Multi-Select Dropdown Component
Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes
Overview
The Multi-Select Dropdown component is a compact way to show a long list to your end-user End-Users are the individuals accessing an application through Express View. In most cases, end-users are the customers using the product.. The Multi-Select Dropdown component shares almost all functionality with the standard Dropdown component. But, the Multi-Select component lets your end-user make more than one selection.
Though the Checkboxes component offers similar functionality, some scenarios need a Multi-Select Dropdown component. For example, if you have more than six options or don't want your full list of options shown on the page at all times, you can use the Multi-Select Dropdown component instead.
Examples of when to use a Multi-Select Dropdown component are:
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Which countries have you visited in the last five years? Select all that apply.
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Which of these products are you interested in? Select all that apply.
This component also allows for custom styling. The standard Dropdown component relies on your end-user's operating system OS (operating system) is the program that manages other application programs on your computer. to determine the visual look and feel.
The amount of data in your Multi-Select Dropdown can vary from a lot to a little. So, you have a few internal and external options for how to fill it:
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Internal: Enter the options directly in the configuration window or draw the options from a separate component.
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External: Pull the options using an API APIs (application programming interfaces) are a set of protocols and definitions developers use to build and integrate application software. APIs act as the connective tissue between products and services. (application programming interface) call.
The Multi-Select Dropdown component is located in the Primary Fields group to the left of the Module Editor.
What You'll Learn
After completing this article, you’ll know when to use a Multi-Select Dropdown component, how to configure its settings, and how to use it in an Unqork application.
About the Configuration Window
General
Setting |
Description |
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Property ID |
A Property ID is the unique field ID used by Unqork to track and link components in your module. The Property ID is how the software identifies your component. Using Property IDs lets you link components, creating logic-based configurations and API APIs (application programming interfaces) are a set of protocols and definitions developers use to build and integrate application software. APIs act as the connective tissue between products and services. calls. Property IDs must use camel case A naming convention for computer programming. Use camelCase for Property IDs, for example: newUser, lastName, & rdoButton. (stylized as camelCase) without spaces or punctuation. |
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The component is active and visible in Express View Express View is how your end-user views you application. Express View also lets you preview your applications to test your configuration and view the styling. After configuring a module, click Preview in the Module Editor to interact with the module in Express View. While active, other components and processes can reference your component. Setting the toggle to By default, the Active toggle is set to |
Notes |
Select this tab to display the component's Notes area. You can use notes to keep your teammates informed. The Notes editor offers a semi-WYSIWYG (What You See is What You Get) content editor. Built to look like a word processor, this editor lets you create, edit, and format your notes. Notes save when saving the component. |
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Select this tab to manage your component's display settings. |
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Select this tab to manage your component's data settings. |
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Select this tab to manage your component's actions settings. |
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Select this tab to manage your component's validation settings. |
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Select this tab to manage your component's advanced settings. |
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Select this tab to see the RBAC RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) is a method to control system access for authorized users. The role in RBAC refers to the levels of access employees have to a network. (role-based access control) settings of the component. |
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Assign components one-word labels to help organize, identify, and group the components in your application. Consider an example from the API Specification Snippet: Field Tags are applied to Hidden components in the panelRequest and panelResponse Panels. The Field Tags identify the data type of parameters included in the API APIs (application programming interfaces) are a set of protocols and definitions developers use to build and integrate application software. APIs act as the connective tissue between products and services. request and response. The API Docs Dashboard tool populates with information about each parameter’s data type, identified by the Field Tag. Field Tags act as a type of Property ID A Property ID is the unique field ID used by Unqork to track and link components in your module. group and let you group components for configuration purposes. Field Tags let you target two or more components using a simple logic component. For example, add the Field Tag tagForDecision to multiple components in your module. Open the Inputs table of a Decisions component and reference the tagForDecision Field Tag as the input of the Decisions component. The output of the Decisions component then affects all components with the tagForDecision Field Tag. Save your Field Tags by pressing Enter (Return) or adding a comma after each entry. |
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Select this tab to open the list of supported keyboard shortcuts you can use in the component settings modal. Keyboard shortcuts include:
Additional keyboard shortcuts:
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Select this tab to access the component documentation in Unqork's In-Product Help. |
Cancel |
Click this button to undo any unsaved configuration changes and return to the canvas. |
Save & Close |
Click this button to save all settings as configured and return to the canvas. |
Display Panel
Field Text
Setting |
Description |
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Label Text |
Label Text conveys what the input component is and what information it displays. Enter the purpose of the corresponding component or field. User-friendly labels make your module more accessible. Keep labels short and descriptive (a word or two) using title case. For longer entries, use sentence case. |
Placeholder Text |
A short prompt telling end-users the expected value of an input field. For example: Enter your Social Security Number. Placeholder Text displays inside the input field until the end-user begins an entry. |
Default State Options
Setting |
Description |
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Read Only View |
When set to By default, the Read Only View toggle is set to |
Disable User Input |
When set to By default, the Disable User Input toggle is set to |
Hide Field |
Shows or hides the component from view. Setting the Hide Field toggle to By default, the Hide Field toggle is set to |
Contextual Help
Setting |
Description |
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Tooltip |
A short hint that displays when an end-user positions their cursor over the |
Formatting
Setting |
Description |
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Allow Multiple Selections |
Setting the Use Input Mask toggle to By default, the Use Input Mask toggle is set to |
Show Clear Button |
When set to By default, the Show Clear Button toggle is set to |
Hide Chevron |
When set to By default, the Hide Chevron toggle is set to |
Set Dropdown Menu Height |
Sets the number of rows the Multi-Select Dropdown displays when open. If there are more options than the number entered here, your end-user can scroll to view them all. Or, they can type to jump to relevant results. |
Item Template |
This setting lets you choose which column of data you want to display as the label for the drop-down options. Replace the word label with your chosen attribute in the following string: <span>{{ item.label }}</span>. |
Data Panel
Data Source Types
There are three methods you can use to populate a Multi-Select Dropdown component: Values, URL, and Data Reference Key.
