AutoComplete ComboBox in JavaFX

Question

I'm looking for a way to add autocomplete to a JavaFX ComboBox. After searching a lot it's time to ask here.

This AutoFillBox is known but not what I'm searching. What I want is a editable combobox and while typing the list should filtered. But I want also to open the list without typing and seeing the whole items.

Any idea?

Answer 1

First, you'll have to create this class in your project:

import javafx.collections.FXCollections;
import javafx.collections.ObservableList;
import javafx.event.EventHandler;
import javafx.scene.control.ComboBox;
import javafx.scene.input.KeyCode;
import javafx.scene.input.KeyEvent;

public class FxUtilTest {

    public interface AutoCompleteComparator<T> {
        boolean matches(String typedText, T objectToCompare);
    }

    public static<T> void autoCompleteComboBoxPlus(ComboBox<T> comboBox, AutoCompleteComparator<T> comparatorMethod) {
        ObservableList<T> data = comboBox.getItems();

        comboBox.setEditable(true);
        comboBox.getEditor().focusedProperty().addListener(observable -> {
            if (comboBox.getSelectionModel().getSelectedIndex() < 0) {
                comboBox.getEditor().setText(null);
            }
        });
        comboBox.addEventHandler(KeyEvent.KEY_PRESSED, t -> comboBox.hide());
        comboBox.addEventHandler(KeyEvent.KEY_RELEASED, new EventHandler<KeyEvent>() {

            private boolean moveCaretToPos = false;
            private int caretPos;

            @Override
            public void handle(KeyEvent event) {
                if (event.getCode() == KeyCode.UP) {
                    caretPos = -1;
                    if (comboBox.getEditor().getText() != null) {
                        moveCaret(comboBox.getEditor().getText().length());
                    }
                    return;
                } else if (event.getCode() == KeyCode.DOWN) {
                    if (!comboBox.isShowing()) {
                        comboBox.show();
                    }
                    caretPos = -1;
                    if (comboBox.getEditor().getText() != null) {
                        moveCaret(comboBox.getEditor().getText().length());
                    }
                    return;
                } else if (event.getCode() == KeyCode.BACK_SPACE) {
                    if (comboBox.getEditor().getText() != null) {
                        moveCaretToPos = true;
                        caretPos = comboBox.getEditor().getCaretPosition();
                    }
                } else if (event.getCode() == KeyCode.DELETE) {
                    if (comboBox.getEditor().getText() != null) {
                        moveCaretToPos = true;
                        caretPos = comboBox.getEditor().getCaretPosition();
                    }
                } else if (event.getCode() == KeyCode.ENTER) {
                    return;
                }

                if (event.getCode() == KeyCode.RIGHT || event.getCode() == KeyCode.LEFT || event.getCode().equals(KeyCode.SHIFT) || event.getCode().equals(KeyCode.CONTROL)
                        || event.isControlDown() || event.getCode() == KeyCode.HOME
                        || event.getCode() == KeyCode.END || event.getCode() == KeyCode.TAB) {
                    return;
                }

                ObservableList<T> list = FXCollections.observableArrayList();
                for (T aData : data) {
                    if (aData != null && comboBox.getEditor().getText() != null && comparatorMethod.matches(comboBox.getEditor().getText(), aData)) {
                        list.add(aData);
                    }
                }
                String t = "";
                if (comboBox.getEditor().getText() != null) {
                    t = comboBox.getEditor().getText();
                }

                comboBox.setItems(list);
                comboBox.getEditor().setText(t);
                if (!moveCaretToPos) {
                    caretPos = -1;
                }
                moveCaret(t.length());
                if (!list.isEmpty()) {
                    comboBox.show();
                }
            }

            private void moveCaret(int textLength) {
                if (caretPos == -1) {
                    comboBox.getEditor().positionCaret(textLength);
                } else {
                    comboBox.getEditor().positionCaret(caretPos);
                }
                moveCaretToPos = false;
            }
        });
    }

    public static<T> T getComboBoxValue(ComboBox<T> comboBox){
        if (comboBox.getSelectionModel().getSelectedIndex() < 0) {
            return null;
        } else {
            return comboBox.getItems().get(comboBox.getSelectionModel().getSelectedIndex());
        }
    }

}

To make your ComboBox autocomplete, use it like this:

FxUtilTest.autoCompleteComboBoxPlus(myComboBox, (typedText, itemToCompare) -> itemToCompare.getName().toLowerCase().contains(typedText.toLowerCase()) || itemToCompare.getAge().toString().equals(typedText));

Then, add a StringConverter like the following example (because the ComboBox value will return a String and it has to be converted into your object):

myComboBox.setConverter(new StringConverter<>() {

    @Override
    public String toString(YourObject object) {
        return object != null ? object.getName() : "";
    }

    @Override
    public YourObject fromString(String string) {
        return myComboBox.getItems().stream().filter(object ->
                object.getName().equals(string)).findFirst().orElse(null);
    }

});

Also be sure to use this method when you need to get the selected value from the combobox, otherwise you may face some exceptions like "class cast exception":

FxUtilTest.getComboBoxValue(myComboBox);

P.S.: There was some problems with this method in versions between JRE 8.51 and 8.65 which caused some weird behaviors, now the problems seem not to happen anymore. If you face some issue, you can see the edits made on this answer and get the older version which fixed the problem at the time. This method must work fine, if you face any problem, please, let me know.