Combobox auto-complete for single select missing drop down caret?

[kevinbtu]

This is specifically regarding the combobox component, when using it as a single select with auto-complete. I noticed that in this state, the combobox itself does not have a drop down caret on the right side of the component that would allow a user to click to pull down available options. However, this is present in the multi-select variation or the single-select (non auto-complete versions).

Is this deliberate?

I would imagine that for consistency, we'd want to always have the drop down caret present, whether it's auto-complete, single, or multi-select, etc. It provides an additional affordance for the user to know that they can click to see options without having to type or click into the input first. Otherwise, it just looks like an input.

Screenshots:

[TwilioPasteBot]

Disclaimer: This is a very experimental bot using OpenAI's GPT-4. The answers may not be correct, a human will review the answer and update it if necessary.

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Yes, the omission of the caret (dropdown arrow) in the autocomplete version of the combobox component is deliberate. This design decision was made because, in most cases, it is more appropriate not to have the caret in autocomplete mode. This use case, where the absence of the caret feels odd, is quite rare and, as of now, there hasn't been enough indication that this is becoming a problem for more products to reconsider this design choice.

For more details, you can refer to the Combobox documentation here: Combobox + Input - Answer

I also did a search, and I managed to find these other Discussions that might be similar or related to your question. Give them a read to see if they answer your question. If they do, head back here and update this discussion and mark it as answered, pointing others to the related discussion:

• Combobox + Input - Answer (updated: 04/14/2023, similarity score: 88%)
• Combobox Improvements (updated: 08/10/2022, similarity score: 87%)
• Combobox Improvements - Answer (updated: 08/10/2022, similarity score: 87%)

[serifluous]

Hey @kevinbtu ! Not having the chevron in the autocomplete single-select Combobox is intentional because it's the one that's used in search use cases, where it's potentially more confusing to show the chevron vs. not having it in other use cases:

Let us know if this is causing any confusion or issues in your product, though!

[kevinbtu]

Thanks for the explanation @serifluous! hmm, is there a possibility of having the drop down chevron as an option/variant for auto complete? I totally get it for search - since if you are going to search for something, you have something in mind already. But for some other instances where it may help to see options before they type, i think it can be potentially confusing for the user as they may not realize they have to click into the field to see what existing options are. The multi-select auto-complete instance has a drop down, so I think it'd also have some consistency there.

[serifluous]

Go ahead and submit a dependency request for it! https://airtable.com/appwvsQKyJHfnG5Sa/shrvMvL3BG6Zm0f9l

We've had this question come up a few times, so it's worth considering. If you can include screens or examples where it seems most confusing with the Combobox not having a chevron, please do.

[kevinbtu]

Great thank you, I'll submit the request!