JavaScript ListBox Control
By Sameer NIGAMIntroduction
JavaScript
ListBox
Control is a cross-browser JavaScript
class
. It is a sub set of HTML select
element with attribute
size
>= 2.
Background
As you know in the HTML ListBox
element (select
element with attribute
size
>=2), if you want to select multiple items, then you have to press & hold the Ctrl key during process of selecting items. In a project client wanted a CheckBox
against each item of the ListBox
so that there were no need to press & hold Ctrl key while selecting the multiple items. As HTML ListBox
does not support CheckBox
against each item, so I’ve decided to develop my own custom ListBox
control through JavaScript
.
Constructor
ListBox
Control has following constructor:
ListBox(Arguments):
The constructor of the ListBox c
lass
takes an argument
of the type Object Literal
. The definition of the argument Object Literal
is given below:

var Arguments = {
Base: _Base, //Base reference where ListBox to be displayed.
Rows: _Rows, //No. of visible items.
Width: _Width, // Width of the ListBox.
NormalItemColor: _NormalItemColor, // Normal item color.
NormalItemBackColor: _NormalItemBackColor, // Normal item back color.
AlternateItemColor: _AlternateItemColor, // Alternate item color.
AlternateItemBackColor: _AlternateItemBackColor, // Alternate item back color.
SelectedItemColor: _SelectedItemColor, // Selected item color.
SelectedIItemBackColor: _SelectedIItemBackColor, // SelectedI item back color.
HoverItemColor: _HoverItemColor, // Hover item color.
HoverItemBackColor: _HoverItemBackColor, // Hover item back color.
HoverBorderdColor: _HoverBorderdColor, // Hover borderd color.
ClickEventHandler: _ClickEventHandler // Reference of the click event handler.
};
Example:

var Arguments = {
Base: document.getElementById('base'),
Rows: 6,
Width: 300,
NormalItemColor: 'Black',
NormalItemBackColor: '#ffffff',
AlternateItemColor: 'Black',
AlternateItemBackColor: '#E0E0E0',
SelectedItemColor: '#ffffff',
SelectedIItemBackColor: '#E6A301',
HoverItemColor: '#ffffff',
HoverItemBackColor: '#2259D7',
HoverBorderdColor: 'orange',
ClickEventHandler: CheckBoxOnClick
};
You can asign each property of the argument Object Literal
to null
. In this case, each property
will acquire its default value as:

var Arguments = {
Base: null,
Rows: null,
Width: null,
NormalItemColor: null,
NormalItemBackColor: null,
AlternateItemColor: null,
AlternateItemBackColor: null,
SelectedItemColor: null,
SelectedIItemBackColor: null,
HoverItemColor: null,
HoverItemBackColor: null,
HoverBorderdColor: null,
ClickEventHandler: null
};
Properties & their default values have been tabulated below:
Property | Default Value |
Base | document.documentElement |
Rows | 6 |
Width | 300 |
NormalItemColor | 'Black' |
NormalItemBackColor | '#ffffff' |
AlternateItemColor | 'Black' |
AlternateItemBackColor | '#E0E0E0' |
SelectedItemColor | '#ffffff' |
SelectedIItemBackColor | '#E6A301' |
HoverItemColor | '#ffffff' |
HoverItemBackColor | '#2259D7' |
HoverBorderdColor | 'orange' |
ClickEventHandler | Anonymous method |
Methods
ListBox
Control has following public
methods:
AddItem(Text, Value):
Used to add an ListBox
Item. It takes two arguments –
- Text: Item
Text
. - Value: Item
Value
.
GetItems():
Used to get collection
of all LBItem(ListBox
Item).
GetItem(Index):
Used to get a LBItem(ListBox
Item) at a given Item index. Returns null
in case of Item isn’t found. It takes one argument
–
- Index: Item Index.
DeleteItems():
Used to delete all the ListBox
Items. Returns numbers of Items deleted. DeleteItem(Index):
Used to delete a ListBox
Item at a given Item index. Returns true
on successfull deletion else false
. It takes one argument
–
- Index: Item Index.
GetTotalItems():
Used to get total no of ListBox
Items.
Contains(Index):
Used to check whether a ListBox
Item exists at a given Item index or not. Returns true
if Item exists else false
. It takes one argument
–
- Index: Item Index.
Dispose():
Used to destroy ListBox
Object
.
Note: The LBItem is an Object Literal
& has the following definition:

