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Getting started with JavaScript AutoComplete control

23 Mar 2023 / 4 minutes to read

This section explains how to create a simple AutoComplete component and configure its available functionalities in TypeScript, using Essential JS 2 quickstart seed repository.

Dependencies

The following list of dependencies are required to use the AutoComplete component in your application.

|-- @syncfusion/ej2-dropdowns
    |-- @syncfusion/ej2-base
    |-- @syncfusion/ej2-data
    |-- @syncfusion/ej2-inputs
    |-- @syncfusion/ej2-lists
    |-- @syncfusion/ej2-navigations
    |-- @syncfusion/ej2-popups
        |-- @syncfusion/ej2-buttons

Set up of the development environment

To get started with the AutoComplete component, you have to clone the Essential JS 2 quickstart project and install the npm packages by using the following commands.

git clone https://github.com/syncfusion/ej2-quickstart.git quickstart

cd quickstart

npm install

The project is preconfigured with common settings (src/styles/styles.css, system.config.js) to start all the Essential JS 2 components.

Initialize the AutoComplete

The AutoComplete can be initialized through input tags.

Add the HTML input element which needs to be initialized as AutoComplete in index.html.

[src/index.html]

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">

<head>
    <title>Essential JS 2 AutoComplete component</title>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, user-scalable=no" />
    <meta name="description" content="Essential JS 2" />
    <meta name="author" content="Syncfusion" />
    <link href="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.7/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet" />

    <!--style reference from app-->
    <link href="/styles/styles.css" rel="stylesheet" />

    <!--system js reference and configuration-->
    <script src="node_modules/systemjs/dist/system.src.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
    <script src="system.config.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
</head>

<body>
    <div id='container' style="margin:0 auto; width:300px;">
        <!--element which is going to render the AutoComplete-->
        <input type="text" tabindex="1" id='atcelement' />
    </div>

</body>

</html>

Now import the AutoComplete component to your app.ts and initialize it to the element #atcelement as shown below.

[src/app/app.ts]

import { AutoComplete } from '@syncfusion/ej2-dropdowns';

// initialize AutoComplete component
let atcObject: AutoComplete = new AutoComplete();

// render initialized AutoComplete
atcObject.appendTo('#atcelement');

Binding data source

After initialization, populate the AutoComplete with data using the dataSource property. Here, an array of string values is passed to the AutoComplete component.

import { AutoComplete } from '@syncfusion/ej2-dropdowns';

// define the array of data
let sportsData: string[] = ['Badminton', 'Basketball', 'Cricket', 'Football', 'Golf', 'Gymnastics', 'Hockey', 'Rugby', 'Snooker', 'Tennis'];

// initialize AutoComplete component
let atcObject: AutoComplete = new AutoComplete({
    //set the data to dataSource property
    dataSource: sportsData
});

// render initialized AutoComplete
atcObject.appendTo('#atcelement');

Run the application

After completing the configuration required to render a basic AutoComplete, run the following command to display the output in your default browser.

 npm run start

The following example illustrates the output in your browser.

Source

Preview

app.ts

index.html

import { AutoComplete } from '@syncfusion/ej2-dropdowns';

// defined the array of data
let sportsData: string[] = ['Badminton', 'Basketball', 'Cricket', 'Football', 'Golf', 'Gymnastics', 'Hockey', 'Tennis'];

// initialize AutoComplete component
let atcObject: AutoComplete = new AutoComplete({
    //set the data to dataSource property
    dataSource: sportsData,
    // set placeholder to AutoComplete input element
    placeholder: "Find a game"
});

// render initialized AutoComplete
atcObject.appendTo('#atcelement');

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">

<head>
            
    <title>Essential JS 2 AutoComplete</title>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
    <meta name="description" content="Typescript UI Controls" />
    <meta name="author" content="Syncfusion" />
    <link href="styles.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="//cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/21.1.35/ej2-base/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="//cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/21.1.35/ej2-inputs/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="//cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/21.1.35/ej2-dropdowns/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/systemjs/0.19.38/system.js"></script>
    <script src="systemjs.config.js"></script>
</head>

<body>
    <div id='loader'>LOADING....</div>
    <div id='container' style="margin:0 auto; width:250px;">
        <input type="text" tabindex="1" id='atcelement' />
    </div>
</body>

</html>

Custom values

The AutoComplete allows the user to give input as custom value which is not required to present in predefined set of values. By default, this support is enabled by allowCustom property. The custom value will be sent to post back handler when a form is about to be submitted.

