Getting Started with the Vue Combo box Component in Vue 2

11 Aug 202313 minutes to read

This article provides a step-by-step guide for setting up a Vue 2 project using Vue-CLI and integrating the Syncfusion Vue Combo box component using the Composition API / Options API.

To get start quickly with ComboBox component using Vue CLI, you can check on this video:

Prerequisites

System requirements for Syncfusion Vue UI components

Setting up the Vue 2 project

To generate a Vue 2 project using Vue-CLI, use the vue create command. Follow these steps to install Vue CLI and create a new project:

npm install -g @vue/cli
vue create quickstart
cd quickstart
npm run serve

or

yarn global add @vue/cli
vue create quickstart
cd quickstart
yarn run serve

When creating a new project, choose the option Default ([Vue 2] babel, eslint) from the menu.

Vue 2 project

Once the quickstart project is set up with default settings, proceed to add Syncfusion components to the project

Add Syncfusion Vue packages

Syncfusion packages are available at npmjs.com. To use Vue components, install the required npm package.

This article uses the Vue Combo box component as an example. Install the @syncfusion/ej2-vue-dropdowns package by running the following command:

npm install @syncfusion/ej2-vue-dropdowns --save

or

yarn add @syncfusion/ej2-vue-dropdowns

Import Syncfusion CSS styles

You can import themes for the Syncfusion Vue component in various ways, such as using CSS or SASS styles from npm packages, CDN, CRG and Theme Studio. Refer to themes topic to know more about built-in themes and different ways to refer to themes in a Vue project.

In this article, the Material theme is applied using CSS styles, which are available in installed packages. The necessary Material CSS styles for the Combo box component and its dependents were imported into the <style> section of src/App.vue file.

<style>
  @import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-base/styles/material.css";
  @import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-inputs/styles/material.css";
  @import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-vue-dropdowns/styles/material.css";
</style>

Add Syncfusion Vue component

Follow the below steps to add the Vue Combo box component using Composition API or Options API:

1. First, import and register the Combo box component in the script section of the src/App.vue file. If you are using the Composition API, you should add the setup attribute to the script tag to indicate that Vue will be using the Composition API.

<script setup>
  import { ComboBoxComponent as EjsCombobox } from "@syncfusion/ej2-vue-dropdowns";
</script>
<script>
import { ComboBoxComponent } from "@syncfusion/ej2-vue-dropdowns";

export default {
  components: {
    'ejs-combobox': ComboBoxComponent
  }
}
</script>

2. In the template section, define the Combo box component with the dataSource and placeholder property.

<template>
  <div id="app">
    <div id='container' style="margin:50px auto 0; width:250px;">
        <br>
        <ejs-combobox id='combobox' :dataSource='sportsData' placeholder='Select a game'></ejs-combobox>
    </div>
  </div>
</template>

Binding data source

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

<template>
  <div id="app">
    <div id='container' style="margin:50px auto 0; width:250px;">
        <br>
        <ejs-combobox id='combobox' :dataSource='sportsData' placeholder='Select a game'></ejs-combobox>
    </div>
  </div>
</template>

<script setup>
import { ComboBoxComponent as EjsCombobox } from "@syncfusion/ej2-vue-dropdowns";
const  sportsData = ['Badminton', 'Cricket', 'Football', 'Golf', 'Tennis'];
</script>
<template>
  <div id="app">
    <div id='container' style="margin:50px auto 0; width:250px;">
        <br>
        <ejs-combobox id='combobox' :dataSource='sportsData' placeholder='Select a game'></ejs-combobox>
    </div>
  </div>
</template>
<script>
import { ComboBoxComponent } from "@syncfusion/ej2-vue-dropdowns";
export default {
  components: {
    'ejs-combobox': ComboBoxComponent
  },
  data () {
    return {
      sportsData: ['Badminton', 'Cricket', 'Football', 'Golf', 'Tennis']
    }
  }
}
</script>

Here is the summarized code for the above steps in the src/App.vue file:

<template>
  <div id="app">
    <div id='container' style="margin:50px auto 0; width:250px;">
      <br>
      <ejs-combobox id='combobox' :dataSource='sportsData' placeholder='Select a game'></ejs-combobox>
    </div>
  </div>
</template>
<script setup>
import { ComboBoxComponent as EjsCombobox } from "@syncfusion/ej2-vue-dropdowns";

const sportsData = ['Badminton', 'Cricket', 'Football', 'Golf', 'Tennis'];

