How to use placeholder as default value in select2 framework

Question

To get the chosen value of a select2 I'm using:

var x = $("#select").select2('data');
var select_choice = x.text

The problem is this throws an error if not value has been selected and I was wondering if there was any way to make it return the placeholder if no option is selected

Cleocleobulus

= f.input :field, collection: Field.all, as: :select, input_html: { data: { placeholder: 'Choose your country' } }, label_method: :name, value_method: :alpha2, required: true – Woad

Answer 1

You have to add an empty option (i.e. <option></option>) as a first element to see a placeholder.

From Select2 official documentation :

"Note that because browsers assume the first option element is selected in non-multi-value select boxes an empty first option element must be provided (<option></option>) for the placeholder to work."

Example:

<select id="countries">
    <option></option>
    <option value="1">Germany</option>
    <option value="2">France</option>
    <option value="3">Spain</option>
</select>

and the Javascript would be:

$('#countries').select2({
    placeholder: "Please select a country"
});

Thiol

i dont understand. can you make me an example? – Coquetry

How if i populate data from ajax? – Cashier

Answer 2

Put this in your script file:

$('select').select2({
    minimumResultsForSearch: -1,
    placeholder: function(){
        $(this).data('placeholder');
    }
});

And then in HTML, add the following code:

<select data-placeholder="Your Placeholder" multiple>
    <option></option> <------ this is where your placeholder data will appear
    <option>Value 1</option>
    <option>Value 2</option>
    <option>Value 3</option>
    <option>Value 4</option>
    <option>Value 5</option>
</select>

Finality

IMO this is the best approach for both multiple and single selects – Ensoll

this works, but you need to add an empty option as first element in the select. Plus you don't need "minimumResultsForSearch: -1 " . i.e. in case you have only 1 result , you won't be able to select anything. – Remanence

Per the docs, "placeholder" does not accept a function as a value. This only works because select2 uses data-* attributes to populate placeholder – Gemini

Answer 3

$('#ddlSelect').prepend('<option selected=""></option>').select2({placeholder: "Select Month"});

Fielder

+1 In the current version the empty option has to be seleted though: $('#ddlSelect').prepend('<option selected=""></option>').select2({placeholder: "Select Month"}); – Dumpcart

This answer is incorrect. as prepend will be called after efter every allotment of the value. So if you have 1000 values, then you will get 1000 prepend. – Cohl

@AnkurSoni what are you trying to say? This solution is working for me fine – Smutch

This is cool solution, thx alot, i was struggling with "FORM SUBMITTING VIA AJAX WITH SELECT2 DROPDOWN" – Arcade

Answer 4

$("#e2").select2({
   placeholder: "Select a State",
   allowClear: true
});
$("#e2_2").select2({
   placeholder: "Select a State"
});

The placeholder can be declared via a data-placeholder attribute attached to the select, or via the placeholder configuration element as seen in the example code.

When placeholder is used for a non-multi-value select box, it requires that you include an empty tag as your first option.

Optionally, a clear button (visible once a selection is made) is available to reset the select box back to the placeholder value.

https://select2.org/placeholders

Suzannasuzanne

Please note that the option list of the select field has to contain an empty option <option></option> that placeholders work for single select fields. For me kind of a bug. – Henricks

This is a working example <select id="Select" style="width:100%"> <option></option> <option value="AK">AK</option> <option value="TN">TN</option> </select> – Avarice

Answer 5

This worked for me:

$('#SelectListId').prepend('<option selected></option>').select2({
    placeholder: "Select Month",
    allowClear: true
});

Hope this help :)

Handlebar

Esto funciono para mi – Chappie

Answer 6

In the current version of select2 you just need to add the attribute data-placeholder="A NICE PLACEHOLDER". select2 will automatically assign the placeholder. Please note: adding an empty <option></option> inside the select is still mandatory.