var LBItem = {
IsSelected: _IsSelected, // true/false.
Text: _Text, // Item Text.
Value: _Value, // Item Value.
ItemIndex: _ItemIndex // Item Index.
};
Property
ListBox
Control has only one property
:
Version:
Used to get the current version of the ListBox
Control.
Event
ListBox
Control has only one event
:
Click:
Fires when any one Item CheckBox
is clicked.
The local anonymous method that responds to the click event
(i.e. event
handler) has following signature –

var EventHandlerName = function(Sender, EventArgs) {}
where Sender
is the reference of the element(in this case the Item CheckBox
) that raises the click event
& EventArgs
is a Object Literal
that contains necessary information regarding the event
. EventArgs Object Literal
has following definition –

var EventArgs = {
Text: _Text, // Item Text.
Value: _Value, // Item Value.
ItemIndex: _ItemIndex // Item Index.
};
Using the Control
Add the reference of the ListBox.js file in your web page as:

<script type="text/javascript" src="JS/ ListBox.js"></script>
Create an div
element in the web page as:

<div id="base"></div>
Now Create a script
tag in the head
section of the web page & put the following code in the window.onload event
as:

<script type="text/javascript">
var oListBox;
window.onload = function()
{
var Arguments = {
Base: document.getElementById('base'),
Rows: 3,
Width: 300,
NormalItemColor: null,
NormalItemBackColor: null,
AlternateItemColor: null,
AlternateItemBackColor: null,
SelectedItemColor: null,
SelectedIItemBackColor: null,
HoverItemColor: null,
HoverItemBackColor: null,
HoverBorderdColor: null,
ClickEventHandler: OnClick
};
oListBox = new ListBox(Arguments);
oListBox.AddItem('CodeProject.com','http://www.codeproject.com');
oListBox.AddItem('yahoo.com','http://www.yahoo.com/');
oListBox.AddItem('microsoft.com','http://www.microsoft.com/en/us/default.aspx');
oListBox.AddItem('asp.net','http://www.asp.net');
oListBox.AddItem('cricinfo.com','http://www.cricinfo.com/');
oListBox.AddItem('AOL','http://www.aol.com/');
oListBox.AddItem('STPL','http://stpl.biz');
}
</script>
In the above code, First an Argument Object Literal
with necessary properties has been created. After that ListBox
has been instantiated using new
key word. Finally deferent ListBox
Items have been added to the ListBox Object
. Don’t forget the click event
wire up in the argument Object Literal
as –

ClickEventListener: OnClick
Where OnClick
is the reference of the click event
handler which is created as a local anonymous method –

var OnClick = function(Sender, EventArgs)
{
//Code
}
Example:

var OnClick = function(Sender, EventArgs)
{
var Message = new Array();
Message.push('IsSelected: ' + Sender.checked.toString());
Message.push('Text: ' + EventArgs.Text);
Message.push('Value: ' + EventArgs.Value);
Message.push('Index: ' + EventArgs.ItemIndex);
document.getElementById('DivMessage').innerHTML = Message.join('<br />');
}
This method will gets called when you will click
on any one Item CheckBox
of the ListBox
control.
Invoke the Dispose
method in the window.onunload event
in order to destroy ListBox
Object
as:

window.onunload = function(){oListBox.Dispose(); }
Conclusion
So this is my approach to develop custom JavaScript
ListBox
control. Althoughit is only sub set of existing HTML ListBox
element, but it is more user friendly than the existing. It can be further customize on deferent requirements. Please let me know bugs, errors & suggestions to improve this ListBox
control.
Browser Compatibility
I have tested this control on a number of web browsers.
License
This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)
About the Author
Sameer NIGAM![]() | Currently I'm working as a Sr. Software Engineer in SRM Techsol Pvt. Ltd., Lucknow, INDIA. I possess following degrees:
Award: Best ASP.NET article of June 2008: JavaScript ListBox Control Contact: nigam.samir@hotmail.com
|
From: http://www.codeproject.com/KB/scripting/List_Box.aspx