Drop-down list
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A drop-down list (abbreviated drop-down; also known as a drop-down menu, drop menu, pull-down list, picklist) is a graphical control element, similar to a list box, that allows the user to choose one value from a list. When a drop-down list is inactive, it displays a single value. When activated, it displays (drops down) a list of values, from which the user may select one. When the user selects a new value, the control reverts to its inactive state, displaying the selected value. It is often used in the design of graphical user interfaces, including web design.
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Terminology[edit]
This type of control is called a "pop-up menu" on the Macintosh platform;[1] however, the term "popup menu" is used to refer to context menus in other GUI systems. The Macintosh also has the notion of "pull-down menus". The distinction is that, when the menu is closed, a pop-up menu's title shows the last-selected item while a pull-down menu shows a static title like a menu in the menu bar. Thus, the uses are different—popup menus are used to select a single option from a list while pull-down menus are used to issue commands or in cases where multiple options can be selected.
HTML[edit]
In web forms, the HTML elements <select> and <option> are used to display a drop-down menu: [2]
<select>
<option>option1</option>
<option>option2</option>
<option>option3</option>
</select>
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Managing Pop-Up Buttons and Pull-Down Lists". Application Menu and Pop-up List Programming Topics. Mac Development Library. June 26, 2007. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
- ^ "The SELECT, OPTGROUP, and OPTION elements". W3C.
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