# Datalist

Datalist field renders a searchable [Select 2](https://select2.github.io/) field. Handy when the number of options is rather big (e.g. A list of countries in a regular [Select field](/fields/select.md) may arguably not be a good UX). Supports [multiple choice](/fields/datalist.md#multiple-choice).

## Example configuration

```php
...
array(
    'title' => 'My datalist field title',
    'id' => 'first-datalist-option',
    'desc' => 'Short description for the field',
    'tab' => 'main',
    'type' => 'datalist',
    'options' => array(
        array(
            'name' => 'Name one',
            'value' => 'Value one',
        ),
        array(
            'name' => 'Name two',
            'value' => 'Value two',
        ),
        array(
            'name' => 'Name three',
            'value' => 'Value three',
        ),
    ),
),
...
```

This will produce the following

![](/files/-LKMTmd4QplzgKo2US34)

## Multiple choice

if `'multiple' => true` is added to the [configuration object](/fields/datalist.md#example-configuration), the field will respect it. The following configuration

```php
...
array(
    'title' => 'My datalist field title',
    'id' => 'first-datalist-option',
    'desc' => 'Short description for the field',
    'tab' => 'main',
    'multiple' => true,
    'type' => 'datalist',
    'options' => array(
        array(
            'name' => 'Name one',
            'value' => 'Value one',
        ),
        array(
            'name' => 'Name two',
            'value' => 'Value two',
        ),
        array(
            'name' => 'Name three',
            'value' => 'Value three',
        ),
    ),
),
...
```

will result in the following

![](/files/-LKMTmd65lj_VDvFVzaT)

## Params

| Name       | Type    | Description                                                                                                    |
| ---------- | ------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `type`     | string  | `datalist` **(required)**                                                                                      |
| `id`       | string  | Unique ID that will be used to retrieve the value **(required)**                                               |
| `tab`      | string  | Specifies in which tab this option will be rendered                                                            |
| `title`    | string  | Shows a heading to the left of the field                                                                       |
| `desc`     | string  | Shows a description text (can have HTML)                                                                       |
| `multiple` | boolean | Set to `true` if multiple values are needed. See [an example](/fields/datalist.md#multiple-choice) above.      |
| `options`  | array   | Array of arrays with `value` and `name` keys. See [examples](/fields/datalist.md#example-configuration) above. |


---

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