BeepComboBoxDesigner
Design-time designer for BeepComboBox — 13 smart-tag properties, 5 configuration presets, combo type variants, auto-complete/loading states, and IComponentChangeService-backed property mutation
Table of Contents
Overview
Namespace: TheTechIdea.Beep.Winform.Controls.Design.Server.Designers
Inheritance: BaseBeepControlDesigner
BeepComboBoxDesigner provides the design-time experience for BeepComboBox. The smart-tag exposes 13 properties across Appearance and Behavior categories, plus 5 one-click configuration presets that reconfigure the combo box for common use cases (searchable picker, chip multi-select, command menu, simple dropdown, minimal picker). Inherits CommonBeepControlActionList for style/theme/schema.
BeepComboBoxDesigner
| Member | Signature | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ComboBox | BeepComboBox? (get) | Casts Component to BeepComboBox for convenient access |
| GetControlSpecificActionLists() | override DesignerActionListCollection | Returns BeepComboBoxActionList singleton |
BeepComboBoxActionList — Smart-Tag Properties
| Property | Type | Category | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| IsEditable | bool | Behavior | Allow free-text entry in the combo field |
| MultiSelect | bool | Behavior | Allow multiple item selection (chip display). Proxies AllowMultipleSelection. |
| ComboBoxType | ComboBoxType | Appearance | Visual variant: OutlineDefault, OutlineSearchable, MultiChipSearch, CommandMenu, MinimalBorderless |
| PlaceholderText | string | Appearance | Placeholder shown when no value is selected |
| SizeVariant | BeepComboBoxSize | Appearance | Control size: Small, Medium, Large |
| ShowClearButton | bool | Appearance | Show an X button to clear the current value |
| ShowSearchInDropdown | bool | Behavior | Show a search textbox inside the dropdown panel |
| AutoComplete | bool | Behavior | Enable auto-complete suggestions while typing |
| AutoCompleteMode | BeepAutoCompleteMode | Behavior | Suggest, Append, or SuggestAppend |
| AutoCompleteMinLength | int | Behavior | Minimum characters before auto-complete triggers |
| MaxSuggestions | int | Behavior | Maximum number of auto-complete suggestions shown |
| AllowFreeText | bool | Behavior | Accept text not in the dropdown list |
| IsLoading | bool | Behavior | Show a loading spinner indicator |
Configuration Presets (Action Methods)
| Preset | Combo Type | Search | Auto Complete | Multi Select | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ConfigureAsSearchablePicker() | OutlineSearchable | On | On | Off | Single-value search with suggestions |
| ConfigureAsChipMultiSelect() | MultiChipSearch | On | Off | On | Multiple values shown as chips |
| ConfigureAsCommandMenu() | CommandMenu | Fuzzy | Off | Off | Command palette with fuzzy search |
| ConfigureAsSimpleDropdown() | OutlineDefault | Off | Off | Off | Basic single-select dropdown |
| ConfigureAsMinimalPicker() | MinimalBorderless | Off | Off | Off | Minimal inline picker, small size |
Smart-Tag Sections
GetSortedActionItems() organizes items into 3 sections:
| Section | Items | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Presets | 5 action methods | Quick configuration presets listed above |
| Appearance | ComboBoxType, PlaceholderText, SizeVariant, ShowClearButton | Visual appearance settings |
| Behavior | IsEditable, MultiSelect, ShowSearchInDropdown, AutoComplete, AutoCompleteMode, AutoCompleteMinLength, MaxSuggestions, AllowFreeText, IsLoading | Interaction and functionality settings |
Examples
// At design time, use smart-tag presets:
// Smart-tag > Presets > "Configure as Searchable Picker"
// -> ComboBoxType=OutlineSearchable, ShowSearchInDropdown=true, AutoComplete=true
// At runtime, equivalent API:
var combo = new BeepComboBox();
combo.ComboBoxType = ComboBoxType.OutlineSearchable;
combo.ShowSearchInDropdown = true;
combo.AutoComplete = true;
combo.AutoCompleteMode = BeepAutoCompleteMode.Suggest;
combo.AutoCompleteMinLength = 2;
combo.MaxSuggestions = 10;
combo.PlaceholderText = "Type to search...";
combo.ShowClearButton = true;