</script>
<style>
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-base/styles/material.css";
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-inputs/styles/material.css";
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-vue-dropdowns/styles/material.css";
</style>
<template>
  <div id="app">
    <div id='container' style="margin:50px auto 0; width:250px;">
      <br>
      <ejs-combobox id='combobox' :dataSource='sportsData' placeholder='Select a game'></ejs-combobox>
    </div>
  </div>
</template>
<script>
import { ComboBoxComponent } from "@syncfusion/ej2-vue-dropdowns";

export default {
  name: "App",
  components: {
    'ejs-combobox': ComboBoxComponent
  },
  data() {
    return {
      sportsData: ['Badminton', 'Cricket', 'Football', 'Golf', 'Tennis']
    }
  }
}
</script>
<style>
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-base/styles/material.css";
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-inputs/styles/material.css";
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-vue-dropdowns/styles/material.css";
</style>

Run the application

To run the application, use the following command:

npm run serve

or

yarn run serve

Custom values

The ComboBox 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. In this case, both text field and value field considered as same. The custom value will be sent to post back handler when a form is about to be submitted.

<template>
  <div id="app">
    <div id='container' style="margin:50px auto 0; width:250px;">
      <br>
      <ejs-combobox id='combobox' :dataSource='sportsData' :fields='fields' :allowCustom='allowCustom'
        placeholder='Select a game'></ejs-combobox>
    </div>
  </div>
</template>
<script setup>
import { ComboBoxComponent as EjsCombobox } from "@syncfusion/ej2-vue-dropdowns";

const sportsData = [
  { Id: 'game1', Game: 'Badminton' },
  { Id: 'game2', Game: 'Football' },
  { Id: 'game3', Game: 'Tennis' }
];
const fields = { text: 'Game', value: 'Id' };
const allowCustom = true;

</script>
<style>
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-base/styles/material.css";
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-inputs/styles/material.css";
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-vue-dropdowns/styles/material.css";
</style>
<template>
  <div id="app">
    <div id='container' style="margin:50px auto 0; width:250px;">
      <br>
      <ejs-combobox id='combobox' :dataSource='sportsData' :fields='fields' :allowCustom='allowCustom'
        placeholder='Select a game'></ejs-combobox>
    </div>
  </div>
</template>
<script>
import { ComboBoxComponent } from "@syncfusion/ej2-vue-dropdowns";

export default {
  name: "App",
  components: {
    'ejs-combobox': ComboBoxComponent
  },
  data() {
    return {
      sportsData: [
        { Id: 'game1', Game: 'Badminton' },
        { Id: 'game2', Game: 'Football' },
        { Id: 'game3', Game: 'Tennis' }
      ],
      fields: { text: 'Game', value: 'Id' },
      allowCustom: true
    }
  }
}
</script>
<style>
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-base/styles/material.css";
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-inputs/styles/material.css";
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-vue-dropdowns/styles/material.css";
</style>

Configure the popup list

By default, the width of the popup list automatically adjusts according to the ComboBox input element’s width, and the height of the popup 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, popup list’s width and height have configured.

<template>
  <div id="app">
    <div id='container' style="margin:50px auto 0; width:250px;">
      <br>
      <ejs-combobox id='combobox' :dataSource='sportsData' popupHeight="200px" popupWidth="250px"
        placeholder="select a game"></ejs-combobox>
    </div>
  </div>
</template>
<script setup>
import { ComboBoxComponent as EjsCombobox } from "@syncfusion/ej2-vue-dropdowns";

const sportsData = ['Badminton', 'Basketball', 'Cricket', 'Football', 'Golf', 'Hockey', 'Rugby', 'Snooker', 'Tennis'];

</script>
<style>
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-base/styles/material.css";
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-inputs/styles/material.css";
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-vue-dropdowns/styles/material.css";
</style>
<template>
  <div id="app">
    <div id='container' style="margin:50px auto 0; width:250px;">
      <br>
      <ejs-combobox id='combobox' :dataSource='sportsData' popupHeight="200px" popupWidth="250px"
        placeholder="select a game"></ejs-combobox>
    </div>
  </div>
</template>
<script>
import { ComboBoxComponent } from "@syncfusion/ej2-vue-dropdowns";

export default {
  name: "App",
  components: {
    'ejs-combobox': ComboBoxComponent
  },
  data() {
    return {
      sportsData: ['Badminton', 'Basketball', 'Cricket', 'Football', 'Golf', 'Hockey', 'Rugby', 'Snooker', 'Tennis']
    }
  }
}
</script>
<style>
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-base/styles/material.css";
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-inputs/styles/material.css";
@import "../node_modules/@syncfusion/ej2-vue-dropdowns/styles/material.css";
</style>

You can refer to our Vue ComboBox feature tour page for its groundbreaking feature representations.

See Also