HTML5 datalist - simulate a click event to expose all options

Question

I am trying to automatically show all options of a datalist html5 element to the user when a button is clicked bringing the input element into focus. Normally, all options are shown when the user clicks on the associated text input element twice. I would like to programmatically simulate this behavior so that the user can see all options before they start typing.

I have tried simulating clicks and double clicks by getting focus using $('#text-input').focus(); (this works) and then using jquery .click() (once and twice), .dblclick(), .trigger('click') and even using jquery.simulate.js. All of these trigger the $('#text-input').click(function() {...}); but do not actually affect the state of the visible input element in the browser.

Here is my HTML:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
    <script src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.10.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
    <script type="text/javascript" src="test.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
    <div id="main">
         <form>
             <datalist id="categories">
                 <option value="travel">
                 <option value ="work">
                 <option value="literature">
                 <option value="teaching">
             </datalist>
             <input type="text" list="categories" id="text-input">
             <button type="button" id="mic-button">
             </button>
         </form>
     </div>
</body>
</html>

And my code with the dblclick attempt:

(function($) {

$(document).ready(function() {
    var textInput = $('#text-input');

    textInput.dblclick(function() {
        alert('Handler for .dblclick() called.');
    });

    $('#mic-button').click(function() {
        textInput.focus();
        // list all the options by tricking the datalist
        // to think the user double clicked on it
        textInput.dblclick();
    });
})(jQuery);

possible duplicate of [Programmatically make datalist of input\[type=url\] appear with JavaScript](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/16133661/programmatically-make-datalist-of-inputtype-url-appear-with-javascript) — SobiborTreblinka, Dec 06 '13 at 05:23

score 1 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 12:09

1

This feature is not currently defined in the spec, as nice as it would be.

See the following issue, as it touches on the same problem you're describing: Programmatically make datalist of input[type=url] appear with JavaScript

edited May 23 '17 at 12:09

Community

1
1

answered Dec 16 '13 at 22:34

chainsawsalad

136
1
7

HTML5 datalist - simulate a click event to expose all options

1 Answers1