JQuery ASP.NET server control dropdown autocomplete sample

This is a basic sample on how to use autocomplete feature with asp.net server control data using jquery. I feel this would have minimal impact for an existing asp.net page.

 

ASPX File :

 

 

<link type="text/css" rel="Stylesheet" href="https://ajax.aspnetcdn.com/ajax/jquery.ui/1.8.10/themes/redmond/jquery-ui.css" />

<script type="text/javascript" src="https://ajax.aspnetcdn.com/ajax/jquery/jquery-1.5.js"></script>

     <script type="text/javascript" src="https://ajax.aspnetcdn.com/ajax/jquery.ui/1.8.10/jquery-ui.js"></script>

<meta charset="utf-8">

             

      

       <style>

       .ui-button { margin-left: -1px; }

       .ui-button-icon-only .ui-button-text { padding: 0.35em; }

       .ui-autocomplete-input { margin: 0; padding: 0.48em 0 0.47em 0.45em; }

       </style>

 

       <script>

       function optionSelected(selectedValue) {

       document.title = selectedValue;

       }

       (function ($) {

       $.widget("ui.combobox", {

       _create: function () {

       var self = this,

                                  select = this.element.hide(),

                                  selected = select.children(":selected"),

                                  value = selected.val() ? selected.text() : "";

       var input = this.input = $("<input>")

                                  .insertAfter(select)

                                  .val(value)

                                  .autocomplete({

                                  delay: 0,

                                  minLength: 0,

                                  source: function (request, response) {

                                  var matcher = new RegExp($.ui.autocomplete.escapeRegex(request.term), "i");

                                  response(select.children("option").map(function () {

                                  var text = $(this).text();

                                  if (this.value && (!request.term || matcher.test(text)))

                                  return {

                                  label: text.replace(

                                                                           new RegExp(

                                                                                  "(?![^&;]+;)(?!<[^<>]*)(" +

                                                                           $.ui.autocomplete.escapeRegex(request.term) +

                                                                                  ")(?![^<>]*>)(?![^&;]+;)", "gi"

                                                                           ), "<strong>$1</strong>"),

                                  value: text,

                                  option: this

                                  };

                                  }));

                                  },

                                  select: function (event, ui) {

                                  ui.item.option.selected = true;

                                  self._trigger("selected", event, {

                                  item: ui.item.option

                                  });

                            //JK

                            optionSelected(ui.item.option.value);

                                 

                                  },

                                  change: function (event, ui) {

                                  if (!ui.item) {

                                  var matcher = new RegExp("^" + $.ui.autocomplete.escapeRegex($(this).val()) + "$", "i"),

                                                              valid = false;

                                  select.children("option").each(function () {

                                  if ($(this).text().match(matcher)) {

                                  this.selected = valid = true;

                                  return false;

                                  }

                                  });

                                  if (!valid) {

                                  // remove invalid value, as it didn't match anything

                                  $(this).val("");

                                  select.val("");

                                  input.data("autocomplete").term = "";

                                  return false;

                                  }

                                  }

                                  }

                                  })

                                  .addClass("ui-widget ui-widget-content ui-corner-left");

       input.data("autocomplete")._renderItem = function (ul, item) {

       return $("<li></li>")

                                         .data("item.autocomplete", item)

                                         .append("<a>" + item.label + "</a>")

                     .appendTo(ul);

       };

       this.button = $("<button type='button'>&nbsp;</button>")

                                  .attr("tabIndex", -1)

                                  .attr("title", "Show All Items")

                                  .insertAfter(input)

                                  .button({

                                  icons: {

                                  primary: "ui-icon-triangle-1-s"

                                  },

                                  text: false

                                  })

                                  .removeClass("ui-corner-all")

                                  .addClass("ui-corner-right ui-button-icon")

                                  .click(function () {

                                  // close if already visible

                                  if (input.autocomplete("widget").is(":visible")) {

                                  input.autocomplete("close");

                                  return;

                                  }

                                  // pass empty string as value to search for, displaying all results

                                  input.autocomplete("search", "");

                                  input.focus();

                                  });

       },

       destroy: function () {

       this.input.remove();

       this.button.remove();

       this.element.show();

       $.Widget.prototype.destroy.call(this);

       }

       });

       })(jQuery);

       $(function () {

       $("#<%= ddlTest.ClientID%>").combobox();

       $("#toggle").click(function () {

       $("#<%= ddlTest.ClientID%>").toggle();

       });

       });

    </script>

      

<div class="demo">

<div class="ui-widget">

         

    <asp:DropDownList ID="ddlTest" runat="server">

    </asp:DropDownList>

   

</div>

<button id="toggle">Show underlying select</button>

   

</div>

 

 

 

 

 

CS File :

 

namespace JQueryTest

{

    public partial class _Default : System.Web.UI.Page

    {

        protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)

        {

            if (!IsPostBack)

            {

                List<Item> lst = new List<Item>();

                lst.Add(new Item() { ID = "0", Val = "Select" });

                lst.Add(new Item() { ID = "1", Val = "This is a test for long text... This is a test for long text" });

                lst.Add(new Item() { ID = "2", Val = "now lest see how this works out.... This is a test for long textThis is a test for long text" });

                lst.Add(new Item() { ID = "3", Val = "joseph" });

                lst.Add(new Item() { ID = "4", Val = "kiran" });

                ddlTest.DataSource = lst;

  ddlTest.DataTextField = "Val";

                ddlTest.DataValueField = "ID";

                ddlTest.DataBind();

            }

        }

    }

    class Item

    {

        string _val;

        string _id;

        public string ID { get { return _id; } set { _id = value; } }

        public string Val { get { return _val; } set { _val = value; } }

       

       

    }

}

Comments

  • Anonymous
    December 15, 2011
    This was exactly what I was looking for, thank you very much.

  • Anonymous
    December 15, 2011
    This is what i was looking for. Thanks

  • Anonymous
    March 16, 2012
    Hello, Good example, i have tried it but dropdown select index change event is not working please help me. Thanks.

  • Anonymous
    March 19, 2012
    Very good amazing i serarch  alot to get autocomplete jquery working in server side thanks

  • Anonymous
    June 20, 2012
    Excellent. I desperately needed this control.

  • Anonymous
    July 17, 2012
    Very good code, helped me lot... thanks

  • Anonymous
    November 11, 2012
    Hi, I tried this. This is working fine. I had a doubt in this. How to reduce the size of the dropdownlist? How to put the scroll bar if there is too many contents? Please help me. - robinmathewk@yahoo.com Thanks in advance

  • Anonymous
    November 19, 2012
    Hi Joseph Kiran, This is what all we need. Thanks for ur post.Very Helpfull. arfathcse[@]gmail.com