Combobox field

ComboBoxFieldDefinition renders a combobox where only one item can be selected (comboBoxField). The component has a text field where items can be filtered based on user input. ComboBoxFieldDefinition extends the AbstractSelectFieldDefinition class.

The comboBoxField and listSelectField field types don’t support natural ordering. Instead, use the linkField with textInputallowed set to true as the better choice for ordering items alphabetically.

For JSON data sources, use the JsonComboBoxFieldDefinition.

There is also JsonComboBoxFieldDefinition to be used with the JSON data source (jsonComboBoxField).

Example definitions

Combobox field

comboSelect:
  $type: comboBoxField
  label: Prefix
  datasource:
    $type: optionListDatasource
    options:
      - name: mr
        label: Mr.
        value: mr
      - name: mrs
        label: Mrs.
        value: mrs
      - name: miss
        label: Miss
        value: miss

You can preview this example using the field-examples-module. See Field examples module for more information.

JSON Combobox field

comboBoxFieldwithJSON:
  label: Definition example
  $type: jsonComboBoxField
  textInputAllowed: true
  filteringMode: CONTAINS
  datasource:
    name: rest
    $type: jsonDatasource
    restClient: books
    restCall: wordSearch
    jsonPathExpressions:
      itemId: '$.definition'
      items: '$..meanings[*].definitions[*]'
      describeBy: '$.definition'

You can preview this example using the field-examples-module. See Field examples module for more information.

Field properties

Common combobox field properties

Property Description

emptySelectionAllowed

optional, default is false

Defines whether the user can select nothing in the field. When true, an empty item appears to the user.

emptySelectionCaption

optional, default is empty string

When emptySelectionAllowed is true, the empty item appears with the given caption. The value is i18n-able.

pageLength

optional, default is 100

Sets the number of items in the field pop-up. The value must be between 1 and 100. Otherwise, the property will fall back to the default value.

placeholder

optional

Placeholder text to be displayed when the field is empty. The value is i18n-able.

popWidth

optional

Sets the width of the field pop-up relative to the field itself. If no value is specified, the pop-up’s width will automatically expand to fit the content of all displayed items.

scrollToSelectedItem

optional, default is false

Defines whether the selected item is always scrolled into view when the comboBox pop-up has multiple pages. Possible values are true and false.

It’s useful for users who want automatic scrolling to the selected item, especially when the selected item is not shown in the pop-up’s first pages and the pop-up has several pages between which the user can scroll up and down.

But be aware: setting true requires finding the item’s index, which can be expensive in many large lazy loading containers.

textInputAllowed

optional, default is false

When true, the user can type into the field to filter available items. The filteringMode property of select field defines how options are filtered.

When false, the field just shows the current selection.

Common select field properties

Property Description

datasource

required

Connects the field to a data source. Options are populated via the configured data source.

Use the fully qualified class name or the $type alias if the definition class is annotated with info.magnolia.ui.datasource.DatasourceType.

filteringMode

optional, default is OFF

Defines how options are filtered. Other possible values are CONTAINS and STARTSWITH.

To enable filtering, you have to set textInputAllowed of combobox field to true.

Common simple field properties

Property Description

name

required

Name of the field definition item. Derived from the configured node name. Use alphanumeric characters without spaces.

class

required (unless $type is used)

Type of the field definition item. The value must be a fully qualified class name and a subtype of info.magnolia.ui.field.FieldDefinition. See Field types for possible values.

$type

You can use this as a shortcut for class if the definition class is annotated with info.magnolia.ui.field.FieldType. The proper value is defined by the annotation.

Example class annotation
@FieldType("textField")
public class TextFieldDefinition extends ConfiguredFieldDefinition<String> {
...
}

See Field types for possible values.

type

optional

Property type of the field.

A default type is typically hard-coded in each definition class. You only need to add this property if you want to override the default implementation.

In text fields, make sure that type has a value matching the type of data you entered (for example, java.lang.Long for long values) and that converterClass is set accordingly.

A scenario where you might require users to enter a particular numerical type is, for example, sorting the delivery REST JSON on your frontend.

