Big drop down lists
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Do any of you work for a company that has a large number of employees (e.g. 2000+ ) and worked on a website where you needed to provide a way in a web app to allow the user to select one employee from a list? A traditional drop down list or select list just isn't adequate in my opinion because the user has to scroll so much. There is a .Net control out there called DBCombo which I've used, but it's only IE compatible. It allows the user to type in the text area of a drop down list, then the control performs a query with their typed text and returns results into the drop down list - all with no postback. It's great, but only with IE. What other UI solutions are there to this problem? Any public websites that show good ideas? The only other idea that comes to mind is a search interface (type in a few letters of a last name, display a grid of results, click a name to continue) that requires a postback and more real-estate on the page. ------------------------------------------ - Mike "No human being would stack books like that." - Dr. Venkman
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Do any of you work for a company that has a large number of employees (e.g. 2000+ ) and worked on a website where you needed to provide a way in a web app to allow the user to select one employee from a list? A traditional drop down list or select list just isn't adequate in my opinion because the user has to scroll so much. There is a .Net control out there called DBCombo which I've used, but it's only IE compatible. It allows the user to type in the text area of a drop down list, then the control performs a query with their typed text and returns results into the drop down list - all with no postback. It's great, but only with IE. What other UI solutions are there to this problem? Any public websites that show good ideas? The only other idea that comes to mind is a search interface (type in a few letters of a last name, display a grid of results, click a name to continue) that requires a postback and more real-estate on the page. ------------------------------------------ - Mike "No human being would stack books like that." - Dr. Venkman
Have 2 combo box, one with the first letter of last name, and another one that shows the names; when first combo is change, update the second one. or something like that ...
Maximilien Lincourt Your Head A Splode - Strong Bad
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Do any of you work for a company that has a large number of employees (e.g. 2000+ ) and worked on a website where you needed to provide a way in a web app to allow the user to select one employee from a list? A traditional drop down list or select list just isn't adequate in my opinion because the user has to scroll so much. There is a .Net control out there called DBCombo which I've used, but it's only IE compatible. It allows the user to type in the text area of a drop down list, then the control performs a query with their typed text and returns results into the drop down list - all with no postback. It's great, but only with IE. What other UI solutions are there to this problem? Any public websites that show good ideas? The only other idea that comes to mind is a search interface (type in a few letters of a last name, display a grid of results, click a name to continue) that requires a postback and more real-estate on the page. ------------------------------------------ - Mike "No human being would stack books like that." - Dr. Venkman
I had a similar problem recently, trying to display a large number of items in a combo. I solved it by deriving a class from the ComboBox class and instead of dropping down the standard list I dropped down a ContextMenu. That allowed me to arrange my list into categories and subcategories. You could do the same thing and categorize them alphabetically. It is not a canned solution, however it wasn't that difficult to implement. Here [^] is a screen shot. Gary Kirkham A working Program is one that has only unobserved bugs He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. - Jim Elliot Me blog, You read
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Do any of you work for a company that has a large number of employees (e.g. 2000+ ) and worked on a website where you needed to provide a way in a web app to allow the user to select one employee from a list? A traditional drop down list or select list just isn't adequate in my opinion because the user has to scroll so much. There is a .Net control out there called DBCombo which I've used, but it's only IE compatible. It allows the user to type in the text area of a drop down list, then the control performs a query with their typed text and returns results into the drop down list - all with no postback. It's great, but only with IE. What other UI solutions are there to this problem? Any public websites that show good ideas? The only other idea that comes to mind is a search interface (type in a few letters of a last name, display a grid of results, click a name to continue) that requires a postback and more real-estate on the page. ------------------------------------------ - Mike "No human being would stack books like that." - Dr. Venkman
I implemented the last one, but I used the full list in a select element, and put a text box above it. As you typed the name in the text box it selected the next matching element from the select box. It was relatively effective. In the same project I also used dual drop downs, the first one grouping by city which is something specific to this application. However you might be able to find something specific to your application to narrow the list down for your user. Also, since this was an admin section with few users, we didn't have a problem with pushing all the data down to the user's system.
