Is it possible to use JS to open an HTML select to show it's option list?

Question

Is it possible to use JavaScript to open an HTML select to show it's option list?

Answer 1

Unfortunately there's a simple answer to this question, and it's "No"

Answer 2

I'm fairly certain the answer is: No. You can select options with JavaScript but not open the select. You'd have to use a custom solution.

Answer 3

At least in Geckos this might be possible. Look here:

• https://developer.mozilla.org/en/DOM/element.dispatchEvent
• https://developer.mozilla.org/en/DOM/document.createEvent
• https://developer.mozilla.org/en/DOM/event.initMouseEvent

edit: I couldn't get this to work; seems like Gareth is correct...

Answer 4

I had this problem...and found a workable solution.
I didn't want the select box to show until the user clicked on some plain html. So I overlayed the select element with "opacity=.01". Upon clicking, I changed it back to "opacity=100". This allowed me to hide the select, and when the user clicked the text the select appeared with the options showing.

Phil

Answer 5

I use this... but it requires the user to click on the select box...

Here are the 2 javascript functions

function expand(obj)
{
    obj.size = 5;
}
function unexpand(obj)
{
    obj.size = 1;
}

then i create the select box

<select id="test" multiple="multiple" name="foo" onFocus="expand(this)" onBlur="unexpand(this)">
<option >option1</option>
<option >option2</option>
<option >option3</option>
<option >option4</option>
<option >option5</option>
</select>

I know this code is a little late, but i hope it helps someone who had the same problem as me.

ps/fyi i have not tested the code above (i create my select box dynamically), and the code i did write was only tested in FireFox.