The list property of HTML makes the input box support "drop-down selection custom input", which is suitable for search boxes, form filling, configuration items and other scenarios. 1. It is implemented by associating <input> and
list
attribute of HTML is a often overlooked but very practical feature, which allows the input box to have the ability to "pull down to select custom input". If you want the user to be able to fill in freely when entering and select from preset options, list
attribute will be a good choice.

What is list
attribute?
list
attribute is used for the <input>
element, and its function is to associate the input box with a <datalist></datalist>
element. In this way, when the user enters, the browser will automatically match the options in <datalist></datalist>
according to the input content and display a drop-down menu for selection.
How to use it is as follows:

<input type="text" list="fruits"> <datalist id="fruits"> <option value="Apple"> <option value="Banana"> <option value="Cherry"> <option value="Orange"> </datalist>
When the user enters in the input box, for example, type "C", the browser will automatically pop up "Cherry" for selection.
Applicable scenarios for list
attributes
This function is particularly suitable for the following situations:

- Search box : Allows users to enter keywords while providing popular or historical search suggestions.
- Form filling : For example, city, country, occupation, etc., users can enter freely or select from existing options.
- Configuration items : Some settings that require input but have recommended values, such as port number, path, etc.
It does not force the user to select from options like <select></select>
, nor is it completely free like a normal input box, and belongs to a kind of "guided input".
Details to be paid attention to when using
Although list
attribute is simple to use, some details are easily overlooked:
- Browser compatibility is good but the style is uncontrollable : mainstream browsers support it, but the style of the drop-down menu is controlled by the browser and cannot be customized.
- The input content may not be in the options : this is very important, the user can still enter any content,
datalist
is just an auxiliary suggestion. - Cannot choose multiple choices : If you need multiple choice suggestions, additional treatment is required.
- Limited mobile support : Some mobile browsers may not display pull-down suggestions, or the interactive experience is not as good as desktop browsers.
If you need more complex automatic completion functions, such as remote loading of data, fuzzy matching, multiple selection, etc., you may need to use JavaScript plug-in to implement it.
Simple optimization suggestions
If you want to make the experience a little better, you can consider the following:
- Add
autocomplete="off"
to<input>
to prevent conflicts with the browser's own automatic completion. - Try to place
<datalist></datalist>
close to<input>
for easy maintenance. - If there are many options, consider loading on demand or grouping display (although
<datalist></datalist>
itself does not support grouping). - You can dynamically update
<option></option>
in<datalist></datalist>
in combination with JS to implement dynamic suggestions.
Basically that's it. Although list
attribute is simple, it can improve the user experience if used properly, especially in form input and search suggestions scenarios.
The above is the detailed content of The `list` Attribute for HTML Input Fields. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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