I can imagine the sinking feeling one would have after ordering my book, only to find a laughably ridiculous theory with demented logic once the book arrives - Mark McCutcheon
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Do any of you work for a company that has a large number of employees (e.g. 2000+ ) and worked on a website where you needed to provide a way in a web app to allow the user to select one employee from a list? A traditional drop down list or select list just isn't adequate in my opinion because the user has to scroll so much. There is a .Net control out there called DBCombo which I've used, but it's only IE compatible. It allows the user to type in the text area of a drop down list, then the control performs a query with their typed text and returns results into the drop down list - all with no postback. It's great, but only with IE. What other UI solutions are there to this problem? Any public websites that show good ideas? The only other idea that comes to mind is a search interface (type in a few letters of a last name, display a grid of results, click a name to continue) that requires a postback and more real-estate on the page. ------------------------------------------ - Mike "No human being would stack books like that." - Dr. Venkman
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Do any of you work for a company that has a large number of employees (e.g. 2000+ ) and worked on a website where you needed to provide a way in a web app to allow the user to select one employee from a list? A traditional drop down list or select list just isn't adequate in my opinion because the user has to scroll so much. There is a .Net control out there called DBCombo which I've used, but it's only IE compatible. It allows the user to type in the text area of a drop down list, then the control performs a query with their typed text and returns results into the drop down list - all with no postback. It's great, but only with IE. What other UI solutions are there to this problem? Any public websites that show good ideas? The only other idea that comes to mind is a search interface (type in a few letters of a last name, display a grid of results, click a name to continue) that requires a postback and more real-estate on the page. ------------------------------------------ - Mike "No human being would stack books like that." - Dr. Venkman
Easy, Use this as a model: http://www.the-numbers.com/people/indexM.html But: The list of names is hidden. It drops down as you press a letter. For some letters you might get 100+ names so a bit of scrolling is needed. "intelligent scrolling" You scroll as your mouse approaches the end of the list. It scrolls slow first and scrolls fast as you get really near the top or bottom edge. Plain scrolling Regular arrows as scrollbars, less difficult, less nice. Also, You can break the initial letters into two lines if you want a "tighter" column. maybe this helps Adam _____________________________________ Action without thought is not action Action without emotion is not life
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Do any of you work for a company that has a large number of employees (e.g. 2000+ ) and worked on a website where you needed to provide a way in a web app to allow the user to select one employee from a list? A traditional drop down list or select list just isn't adequate in my opinion because the user has to scroll so much. There is a .Net control out there called DBCombo which I've used, but it's only IE compatible. It allows the user to type in the text area of a drop down list, then the control performs a query with their typed text and returns results into the drop down list - all with no postback. It's great, but only with IE. What other UI solutions are there to this problem? Any public websites that show good ideas? The only other idea that comes to mind is a search interface (type in a few letters of a last name, display a grid of results, click a name to continue) that requires a postback and more real-estate on the page. ------------------------------------------ - Mike "No human being would stack books like that." - Dr. Venkman
The classic is the alphabet solution where the user clicks on a one of several buttons that restrict the returned data to a segment of the alphabet. Over or under the combo box is a set of buttons i.e. {A-F} {G-L} etc whatever makes sense. They click on the button, they get that range of names, works just fine and has worked just fine for many, many, many years now. The one you mentioned with no postback sounds a bit odd, how could it query without a postback, a web page is connectionless unless there is some java or something calling a component at the server outside of the web page itself?? Also, I think the other responders to your question are missing the point that you shouldn't really be sending 2000 names over a http connection at any time in the first place. If you don't care about that (and you really, really, really should) then you have much worse problems than the visual aspect!;)
An election is nothing more than the advanced auction of stolen goods. - Ambrose Bierce -
Do any of you work for a company that has a large number of employees (e.g. 2000+ ) and worked on a website where you needed to provide a way in a web app to allow the user to select one employee from a list? A traditional drop down list or select list just isn't adequate in my opinion because the user has to scroll so much. There is a .Net control out there called DBCombo which I've used, but it's only IE compatible. It allows the user to type in the text area of a drop down list, then the control performs a query with their typed text and returns results into the drop down list - all with no postback. It's great, but only with IE. What other UI solutions are there to this problem? Any public websites that show good ideas? The only other idea that comes to mind is a search interface (type in a few letters of a last name, display a grid of results, click a name to continue) that requires a postback and more real-estate on the page. ------------------------------------------ - Mike "No human being would stack books like that." - Dr. Venkman
When it comes to large data selection, I personally would implement a popup that has letter navigation and search ability for pattern matching or other search abilities if there are other fields that can narrow the size of the list. Rocky <>< www.HintsAndTips.com - Includes Developer Tips www.MyQuickPoll.com - Now with Recent Poll List
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Do any of you work for a company that has a large number of employees (e.g. 2000+ ) and worked on a website where you needed to provide a way in a web app to allow the user to select one employee from a list? A traditional drop down list or select list just isn't adequate in my opinion because the user has to scroll so much. There is a .Net control out there called DBCombo which I've used, but it's only IE compatible. It allows the user to type in the text area of a drop down list, then the control performs a query with their typed text and returns results into the drop down list - all with no postback. It's great, but only with IE. What other UI solutions are there to this problem? Any public websites that show good ideas? The only other idea that comes to mind is a search interface (type in a few letters of a last name, display a grid of results, click a name to continue) that requires a postback and more real-estate on the page. ------------------------------------------ - Mike "No human being would stack books like that." - Dr. Venkman
Thanks everyone for all of the ideas, suggestions, and links. ------------------------------------------ - Mike "No human being would stack books like that." - Dr. Venkman
