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Description

The Dropdown component is a fully custom-made component. This allows us to change its form based on context (small screens, touch devices, etc.)

When to use it:

When you need to provide a considerable amount of options to the user and do not have the space to do so. Other reasons may be because the hidden options may clutter the interface and need only be displayed after the user specifically requests it.

  1. when space is an issue (not enough)
  2. when you wish to reduce visual clutter
  3. when it is intuitive for the user to request the hidden content

When not to use it:

  1. do not use this if you have only a few menu options which could otherwise be shown such as Radio buttons or ToggleButtons.

NB: This pattern can be constructed in a number of ways to achieve a similar effect - from using the HTML 'select' element to custom building with divs, spans, and JavaScript.

Action Menu

The Dropdown component can easily be used as a so-called action button by setting the prop action_menu={true}. In mobile view, the title/text will be hidden, only showing the icon and the DrawerList will open from the browser bottom.

Menu Button

The Dropdown component can easily be used as a so called menu button by setting the prop more_menu={true} which shows then the more icon, appears as dots. You also could use prevent_selection={true} together with an empty title title="" and aria-label="Choose an item".

Accessibility

Both the Action Menu and the Menu Button (and if prevent_selection is true), the Dropdown will use role="menu", instead of role="menuitems" for better screen reader support.

Custom size

Changing the width of the Dropdown component by CSS is easy done by doing:

.dnb-dropdown {
--dropdown-width: 20rem; /* custom width */
}

You can also set the width directly, but then it has to be defined like so (including min-width):

/** Because of the included label/status etc. we target the "__shell" */
.dnb-dropdown__shell {
width: 10rem;
}
/** In order to change only the drawer-list width */
.dnb-dropdown .dnb-drawer-list__root {
width: 10rem;
}
/** If more_menu={true} is used */
.dnb-dropdown--is-popup .dnb-drawer-list__root {
width: 10rem;
}

Demos

Default dropdown

No value is defined, but a title is given.

const data = [
// Every data item can, beside "content" - contain what ever
{
// (optional) can be what ever
selected_key: 'key_0',
// (optional) is show instead of "content", once selected
selected_value: 'Item 1 Value',
// Item content as a string or array
content: 'Item 1 Content',
},
{
selected_key: 'key_1',
content: ['Item 2 Value', 'Item 2 Content'],
},
{
selected_value: (
<NumberFormat always_selectall ban>
11345678962
</NumberFormat>
),
content: [
<NumberFormat key="ban" always_selectall ban>
11345678962
</NumberFormat>,
'Bank account number',
],
},
{
selected_key: 'key_2',
selected_value: 'Item 3 Value',
content: ['Item 3 Content A', 'Item 3 Content B'],
},
{
selected_key: 'key_3',
selected_value: 'Item 4 Value',
content: ['Item 4 Content A', <>Custom Component</>],
},
]
render(
<Dropdown
data={data}
label="Label:"
title="Please select a value"
on_change={({ data }) => {
console.log('on_change', data)
}}
/>
)

Dropdown with different item content directions

<Dropdown
label="Label:"
data={[
['Vertical', 'alignment'],
<>
<P modifier="medium">Vertical</P>
<P>alignment</P>
</>,
<Dropdown.HorizontalItem key="item-1">
<P modifier="medium" right="x-small">
Horizontal
</P>
<P>alignment</P>
</Dropdown.HorizontalItem>,
]}
{...visualTestProps(
globalThis.IS_TEST &&
window.location.search.includes('item-directions')
)}
/>

Icon on left side

<Dropdown
label="Label:"
icon_position="left"
data={data}
value={3}
skip_portal={true}
on_change={({ data: selectedDataItem }) => {
console.log('on_change', selectedDataItem)
}}
on_show={() => {
console.log('on_show')
}}
/>

ActionMenu

The ActionMenu will change its characteristics in mobile view. It will hide the title, and the DrawerList will be placed on the bottom of the page.

<Dropdown
title="ActionMenu"
action_menu={true}
align_dropdown="left"
data={[
<>
<IconPrimary icon="check" right />
Save
</>,
<>
<IconPrimary icon="download" right />
Download
</>,
]}
/>

MoreMenu

No lasting selection will be made.

