        ];
        return {
            customerDataSource: new ArrayStore({
                data: customers,
                key: "ID"
            }),
            isDropDownBoxOpened: false,
            selectedCustomers: [customers[0].ID],
            selectedValue: customers[0].ID
        }
    },
    methods: {
        changeDropDownBoxValue(e) {
            this.selectedValue = this.selectedCustomers[0];
            this.isDropDownBoxOpened = false;
        }
    }
}
</script>
React
import React from 'react';
import 'devextreme/dist/css/dx.light.css';

import { DropDownBox } from 'devextreme-react/drop-down-box';
import { DataGrid, Selection } from "devextreme-react/data-grid";
import ArrayStore from "devextreme/data/array_store";

const customers = [
    { ID: 1, companyName: "Premier Buy", city: "Dallas", phone: "(233)2123-11" },
    { ID: 2, companyName: "ElectrixMax", city: "Naperville", phone: "(630)438-7800" },
    // ...
];

class App extends React.Component {
    constructor(props) {
        super(props);

        this.state = {
            selectedCustomers: [customers[0].ID],
            selectedValue: customers[0].ID
        };

        this.customerDataSource = new ArrayStore({
            data: customers,
            key: "ID"
        });
        this.dropDownBoxRef = React.createRef();

        this.changeDropDownBoxValue = this.changeDropDownBoxValue.bind(this);
    }

    changeDropDownBoxValue(selectedItems) {
        const keys = selectedItems.selectedRowKeys;
        this.setState({
            selectedCustomers: keys,
            selectedValue: keys[0]
        });

        this.dropDownBoxRef.current.instance.close();
    }

    render() {
        return (
            <DropDownBox
                ref={this.dropDownBoxRef}
                value={this.state.selectedValue}
                dataSource={this.customerDataSource}
                valueExpr="ID"
                displayExpr="companyName">
                <DataGrid
                    dataSource={this.customerDataSource}
                    columns={['companyName', 'city', 'phone']}
                    height={265}
                    selectedRowKeys={this.state.selectedCustomers}
                    onSelectionChanged={this.changeDropDownBoxValue}>
                    <Selection mode="single"/>
                </DataGrid>
            </DropDownBox>
        );
    }
}

export default App;
ASP.NET MVC Controls
Razor C#
@(Html.DevExtreme().DropDownBox()
    .ID("dropDownBox")
    .DataSource(ds => ds.Array()
        .Key("ID")
        .Data(new JS("customers"))
    )
    .Value(new JS("selectedValue"))
    .ValueExpr("ID")
    .DisplayExpr("companyName")
    .ContentTemplate(new TemplateName("dataGrid"))
)
@using (Html.DevExtreme().NamedTemplate("dataGrid")) {
    @(Html.DevExtreme().DataGrid()
        .DataSource(new JS("component.option('dataSource')"))
        .Columns(c => {
            c.Add().DataField("companyName");
            c.Add().DataField("city");
            c.Add().DataField("phone");
        })
        .Height(265)
        .Selection(s => s.Mode(SelectionMode.Single))
        .SelectedRowKeys(new JS("selectedValue"))
        .OnSelectionChanged("innerDataGrid_selectionChanged")
    )
}

<script>
    const customers = [
        { ID: 1, companyName: "Premier Buy", city: "Dallas", phone: "(233)2123-11" },
        { ID: 2, companyName: "ElectrixMax", city: "Naperville", phone: "(630)438-7800" }, 
        // ...
    ];
    const selectedValue = customers[0].ID;
    function innerDataGrid_selectionChanged(selectedItems) {
        const keys = selectedItems.selectedRowKeys,
            hasSelection = keys.length,
            dropDownBox = $("#dropDownBox").dxDropDownBox("instance");
        dropDownBox.option("value", hasSelection ? keys[0] : null);
        dropDownBox.close();
    }
</script>
See Also