<select id="countries" data-placeholder="***A NICE PLACEHOLDER***">
  <option></option>
  <option value="1">Germany</option>
  <option value="2">France</option>
  <option value="3">Spain</option>
</select>

Walkling

Answer 7

Use a empty placeholder on your html like:

<select class="select2" placeholder = "">
    <option value="1">red</option>
    <option value="2">blue</option>
</select>

and in your script use:

$(".select2").select2({
        placeholder: "Select a color",
        allowClear: true
    });

Pseudo

Answer 8

you can init placeholder in you select html code in two level such as:

<select class="form-control select2" style="width: 100%;" data-placeholder="Select a State">
   <option></option>
   <option>تهران</option>
   <option>مشهد</option>
   <option>اصفهان</option>
   <option>شیراز</option>
   <option>اهواز</option>
   <option>تبریز</option>
   <option>کرج</option>   
</select>

1.set data-placeholder attribute in your select tag 2.set empty tag in first of your select tag

Steverson

Answer 9

I did the following:

var defaultOption = new Option();
defaultOption.selected = true;    
$(".js-select2").append(defaultOption);

For other options I use then:

var realOption = new Option("Option Value", "id");
realOption.selected = false;    
$(".js-select2").append(realOption);

Wellbeloved

Answer 10

Try this.In html you write the following code.

<select class="select2" multiple="multiple" placeholder="Select State">
    <option value="AK">Alaska</option>
    <option value="HI">Hawaii</option>
</select>

And in your script write the below code.Keep in mind that have the link of select2js.

<script>
         $( ".select2" ).select2( { } );
 </script>

Percussion

Answer 11

The simplest way to add empty "option" before all.

<option></option>

Example:

<select class="select2" lang="ru" tabindex="-1">
    <option></option>
    <option value="AK">Alaska</option>
    <option value="HI">Hawaii</option>
</select>

Also js code, if you need:

$(document).ready(function() {
    $(".select2").select2({
            placeholder: "Select a state",
            allowClear: true
        });
    });
}

Sachs

Answer 12

I tried all this and in the end, simply using a title="text here" worked for my system. Note there is no blank option

<select name="Restrictions" class="selectpicker show-tick form-control" 
        data-live-search="true" multiple="multiple" title="Choose Multiple">
    <option value="1">One</option>
    <option value="2">Two</option>
    <option value="3">Three</option>
</select>

Bathypelagic

Answer 13

All answers that include an empty option at first position of select element is correct, but only work when there's no option selected.

I used @Colin's solution - $('.wcl-select').prepend('<option selected=""></option>').select2({placeholder: "Select Month"}) - however when we've one option selected, we will have two options marked with selected, not correctly displaying the selected item:

I will check, before applying Select2, if there's any option selected, then create empty option in the first position:

$(".wcl-select").each(function(_, element) {
    if (!$(element).find('option[selected]').length) {
        $(element).prepend("<option value='' selected='selected'></option>");
    }
});

$(".wcl-select").select2({
    theme: "bootstrap-5",
    width: $(this).data('width') ? $(this).data('width') : $(this).hasClass('w-100') ? '100%' : 'style',
    placeholder: $(this).data('placeholder'),
    allowClear: false,
    closeOnSelect: true,
    multiple: false,
});

Hooknosed

Answer 14

You can use the following code for placeholder as the default value.

JavaScript on page load:

$("#selectCountry").select2({
    multiple:true,
    maximumSelectionLength:1,
    placeholder:'YOUR PLACEHOLDER TEXT'
});
$("#selectCountry option:selected").remove();

HTML:

<select id="selectCountry">
  <option></option> <!-- this must be null -->
  <option>OPTION1</option>
  <option>OPTION2</option>
</select>

Acrolith

Answer 15

Just add this class in your .css file.

.select2-search__field{width:100% !important;}

Harrovian

Answer 16

$selectElement.select2({
    minimumResultsForSearch: -1,
    placeholder: 'SelectRelatives'}).on('select2-opening', function() {                                                                       $(this).closest('li').find('input').attr('placeholder','Select Relative');                            
});

Dak