react-select vs select2 vs chosen-js
JavaScript Select Libraries Comparison
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What's JavaScript Select Libraries?

JavaScript select libraries enhance the functionality and usability of standard HTML select elements, providing better user experiences through features like searchability, multi-select options, and customizable styling. These libraries are crucial for applications that require complex data selection, allowing developers to create more interactive and user-friendly forms. They often include features such as asynchronous data loading, theming, and accessibility support, making them suitable for a variety of use cases in modern web applications.

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react-select5,867,19927,932725 kB4593 months agoMIT
select2615,63925,974846 kB148-MIT
chosen-js58,68722,086-3107 years agoMIT
Feature Comparison: react-select vs select2 vs chosen-js

Customization

  • react-select:

    React-Select offers extensive customization options, including custom components for rendering options and multi-select tags. It supports theming and allows developers to style components using styled-components or other CSS-in-JS libraries, making it highly adaptable to design requirements.

  • select2:

    Select2 provides a wide range of customization options, including the ability to modify the appearance of dropdowns, search boxes, and selected items. It supports custom templates for options and allows for deep customization through CSS and JavaScript.

  • chosen-js:

    Chosen.js allows for basic customization of styles and behaviors but is limited compared to others. It provides a straightforward way to style select elements using CSS, but advanced customizations may require additional work.

Performance

  • react-select:

    React-Select is optimized for performance, especially with large datasets. It supports lazy loading and virtualization, allowing for efficient rendering of options without significant performance hits, making it suitable for applications with extensive data.

  • select2:

    Select2 is designed to handle large datasets efficiently, with features like AJAX support for remote data loading and pagination. It can manage large lists without significant performance degradation, making it a strong choice for data-heavy applications.

  • chosen-js:

    Chosen.js is lightweight and performs well for small to medium datasets. However, it may struggle with performance when handling large datasets due to its reliance on DOM manipulation for rendering options.

Accessibility

  • react-select:

    React-Select is built with accessibility in mind, providing ARIA attributes and keyboard navigation support out of the box. It is designed to be compliant with accessibility standards, making it a good choice for inclusive applications.

  • select2:

    Select2 includes accessibility features, but like Chosen.js, it may require additional work to ensure full compliance with accessibility standards. Developers should test and enhance its keyboard navigation and screen reader support.

  • chosen-js:

    Chosen.js has basic accessibility features but may not fully comply with all accessibility standards. Customization may be needed to ensure it meets specific accessibility requirements, particularly for keyboard navigation.

Integration

  • react-select:

    React-Select is specifically designed for React applications, making it easy to integrate with React's component-based architecture. It leverages React's state management and lifecycle methods, ensuring a smooth integration experience.

  • select2:

    Select2 can be integrated into various frameworks, including jQuery, Angular, and React. However, it may require additional wrappers or components to work seamlessly with modern frameworks, which could increase setup complexity.

  • chosen-js:

    Chosen.js can be easily integrated into existing projects with minimal setup. It's a jQuery plugin, so it works well in jQuery-based applications but may require additional effort in modern frameworks like React or Vue.

Community and Support

  • react-select:

    React-Select benefits from a large and active community, providing extensive documentation, examples, and third-party resources. Frequent updates and a strong ecosystem make it a reliable choice for React developers.

  • select2:

    Select2 has a well-established community and a wealth of resources available, including documentation, plugins, and examples. It is widely adopted and regularly maintained, ensuring ongoing support for developers.

  • chosen-js:

    Chosen.js has a smaller community compared to the others, which may result in less frequent updates and fewer resources for troubleshooting. However, it is still widely used and has a decent amount of documentation available.

How to Choose: react-select vs select2 vs chosen-js
  • react-select:

    Choose React-Select if you are building a React application and need a highly customizable and flexible select component. It offers rich features like async options loading, custom styling, and is designed to integrate seamlessly with React's state management.

  • select2:

    Choose Select2 if you need a robust solution that supports a wide range of features, including tagging, remote data sets, and infinite scrolling. It's suitable for applications that require complex selection capabilities and can be used with various frameworks.