Source

Preview

app.ts

index.html

import { AutoComplete } from '@syncfusion/ej2-dropdowns';

// defined the array of data
let sportsData: { [key: string]: Object }[] = [
    { Id: 'Game1', Game: 'Badminton' },
    { Id: 'Game2', Game: 'Basketball' },
    { Id: 'Game3', Game: 'Cricket' },
    { Id: 'Game4', Game: 'Football' },
    { Id: 'Game5', Game: 'Golf' },
    { Id: 'Game6', Game: 'Hockey' },
    { Id: 'Game7', Game: 'Rugby' },
    { Id: 'Game8', Game: 'Snooker' }
];

// initialize AutoComplete component
let atcObject: AutoComplete = new AutoComplete({
    //set the data to dataSource property
    dataSource: sportsData,
    // By default, its enabled. For your better understanding, showcase this property.
    allowCustom: true,
    // maps the appropriate column to fields property
    fields: { value: 'Game' },
    // set placeholder to AutoComplete input element
    placeholder: "Find a game"
});

// render initialized AutoComplete
atcObject.appendTo('#atcelement');

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">

<head>
            
    <title>Essential JS 2 AutoComplete</title>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
    <meta name="description" content="Typescript UI Controls" />
    <meta name="author" content="Syncfusion" />
    <link href="styles.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="//cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/21.1.35/ej2-base/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="//cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/21.1.35/ej2-inputs/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="//cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/21.1.35/ej2-dropdowns/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/systemjs/0.19.38/system.js"></script>
    <script src="systemjs.config.js"></script>
</head>

<body>
    <div id='loader'>LOADING....</div>
    <div id='container' style="margin:0 auto; width:250px;">
        <input type="text" tabindex="1" id='atcelement' />
    </div>
</body>

</html>

Configure the suggestion list

By default, suggestion list width automatically adjusts according to the AutoComplete input element’s width, and the height of the suggestion list has ‘300px’.

The height and width of the popup list can also be customized using the popupHeight and popupWidth property respectively.

In the following sample, suggestion list’s width and height are configured.

Source

Preview

app.ts

index.html

import { AutoComplete } from '@syncfusion/ej2-dropdowns';

// define the array of data
let sportsData: string[] = ['Badminton', 'Basketball', 'Cricket', 'Football', 'Golf', 'Gymnastics', 'Hockey', 'Rugby', 'Snooker', 'Tennis'];

// initialize AutoComplete component
let atcObject: AutoComplete = new AutoComplete({
    //set the data to dataSource property
    dataSource: sportsData
    //set width to suggestion list
    popupWidth: '250px',
    // set placeholder to AutoComplete input element
    placeholder: "Find a game",
    // set the popup list height
    popupHeight: "250px"
});

// render initialized AutoComplete
atcObject.appendTo('#atcelement');

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">

<head>
            
    <title>Essential JS 2 AutoComplete</title>
    <meta charset="utf-8" />
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0" />
    <meta name="description" content="Typescript UI Controls" />
    <meta name="author" content="Syncfusion" />
    <link href="styles.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="//cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/21.1.35/ej2-base/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="//cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/21.1.35/ej2-inputs/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <link href="//cdn.syncfusion.com/ej2/21.1.35/ej2-dropdowns/styles/material.css" rel="stylesheet" />
    <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/systemjs/0.19.38/system.js"></script>
    <script src="systemjs.config.js"></script>
</head>

<body>
    <div id='loader'>LOADING....</div>
    <div id='container' style="margin:0 auto; width:250px;">
        <input type="text" tabindex="1" id='atcelement' />
    </div>
</body>

</html>

Getting started with JavaScript AutoComplete control

Dependencies

Set up of the development environment

Initialize the AutoComplete

Binding data source

Run the application

Custom values

Configure the suggestion list

See Also