V8 dropdown and combobox should default to basic usage

Rennur

It appears that in V8 you have to first click on the dropdown field in order to start typing or selecting a value using the arrow keys.

Our UX requires speed, and our whole UI is built on the basic dropdown usage. I don't think having to first click on every dropdown field should be the default setting.

ComboBox / Basic usage
http://demos.telerik.com/kendo-ui/combobox/index

Have I missed this in properties? Is there a workaround?

Cheers

click first.png

rbross

I find this same action in v7.1 when using a combo box that points to another BO rather than having the selection items listed or pointing to a query on the attribute in the BO. How do you have the combo box set up?

When using the combo box as a reference attribute I have the settings set to Fetch All records and filter based on what the user types, but they still have to click on the combo box first to open the search field. I don't like this action either and feel it should open for you when you tab onto the field. Plus once they start typing it takes a second for it to bring back what the entered so they can select it.

Rennur

In version 6, you don't have to click on any type of dropdown first, this is optional. In v6 the cursor is visible as you tab through the fields, and you can start typing or click with on the attribute to display choices.

In v8 it seems that you must always click on the field first, no matter what parameters you set. I think this should be optional not default.

Rennur

Improvement in build 2353:
Combo-boxes in panel operations can be selected using keyboard.

ALT+Arrow will also display the selection choices for dropdown fields.

Ideally (by Kendo UI default), we would like the ability to be able to type the value as soon as the the cursor is focused on the field without having to press Alt+Arrow or clicking on it first.

Cheers

rbross

Rennur wrote
Improvement in build 2353:
Combo-boxes in panel operations can be selected using the keyboard.

ALT+Arrow will also display the selection choices for drop-down fields.

Ideally (by Kendo UI default), we would like the ability to be able to type the value as soon as the cursor is focused on the field without having to press Alt+Arrow or clicking on it first.

Cheers

Will v8.1 have this feature? or can it be added to v8.0 so the user does not have to click first to enter into a combo box or do Alt+Arrow.
It would be very helpful it the combo would drop down once in focus and the user can just start typing.
OR Is there a snippet of code we can add in the initialization or render script so this can work as expected?

gernotlg

Is there some work around for this, like add some html or something .. because being able to start typing when you tab to a field is what would be considered the expected behavior of any field that you can type in to.

Or is there another thread on this somewhere ?

Thanks.

BLOMASKY

This is NOT obvious to most users that they have to click (or use the keyboard shortcut).

Bruce

rbross

Rennur wrote
It appears that in V8 you have to first click on the dropdown field in order to start typing or selecting a value using the arrow keys.

Our UX requires speed, and our whole UI is built on the basic dropdown usage. I don't think having to first click on every dropdown field should be the default setting.

ComboBox / Basic usage
http://demos.telerik.com/kendo-ui/combobox/index

Have I missed this in properties? Is there a workaround?

Cheers

Did you ever get a solution for this?
John Talbott might know how to do this with some custom js if Kendo has a property for it.
I agree, you shouldn't have to click first and then type, you should be able to type when the drop-down opens, there is a property for that, which I use, but you still have to click.

Rennur

I haven't further experimented with version 8 or Kendo but I presume changing Kendo properties would be required.

aware_support

The following script will automatically open a drop down when it receives focus.
The script has to be added as the render script for the form which contains the drop down.

var f = parser.getField("AttributeNameThatDropDownShows");
$("#" + f.getId()).parents (".k-dropdown").on ("focus", function () {
f.getWidget ().open ();
});

Jaymer

aware_support wrote
The following script will automatically open a drop down when it receives focus.

Thx, this is good - but it doesn't work in all cases.
There's more than one kind of "dropdown":

kendoMultiColumnComboBox
kendoDropDownList
kendoComboBox

Having trouble with a multi-column-combobox.
For me, the reference field is "ps_Customer"
That is in this <input> tag:

<input id="newjob_cust_list" name="ps_Customer" style="width: 700px; display: none;" data-role="multicolumncombobox" aria-disabled="false" aria-readonly="false">

So its "parent" is this:

<span class="k-widget k-combobox k-dropdowngrid k-combobox-clearable" id="newjob_cust_list_w" style="width: 700px;">

In the "parents' section, I've tried looking for:
k-dropdown (the default)
k-combobox
k-dropdowngrid
k-combobox-clearable

No console errors - its just ignores it as I tab thru it.
I have it working fine a few fields later down the form on a regular "k-dropdown".

aware_support

A slight correction to the previous script:
If a form has more than one section the first line should be:
var f = parser.getField("AttributeNameThatDropDownShows", "NameOfTheSectionWhereAttributeIs");

For a multi-column combo use this script:
var f = parser.getField("AttributeNameThatDropDownShows", "NameOfTheSectionWhereAttributeIs");
$("#" + parser.m_widgetInfo.wrapperId).find (".k-input").on ("focus", function () {
f.getWidget ().open ();
});

Jaymer

aware_support wrote
For a multi-column combo use this script:
var f = parser.getField("AttributeNameThatDropDownShows", "NameOfTheSectionWhereAttributeIs");
$("#" + parser.m_widgetInfo.wrapperId).find (".k-input").on ("focus", function () {
f.getWidget ().open ();
});

There's a typo in the Multi-Column corrected script above.

you're missing a reference to the "f" variable in the Find. Am not sure yet where it goes.

It activates the correct dropdown as it enters focus on EVERY k-input field now, not just the desired one.
(the script correctly set "f" to the desired reference dropdown field. BUT, jquery is finding every "k-input" and on focus to ANY "k-input" field, the dropdown pulls down -- even when I'm many fields before or after that dropdown)

this is my script based on your solution:

var f = parser.getField("ps_Customer", "Main");
$("#" + parser.m_widgetInfo.wrapperId).find (".k-input").on ("focus", function () {
f.getWidget ().open ();
});

Jaymer

aware_support wrote
For a multi-column combo use this script:
var f = parser.getField("AttributeNameThatDropDownShows", "NameOfTheSectionWhereAttributeIs");
$("#" + parser.m_widgetInfo.wrapperId).find (".k-input").on ("focus", function () {
f.getWidget ().open ();
});

Still hoping for some modified code that works on multi-combo dropdown