Values
Selecting Values displays a table where you can enter each option and its value.
Setting |
Description |
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Option Label |
Each option needs an end-user End-Users are the individuals accessing an application through Express View. In most cases, end-users are the customers using the product.-facing label describing the choice that it represents. Enter your Option Labels using this column. After you create an option, another row displays for you to create the next option. |
Data Source Values |
Each option needs an associated value to store in the submission data Also known as Record Data. Submission data consists of information saved by Unqork components. View submission data by using the angular command, or in Record Collections.. Enter the values to store in the submission data using this column. By default, the value is a camelcase A naming convention for computer programming. Use camelCase for Property IDs, for example: newUser, lastName, & rdoButton. version of the Option Label. You can also assign a numeric value to each option for logic-based configurations. |
URL
To use data not stored in a specific component, select URL. Generally, this data lives in two places:
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External to Unqork and pulled into the component using an external API call.
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Internally and stored as a data collection.
NOTE To use an external API call, reference the provider's documentation. You'll find the API's URL address and the information you need to filter the data. To learn more, see our Using an External API in a Dropdown Component article.
To reference data collections in Unqork, use the Data Collections tab at the Application Level. Click Create Data Collection to create a new data collection. Or, look through the available data collections and use one of those.
TIP To learn more about data collections, see our Workspaces: Working with Reference Data article.
Setting |
Description |
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Request Header |
Enter the information to display in the drop-down selections. These are your end-user's options. For external APIs, you'll find this information in the API documentation. To pull data from a Data Collection, enter the column header you want to use. |
Header Values |
Each option needs an associated value to store in the submission data Also known as Record Data. Submission data consists of information saved by Unqork components. View submission data by using the angular command, or in Record Collections.. Enter the values to store in the submission data using this column. If you want the value to be the same as the label, enter the same information you put in the Request Header. By default, the value is a camelcase A naming convention for computer programming. Use camelCase for Property IDs, for example: newUser, lastName, & rdoButton. version of the Request Header. You can also assign a numeric value to each option for logic-based configurations. |
Service |
Select an external service configured through Unqork's Services Administration. This auto-populates the other required fields, including the Data Source URL. |
Data Source URL |
For an API to bring in data, you need the API's URL information. In this field, enter the API information as obtained from the API documentation. Add additional filters at the end of the URL if you want to drill down to a specific type of data. |
Value Property |
If a data set includes a column for values, enter the column's name here. If not specified, the application uses the option label. |
Data Path |
If using an API call to populate the component, enter a specific data property to reference here. This is useful if you want to show one piece of a larger data set in your Multi-Select Dropdown component. |
Label Path |
This field refers to the option labels you want to pull. Enter the option label's column header in this field. |
Filter Query |
Provide additional filtering using query parameters. Parameters append to the end of the Data Source URL. Query parameters can be static or dynamic. For example, name={{data.groupName}}. |
Refresh On |
This field displays a list of the other components in your module. You can select a component here to refresh your Multi-Select Dropdown. When your end-user interacts with the selected component, the Multi-Select Dropdown resets. You can also select Any Change. This refreshes the Multi-Select Dropdown if your end-user interacts with any of your components. |
Refresh Delay |
Works with the Refresh On setting to set the number of milliseconds that pass before refresh. Once typing has finished, the delay begins. The component has a minimum Refresh Delay of 250 ms, which is the default for this field. |
Limit Number of Items |
Limits the number of matching responses when working with large data sets. For example, an API might return more responses than you want to display, even when your end-user starts typing. Here, you can set a limit on how many results display. |
Disable Limiting Response |
When set to By default, this setting is |
Search Parameters are Required |
When set to By default, this setting is |
Clear Value on Refresh |
When set to By default, this setting is |
Authenticate |
When set to By default, this setting is |
Disable Filter Application |
When set to By default, this setting is |
Data Reference Key
Using the Data Reference Key option, data from another component populates the Multi-Select Dropdown component. You'll most often do this with a Data Table component. Add your data to the Data Table. Then, reference the Data Table in your Multi-Select Dropdown's configuration window.
