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Predictive list

How to make an autocomplete field to show suggestions based on user input.

Guidance

A predictive list can help users complete tasks faster and more accurately. It can be used in forms for selecting their city, community, or anything else from a set of predetermined values.

When making a predictive list form element, make sure to set autocomplete="off" on your <form> element. This will prevent browsers from trying to predict the value based on earlier typed values.


Predictive list

This example uses basic javascript (included in HTML code), but you can bring your own functionality.

HTML

<!-- Predictive list -->
<form autocomplete="off">
<label for="predictiveList">City or community</label>
<span class="autocomplete"><input ame="myCommunity" id="predictiveList" type="text" nplaceholder="Type to search..."></span>
</form>

<!-- Basic javascript for predictive list. Place just before closing body tag at the bottom of your page -->
<script>
function autocomplete(inp, arr) {
/*the autocomplete function takes two arguments,
the text field element and an array of possible autocompleted values:*/
var currentFocus;
/*execute a function when someone writes in the text field:*/
inp.addEventListener("input", function (e) {
var a, b, i, val = this.value;
/*close any already open lists of autocompleted values*/
closeAllLists();
if (!val) { return false; }
currentFocus = -1;
/*create a UL element that will contain the items (values):*/
a = document.createElement("ul");
a.setAttribute("id", this.id + "autocomplete-list");
a.setAttribute("class", "autocomplete-items");
/*append the element as a child of the autocomplete container:*/
this.parentNode.appendChild(a);
/*for each item in the array...*/
for (i = 0; i < arr.length; i++) {
/*check if the item starts with the same letters as the text field value:*/
if (arr[i].substr(0, val.length).toUpperCase() == val.toUpperCase()) {
	/*create a LI element for each matching element:*/
	b = document.createElement("li");
	/*make the matching letters bold:*/
	b.innerHTML = "<strong>" + arr[i].substr(0, val.length) + "</strong>";
	b.innerHTML += arr[i].substr(val.length);
	/*insert a input field that will hold the current array item's value:*/
	b.innerHTML += "<input type='hidden' value='" + arr[i] + "'>";
	/*execute a function when someone clicks on the item value (LI element):*/
	b.addEventListener("click", function (e) {
		/*insert the value for the autocomplete text field:*/
		inp.value = this.getElementsByTagName("input")[0].value;
		/*close the list of autocompleted values,
		(or any other open lists of autocompleted values):*/
		closeAllLists();
	});
	a.appendChild(b);
}
}
});
/*execute a function presses a key on the keyboard:*/
inp.addEventListener("keydown", function (e) {
var x = document.getElementById(this.id + "autocomplete-list");
if (x) x = x.getElementsByTagName("ul");
if (e.keyCode == 40) {
/*If the arrow DOWN key is pressed,
increase the currentFocus variable:*/
currentFocus++;
/*and and make the current item more visible:*/
addActive(x);
} else if (e.keyCode == 38) { //up
/*If the arrow UP key is pressed,
decrease the currentFocus variable:*/
currentFocus--;
/*and and make the current item more visible:*/
addActive(x);
} else if (e.keyCode == 13) {
/*If the ENTER key is pressed, prevent the form from being submitted,*/
e.preventDefault();
if (currentFocus > -1) {
	/*and simulate a click on the "active" item:*/
	if (x) x[currentFocus].click();
}
}
});
function addActive(x) {
/*a function to classify an item as "active":*/
if (!x) return false;
/*start by removing the "active" class on all items:*/
removeActive(x);
if (currentFocus >= x.length) currentFocus = 0;
if (currentFocus < 0) currentFocus = (x.length - 1);
/*add class "autocomplete-active":*/
x[currentFocus].classList.add("autocomplete-active");
}
function removeActive(x) {
/*a function to remove the "active" class from all autocomplete items:*/
for (var i = 0; i < x.length; i++) {
x[i].classList.remove("autocomplete-active");
}
}
function closeAllLists(elmnt) {
/*close all autocomplete lists in the document,
except the one passed as an argument:*/
var x = document.getElementsByClassName("autocomplete-items");
for (var i = 0; i < x.length; i++) {
if (elmnt != x[i] && elmnt != inp) {
	x[i].parentNode.removeChild(x[i]);
}
}
}
/*execute a function when someone clicks in the document:*/
document.addEventListener("click", function (e) {
closeAllLists(e.target);
});
}

/*An array containing all the communities in New Brunswick:*/
var communities = ["Alma", "Aroostook", "Atholville", "Baker Brook", "Balmoral", "Bas-Caraquet", "Bath", "Bathurst", "Bathurst", "Belledune", "Beresford", "Bertrand", "Blacks Harbour", "Blackville", "Bouctouche", "Bristol", "Cambridge-Narrows", "Campbellton", "Campbellton", "Campbellton", "Canterbury", "Cap-Pelé", "Caraquet", "Centreville", "Charlo", "Chipman", "Clair", "Dalhousie", "Dieppe", "Doaktown", "Dorchester", "Drummond", "Edmundston", "Edmundston", "Eel River Crossing", "Florenceville", "Florenceville-Bristol", "Fredericton", "Fredericton Junction", "Gagetown", "Grand Bay-Westfield", "Grand Falls / Grand-Sault", "Grand Manan", "Grande-Anse", "Hampton", "Hartland", "Harvey", "Hillsborough", "Kedgwick", "Lac Baker", "Lamèque", "Le Goulet", "Maisonnette", "McAdam", "Meductic", "Memramcook", "Millville", "Minto", "Miramichi", "Miramichi", "Moncton", "Moncton", "Nackawic", "Neguac", "New Maryland", "Nigadoo", "Norton", "Oromocto", "Paquetville", "Perth-Andover", "Petit Rocher", "Petitcodiac", "Plaster Rock", "Pointe-Verte", "Port Elgin", "Quispamsis", "Rexton", "Richibucto", "Riverside-Albert", "Riverview", "Rivière-Verte", "Rogersville", "Rothesay", "Sackville", "Saint Andrews", "Saint John", "Saint-Antoine", "Saint-François de Madawaska", "Saint-Isidore", "Saint-Louis de Kent", "Saint-Léolin", "Saint-Léonard", "Saint-Quentin", "Sainte-Anne-de-Madawaska", "Sainte-Marie - Saint-Raphaèl", "Salisbury", "Shediac", "Shippagan", "St. André", "St. George", "St. Hilaire", "St. Leonard", "St. Martins", "St. Stephen", "Stanley", "Sussex", "Sussex Corner", "Tide Head", "Tracadie-Sheila", "Tracy", "Woodstock"]
autocomplete(document.getElementById("predictiveList"), communities);
</script>