  • chosen-js:

    Choose Chosen.js if you need a lightweight solution that enhances standard select elements with minimal overhead. It's ideal for projects that require basic enhancements without extensive customization or additional features.

Similar Npm Packages to react-select

react-select is a flexible and customizable dropdown component for React applications. It allows developers to create single or multi-select dropdowns with a variety of features, including search, async loading, and custom styling. With its rich API and extensive documentation, react-select is widely used for building user-friendly forms and interfaces that require selection capabilities. Its versatility makes it suitable for both simple and complex use cases, allowing for a seamless user experience.

However, there are alternatives to react-select that also provide dropdown functionality with different features and customization options:

  • react-dropdown-select is a lightweight and flexible dropdown component that offers a simple API for creating single or multi-select dropdowns. It is designed to be easy to use and integrate into existing applications. With features like search, custom rendering, and keyboard navigation, react-dropdown-select is a great choice for developers looking for a straightforward solution without the overhead of more complex libraries. Its minimalistic approach makes it suitable for projects that prioritize simplicity and performance.

  • react-selectize is another alternative that provides a customizable select component for React applications. It combines the features of a dropdown with the ability to create tags, making it ideal for scenarios where users need to select multiple items or create new entries on the fly. react-selectize offers a range of features, including custom styling, keyboard navigation, and support for async data loading. If your application requires a more dynamic and interactive selection experience, react-selectize can be a suitable option.

To see how these packages compare, check out the comparison: Comparing react-dropdown-select vs react-select vs react-selectize.

Similar Npm Packages to select2

select2 is a jQuery-based replacement for select boxes that provides a customizable and user-friendly interface for selecting options. It enhances the standard HTML select element by adding features like searching, tagging, remote data sets, infinite scrolling, and many other options. While select2 is a robust choice for enhancing select elements, there are several alternatives that cater to different needs and frameworks. Here are a few notable alternatives:

  • chosen-js is a jQuery plugin that makes long, unwieldy select boxes more user-friendly. It allows for searching and filtering of options, making it easier for users to find what they need in a large list. Chosen is particularly useful for projects that require a lightweight solution with a simple implementation. It provides a clean and elegant interface, but it may not be as feature-rich as select2 in terms of customization and advanced functionalities.

  • react-select is a flexible and customizable select input control for React applications. It offers similar features to select2, such as multi-select, async options loading, and custom styling. React-select is designed specifically for React, making it a great choice for developers looking for a seamless integration with React's component-based architecture. Its extensive API and support for custom components allow for a high degree of customization, making it suitable for complex use cases.

To see how select2 compares with chosen-js and react-select, check out the comparison: Comparing chosen-js vs react-select vs select2.

Similar Npm Packages to chosen-js

chosen-js is a JavaScript library that enhances the functionality of standard HTML select elements. It provides a user-friendly interface for selecting options, making it easier for users to navigate through long lists of choices. Chosen allows for features like searching, multi-selecting, and customizable styles, which can significantly improve the user experience in web applications. This library is particularly useful in scenarios where a simple select box would be cumbersome or inefficient.

While chosen-js is a robust option for enhancing select elements, there are several alternatives available that offer similar functionalities. Here are a few noteworthy alternatives:

  • select2 is a popular jQuery-based replacement for select boxes that provides advanced features such as searching, tagging, remote data sets, infinite scrolling, and many other options. Select2 is highly customizable and can be easily integrated into existing projects. It is particularly useful for applications that require a more sophisticated solution for handling select inputs, especially when dealing with large datasets or complex user interactions.

  • selectize is another powerful library for enhancing select elements. It combines the functionality of a textbox and a select box, allowing users to create new options on the fly. Selectize is built on jQuery and offers features like searching, tagging, and remote data fetching. It is particularly well-suited for applications that require a flexible and dynamic approach to selecting options, making it a great choice for forms that need to accommodate user-generated content.