Long example definition
text:
  $type: textField
  type: java.lang.Long
  converterClass: com.vaadin.data.converter.StringToLongConverter
Double example definition
text:
  $type: textField
  type: java.lang.Double
  converterClass: com.vaadin.data.converter.StringToDoubleConverter

You can’t configure this property through YAML but it can be used in your Java code.

converterClass

optional

Converts values between the presentation (UI) and model (stored data). The property must extend com.vaadin.data.Converter. Available classes:

  • info.magnolia.ui.editor.converter.JcrNodeToIdentifierConverter

  • info.magnolia.ui.editor.converter.JcrNodeToPathConverter

  • info.magnolia.ui.editor.converter.JcrNodeToWorkspaceAndIdConverter

  • info.magnolia.ui.editor.converter.JcrPathToIdentifierConverter

com.vaadin.data.converter.StringToBigDecimalConverter and com.vaadin.data.converter.StringToDoubleConverter always round the presentation value by default. For non-rounding converters, use the following classes instead:

  • info.magnolia.ui.field.converter.NonRoundingStringToBigDecimalConverter

  • info.magnolia.ui.field.converter.NonRoundingStringToDoubleConverter

You can’t configure this property through YAML but it can be used in your Java code.

conversionErrorMessage

optional, default is translated conversion.message.error key

Message shown when there is an error in the conversion process. The value can be literal or a key of a message bundle.

defaultValue

optional

Pre-filled default value displayed in the field. The value can be overwritten by the user. Use alphanumeric characters.

This is only applied only when creating a new item, not for existing items.

For defaultValue to work, the populate property in info.magnolia.ui.dialog.actions.OpenDialogActionDefinition must be set to false.

description

optional

Help text displayed when the user clicks the help icon. The value can be literal or a key of a message bundle.

factoryClass

optional

Defines the factory class that initializes and builds the Vaadin form field. The default factory class depends on the particular field.

The value must be a fully qualified class name and a subtype of info.magnolia.ui.field.FieldFactory.

You can’t configure this property through YAML but it can be used in your Java code.

fieldBinderClass

optional

Defines the binder class that applies configuration parameters from the field.

i18n

optional, default is false

Enables i18n authoring support, which allows editors to write foreign-language or regionally targeted content.

For more details, see i18n in New UI Forms and Vaadin forms.

label

optional

Field label displayed to editors. The value can be literal or a key of a message bundle.

If you do not provide the property, Magnolia will fall back to a generated i18n key.

If you do not want to have any label, set the property to an empty string such as label: "" in YAML.

readOnly

optional, default is false

Makes the field uneditable.

required

optional, default is false (not relevant for checkbox field)

Makes the field required. When true, an asterisk is displayed next to the field label.

When false, empty values are accepted as valid. For those empty values, any field validators are ignored.

requiredErrorMessage

optional, default is translated validation.message.required key

Error message shown when required is set to true and the user saves an empty field. The value can be literal or a key of a message bundle.

styleName

optional

Additional style information for an editor property definition item applied to the element when the form is rendered. The value can be a CSS class or a list of CSS classes separated by white spaces.

The style name will be rendered as an HTML class name, which can be used in a CSS definition. The class name is added to the field by calling the Vaadin method addStyleName.

The referenced class can be defined in:

validators

optional

List of field validator definition items. Any value must be a subtype of info.magnolia.ui.field.FieldValidatorDefinition.

See Field validators for more information.

i18n in New UI Forms and Vaadin forms

The rendering and behavior of internationalization (i18n) differ between the fields of the New UI Forms and the older Vaadin forms.

Fields with i18n: true
New UI Forms Vaadin

No language identifier is displayed next to the field’s name.

The field value you edit there and save is stored only for the selected language variant.

A two-letter language identifier (for example, en, de, fr) is displayed next to the field, as shown below on the right side of the screenshots - en or de next to the "Body Text" name of the rich text field.

The field value you edit there and save is stored only for the selected language variant.
Fields with i18n: false (or not set, as false is the default)
New UI Forms Vaadin

Editing is only possible in the default language. The field is disabled in non-default language views.

A globe icon is displayed next to the field.

Hovering over the globe icon shows a tooltip with the following messages:

  • In the default language view: "Global field. The field’s value is the same across all language variants."

  • In non-default language views: "Global field. Switch to the default language (<default language name>) to edit this field."

No language identifier is displayed next to the field’s name.

The field is editable.

The value you enter there and save is applied to all language variants.

Default language form views (English)

Rendering of fields in forms in the default language (English)

Non-default language form views (German)

Rendering of fields in forms in a non-default language (German)
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