<Dropdown
more_menu={true}
size="small"
title="Choose an item"
data={() => [
<Link href="/" key="item-1">
Go to this Link
</Link>,
'Or press on me',
<>Custom component</>,
]}
right="small"
{...visualTestProps(
globalThis.IS_TEST && window.location.search.includes('left-side')
)}
/>
<Dropdown
prevent_selection={true}
align_dropdown="right"
size="small"
title={null}
aria-label="Choose an item"
data={() => [
<Link href="/" key="item-1">
Go to this Link
</Link>,
'Or press on me',
<>Custom component</>,
]}
right="small"
{...visualTestProps(
globalThis.IS_TEST && window.location.search.includes('right-side')
)}
/>
<Dropdown
more_menu={true}
title="Choose an item"
data={[
<Link href="/" key="item-1">
Go to this Link
</Link>,
'Or press on me',
<>Custom component</>,
]}
right="small"
/>
<Dropdown
prevent_selection={true}
align_dropdown="right"
title={null}
aria-label="Choose an item"
data={[
<Link href="/" key="item-1">
Go to this Link
</Link>,
'Or press on me',
<>Custom component</>,
]}
on_change={({ value }) => {
console.log('on_change', value)
}}
on_select={({ active_item }) => {
console.log('on_select', active_item)
}}
/>

Dropdown as tertiary variant

<Dropdown
variant="tertiary"
independent_width={true}
icon_position="left"
align_dropdown="left"
data={data}
/>

Custom item events

const CustomComponent = () => (
<CustomComponentInner
onTouchStart={preventDefault}
onClick={(e) => {
console.log('Do something different')
preventDefault(e)
}}
>
Custom event handler
</CustomComponentInner>
)
const CustomComponentInner = styled.span`
display: block;
width: 100%;
margin: -1rem -2rem -1rem -1rem;
padding: 1rem 2rem 1rem 1rem;
`
const preventDefault = (e) => {
e.stopPropagation()
e.preventDefault()
}
render(
<Dropdown
action_menu
right
label="Label:"
title="Choose an item"
data={() => [
<Link href="/" key="item-1">
Go to this Link
</Link>,
'Or press on me',
<CustomComponent key="item-2" />,
]}
on_change={({ value }) => {
console.log('More menu:', value)
}}
suffix={<HelpButton title="Modal Title">Modal content</HelpButton>}
{...visualTestProps(
globalThis.IS_TEST &&
window.location.search.includes('action_menu-custom')
)}
/>
)

Dropdown in different sizes

Four sizes are available: small, default, medium and large

<FormRow direction="vertical">
<Dropdown label="Label:" size="default" bottom data={() => data} />
<Dropdown label="Label:" size="medium" bottom data={() => data} />
<Dropdown label="Label:" size="large" bottom data={() => data} />
</FormRow>

Custom width

const CustomWidthOne = styled(Dropdown)`
.dnb-dropdown__shell {
width: 10rem;
}
`
const CustomWidthTwo = styled(Dropdown)`
&.dnb-dropdown--is-popup .dnb-drawer-list__root {
width: 12rem;
}
`
const CustomWidthThree = styled(Dropdown)`
/** Change the "__shell" width */
.dnb-dropdown__shell {
width: 10rem;
}
/** Change the "__list" width */
.dnb-drawer-list__root {
width: 20rem;
}
`
const CustomWidthFour = styled(Dropdown)`
width: 60%;
min-width: 224px; /** 14rem (please use pixels on min-width!) */
max-width: 25rem;
/** In case we have a label */
.dnb-form-label + .dnb-dropdown__inner {
width: 100%;
}
`
render(
<FormRow direction="vertical">
<CustomWidthOne
label="Label:"
size="default"
icon_position="left"
bottom
data={data}
/>
<CustomWidthTwo
label="Label:"
size="small"
more_menu
bottom
data={data}
/>
<CustomWidthThree
label="Label:"
size="large"
align_dropdown="right"
bottom
data={data}
/>
<CustomWidthFour
title="Min and max width"
stretch={true}
bottom
data={data}
/>
</FormRow>
)

Dropdown with status

And vertical label layout.

Message to the user
<Dropdown
data={data}
label="Label:"
label_direction="vertical"
status="Message to the user"
/>

Findable list

With long list to make it scrollable and searchable

const scrollableData = [
{
content: 'A',
},
{
content: 'B',
},
{
selected_value: (
<NumberFormat always_selectall ban>
11345678962
</NumberFormat>
),
content: [
<NumberFormat key="ban-1" always_selectall ban>
11345678962
</NumberFormat>,
'C',
],
},
{
selected_value: (
<NumberFormat always_selectall ban>
15349648901
</NumberFormat>
),
content: [
<NumberFormat key="ban-2" always_selectall ban>
15349648901
</NumberFormat>,
'D',
],
},
{
content: 'E',
},
{
selected_key: 'key_1',
selected_value: 'Find me by keypress',
content: ['F', 'F', 'F', 'F'],
},
{
content: 'G',
},
{
content: 'H',
},
]
render(
<Dropdown
data={scrollableData}
value="key_1" // use either index (5) or selected_key: 'key_1'
label="Label:"
/>
)

Disabled dropdown

<Dropdown disabled data={['Disabled Dropdown']} label="Label:" />

Disabled tertiary dropdown

<Dropdown
disabled
variant="tertiary"
data={['Disabled Dropdown']}
label="Disabled tertiary dropdown"
/>

DrawerList opened

Only to visualize and used for visual testing

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