To see how chosen-js compares with select2 and selectize, check out the comparison: Comparing chosen-js vs select2 vs selectize.

README for react-select

NPM CircleCI Coverage Status Supported by Thinkmill

React-Select

The Select control for React. Initially built for use in KeystoneJS.

See react-select.com for live demos and comprehensive docs.

React Select is funded by Thinkmill and Atlassian. It represents a whole new approach to developing powerful React.js components that just work out of the box, while being extremely customisable.

For the story behind this component, watch Jed's talk at React Conf 2019 - building React Select

Features include:

  • Flexible approach to data, with customisable functions
  • Extensible styling API with emotion
  • Component Injection API for complete control over the UI behaviour
  • Controllable state props and modular architecture
  • Long-requested features like option groups, portal support, animation, and more

Using an older version?

Installation and usage

The easiest way to use react-select is to install it from npm and build it into your app with Webpack.

yarn add react-select

Then use it in your app:

With React Component

import React from 'react';
import Select from 'react-select';

const options = [
  { value: 'chocolate', label: 'Chocolate' },
  { value: 'strawberry', label: 'Strawberry' },
  { value: 'vanilla', label: 'Vanilla' },
];

class App extends React.Component {
  state = {
    selectedOption: null,
  };
  handleChange = (selectedOption) => {
    this.setState({ selectedOption }, () =>
      console.log(`Option selected:`, this.state.selectedOption)
    );
  };
  render() {
    const { selectedOption } = this.state;

    return (
      <Select
        value={selectedOption}
        onChange={this.handleChange}
        options={options}
      />
    );
  }
}

With React Hooks

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import Select from 'react-select';

const options = [
  { value: 'chocolate', label: 'Chocolate' },
  { value: 'strawberry', label: 'Strawberry' },
  { value: 'vanilla', label: 'Vanilla' },
];

export default function App() {
  const [selectedOption, setSelectedOption] = useState(null);

  return (
    <div className="App">
      <Select
        defaultValue={selectedOption}
        onChange={setSelectedOption}
        options={options}
      />
    </div>
  );
}

Props

Common props you may want to specify include:

  • autoFocus - focus the control when it mounts
  • className - apply a className to the control
  • classNamePrefix - apply classNames to inner elements with the given prefix
  • isDisabled - disable the control
  • isMulti - allow the user to select multiple values
  • isSearchable - allow the user to search for matching options
  • name - generate an HTML input with this name, containing the current value
  • onChange - subscribe to change events
  • options - specify the options the user can select from
  • placeholder - change the text displayed when no option is selected
  • noOptionsMessage - ({ inputValue: string }) => string | null - Text to display when there are no options
  • value - control the current value

See the props documentation for complete documentation on the props react-select supports.

Controllable Props

You can control the following props by providing values for them. If you don't, react-select will manage them for you.

  • value / onChange - specify the current value of the control
  • menuIsOpen / onMenuOpen / onMenuClose - control whether the menu is open
  • inputValue / onInputChange - control the value of the search input (changing this will update the available options)

If you don't provide these props, you can set the initial value of the state they control:

  • defaultValue - set the initial value of the control
  • defaultMenuIsOpen - set the initial open value of the menu
  • defaultInputValue - set the initial value of the search input

Methods

React-select exposes two public methods:

  • focus() - focus the control programmatically
  • blur() - blur the control programmatically

Customisation

Check the docs for more information on:

TypeScript

The v5 release represents a rewrite from JavaScript to TypeScript. The types for v4 and earlier releases are available at @types. See the TypeScript guide for how to use the types starting with v5.

Thanks

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this project. It's been a wild ride.

If you like React Select, you should follow me on twitter!

Shout out to Joss Mackison, Charles Lee, Ben Conolly, Tom Walker, Nathan Bierema, Eric Bonow, Emma Hamilton, Dave Brotherstone, Brian Vaughn, and the Atlassian Design System team who along with many other contributors have made this possible ❤️

License

MIT Licensed. Copyright (c) Jed Watson 2022.

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