Bootstrap typeahead ajax result format - Example

Question

I am using Bootstrap typeahead with an ajax function, and want to know what is the correct Json result format, to return an Id and a descripcion. I need the Id to bind the typeahead selected element with a mvc3 model.

This is the code:

    [Html]

    <input id="myTypeahead" class='ajax-typeahead' type="text" data-link="myUrl" data-provide="typeahead" />


    [Javascript]

    $('#myTypeahead').typeahead({
        source: function (query, process) {
            return $.ajax({
                url: $('#myTypeahead').data('link'),
                type: 'post',
                data: { query: query },
                dataType: 'json',
                success: function (jsonResult) {
                    return typeof jsonResult == 'undefined' ? false : process(jsonResult);
                }
            });
        }
    });



This works properly when I return a simple list of strings, for example:
{item1, item2, item3}

But I want to return a list with Id, for example:
{
 {Id: 1, value: item1},
 {Id: 2, value: item2},
 {Id: 3, value: item3}
}

How to process this result in the ajax "success: function()"?

That is very easy with jquery Autocomplete, because I can return a Json Object list.

[jquery Autocomplete process data example]
...            
success: function (data) {
                response($.map(data, function (item) {
                    return { label: item.Id, value: item.Value, id: item.Id, data: item };
                })
...

But that doesn't work with boostrap Typeahead.

Can anyone help me?

Thanks.

Answer 1

I try for two days and finally I could it working. Bootstrap Typeahead doesn't support an array of objects as a result by default, only an array of string. Because "matcher", "sorter", "updater" and "highlighter" functions expect strings as parameter.

Instead, "Bootstrap" supports customizable "matcher", "sorter", "updater" and "highlighter" functions. So we can rewrite those functions in Typeahead options.

II used Json format, and bound the Id to a hidden html input.

The code:

$('#myTypeahead').typeahead({
    source: function (query, process) {
        return $.ajax({
            url: $('#myTypeahead').data('link'),
            type: 'post',
            data: { query: query },
            dataType: 'json',
            success: function (result) {

                var resultList = result.map(function (item) {
                    var aItem = { id: item.Id, name: item.Name };
                    return JSON.stringify(aItem);
                });

                return process(resultList);

            }
        });
    },

matcher: function (obj) {
        var item = JSON.parse(obj);
        return ~item.name.toLowerCase().indexOf(this.query.toLowerCase())
    },

    sorter: function (items) {          
       var beginswith = [], caseSensitive = [], caseInsensitive = [], item;
        while (aItem = items.shift()) {
            var item = JSON.parse(aItem);
            if (!item.name.toLowerCase().indexOf(this.query.toLowerCase())) beginswith.push(JSON.stringify(item));
            else if (~item.name.indexOf(this.query)) caseSensitive.push(JSON.stringify(item));
            else caseInsensitive.push(JSON.stringify(item));
        }

        return beginswith.concat(caseSensitive, caseInsensitive)

    },


    highlighter: function (obj) {
        var item = JSON.parse(obj);
        var query = this.query.replace(/[\-\[\]{}()*+?.,\\\^$|#\s]/g, '\\$&')
        return item.name.replace(new RegExp('(' + query + ')', 'ig'), function ($1, match) {
            return '<strong>' + match + '</strong>'
        })
    },

    updater: function (obj) {
        var item = JSON.parse(obj);
        $('#IdControl').attr('value', item.id);
        return item.name;
    }
});