Drop-down list

A drop-down list (abbreviated drop-down, or DDL;[1] also known as a drop-down menu, drop menu, pull-down list, picklist) is a graphical control element, similar to a list box, that allows the user to choose one value from a list either by clicking or hovering over the menu. When a drop-down list is inactive, it displays a single value. When activated, it displays (drops down) a list of values, from which the user may select one. When the user selects a new value, the control reverts to its inactive state, displaying the selected value. It is often used in the design of graphical user interfaces, including web design.

A drop-down list or drop-down menu or drop menu, with generic entries

Terminology
A drop-down list of search suggestions

This type of control is called a "pop-up menu" on the Macintosh platform;[2] however, the term "pop-up menu" is used to refer to context menus in other GUI systems. The Macintosh also has the notion of "pull-down menus". The distinction is that, when the menu is closed, a pop-up menu's title shows the last-selected item while a pull-down menu shows a static title like a menu in the menu bar. Thus, the uses are different—pop-up menus are used to select a single option from a list while pull-down menus are used to issue commands or in cases where multiple options can be selected.

HTML

In web forms, the HTML elements <select> and <option> are used to display a drop-down menu:[3]

<select>
  <option>option1</option>
  <option>option2</option>
  <option>option3</option>
</select>

See also

References
  1. "DDL stands for Drop-Down List (user interface)". Acronymfinder.
  2. "Managing Pop-Up Buttons and Pull-Down Lists". Application Menu and Pop-up List Programming Topics. Mac Development Library. June 26, 2007. Retrieved May 15, 2013.
  3. "The SELECT, OPTGROUP, and OPTION elements". W3C.
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