Think of this as a hybrid option of Values and Data Collections to populate your Multi-Select Dropdown. You still use data stored in Unqork, but it's data from your module instead of a Data Collection.
Setting |
Description |
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Data Reference Key |
Enter the Property ID of the component that you're pulling data from. |
Limit Number of Items |
Limits the number of matching responses when working with large data sets. For example, an API might return more responses than you want to show. Here, you can set a limit on how many results display. |
Refresh On |
This field displays a list of the other components in your module. You can select a component here to cause your Dropdown to refresh. When your end-user interacts with the selected component, the Dropdown resets. Here, you can also select Any Change. This refreshes the Dropdown if your end-user interacts with any of your components. |
Data Storage
Setting |
Description |
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Store Data in Database |
The Store Data in Database setting affects how data persists through your application. When set to
NOTE By default, workflows persist data from all fields in the client-side submission when navigating between screens. However, only values from fields with Store Data in Database enabled store in the server-side submission. Set the toggle to NOTE When using a Plug-In to remote execute a module, ensure data moving between modules is persistent. You can optionally enable Store Data in Database for components in the source module. But any components in the API module whose values are included in an API response must have Store Data in Database enabled. When a component’s data is not persistent, the data isn't included in an API call's response. So, Plug-Ins or external services requesting data from the API module can't receive non-persistent data in the response. To learn more about Store Data in Database in the context of API modules, see the panelResponse Panel section of the API Specification Snippet article in our In-Product Help. TIP Store Data in Database also affects what data is tracked using Unqork’s built-in tracker. When the Enable Tracker and Track Value toggles are set to |
Actions Panel
Triggers
Setting |
Description |
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Trigger |
To set up a trigger, enter the Property ID of your chosen logic component into this field. When the end-user performs an action on the current component, the triggered component fires. |
Validation Panel
User Input
Setting |
Description |
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Required |
When set to By default, the Required toggle is set to |
Required Error Message |
A custom error message that displays below a required field. The error message displays when the end-user tries to save or submit the module without completing the required field. |
Advanced Panel
Additional Validation Options
Setting |
Description |
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Require Unique Submission Data |
When set to By default, the Require Unique Submission Data toggle is set to |
Don't Allow Unique Values |
When set to By default, the Don't Allow Unique Values toggle is set to |
Additional Styling
Setting |
Description |
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Custom CSS Class |
Enter a Custom CSS Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a style sheet language used for presenting how a HTML or XML document looks to end-users. Class to apply to your component. Use custom CSS to maintain a consistent look and feel if the field or element is part of a template or more than one module. Updated CSS styling applies to all components that reference this custom class name. |
Adding a Multi-Select Dropdown Component
Let's configure a Multi-Select Dropdown component referencing a Data Table. Use the Multi-Select Dropdown to ask your end-user which vehicles they own.
For this configuration, you need:
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1 Data Table component
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1 Multi-Select Dropdown component
Configure the Data Table Component
First, configure your Data Table component. This Data Table supplies the vehicle types for your Multi-Select Dropdown. Then, configure the Multi-Select Dropdown to pull that data and display it. These instructions assume that you have an open module saved with a title.
1. | In the Module Editor, drag and drop a ![]() |
2. | In the Property ID A Property ID is the unique field ID used by Unqork to track and link components in your module. field, enter dtVehicles. |
3. | In the Canvas Label Text field, enter dtVehicles. |
4. | In the data table, enter the following: |
A | |
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1 |
vehicles |
2 |
Sedan |
3 |
Coupe |
4 |
SUV |
5 |
Truck |
6 |
Motorcycle |
7 |
Tractor |
8 |
Horse and Buggy |
NOTE As a best practice, enter column titles in lowercase, with no breaks or special characters.
5. | Click Save & Close. |
Configure the Multi-Select Dropdown Component
Next, add a Multi-Select Dropdown component. Configure this component to reference the Data Table you just added.
1. | Drag and drop a ![]() ![]() |
2. | In the Property ID A Property ID is the unique field ID used by Unqork to track and link components in your module. field, enter vehicles. |
3. | In the Label Text Label Text conveys what the input component is and what information it displays. Enter the purpose of the corresponding component or field. field, enter Vehicles. |
4. | In the Item Template field, replace the word label with the Value Property (vehicles). For this example, your Item Template is <span>{{ item.vehicles }}</span>. |
5. | From the Data Source Type options, select Data Reference Key. |
6. | In the Data Reference Key field, enter dtVehicles. This refers to the Property ID of your dtVehicles ![]() |
7. | Click Save & Close. |
8. | Save your module. |
Once implemented, here's how your Multi-Select Dropdown component displays in Express View Express View is how your end-user views you application. Express View also lets you preview your applications to test your configuration and view the styling. After configuring a module, click Preview in the Module Editor to interact with the module in Express View:
Structure of a Multi-Select Dropdown Component's Data
The Multi-Select Dropdown component's data stores in a nested key/value format. In the above example, the vehicles Multi-Select Dropdown component stores the $$hashKey and vehicle keys/values from the dtVehicles
Data Table.
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