How TO - Filter/Search List
Learn how to create a filter list with JavaScript.
Filter List
How to use JavaScript to search for items in a list.
Create A Search List
Step 1) Add HTML:
Example
<input type="text" id="myInput" onkeyup="myFunction()" placeholder="Search
for names..">
<ul id="myUL">
<li><a href="#"
class="header">A</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Adele</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Agnes</a></li>
<li><a href="#"
class="header">B</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Billy</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Bob</a></li>
<li><a href="#"
class="header">C</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Calvin</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Christina</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Cindy</a></li>
</ul>
Note: We use href="#" in this demo since we do not have a page to link it to. In real life this should be a real URL to a specific page.
Step 2) Add CSS:
Style the input element and the list:
Example
#myInput {
background-image: url('/css/searchicon.png');
/* Add a search icon to input */
background-position:
10px 12px; /* Position the search icon */
background-repeat: no-repeat; /* Do not repeat the icon image */
width: 100%; /* Full-width */
font-size: 16px; /*
Increase font-size */
padding: 12px 20px 12px 40px; /*
Add some padding */
border: 1px solid #ddd; /* Add a
grey border */
margin-bottom: 12px; /* Add some space
below the input */
}
#myUL {
/* Remove default list styling */
list-style-type:
none;
padding: 0;
margin: 0;
}
#myUL li a {
border: 1px solid #ddd; /* Add a border to all links */
margin-top: -1px; /* Prevent double borders */
background-color: #f6f6f6; /* Grey background color */
padding: 12px; /* Add some padding */
text-decoration:
none; /* Remove default text underline */
font-size:
18px; /* Increase the font-size */
color: black; /*
Add a black text color */
display: block; /* Make it
into a block element to fill the whole list */
}
#myUL li
a.header {
background-color: #e2e2e2; /* Add a darker
background color for headers */
cursor: default; /*
Change cursor style */
}
#myUL
li a:hover:not(.header) {
background-color: #eee; /*
Add a hover effect to all links, except for headers */
}
Step 3) Add JavaScript:
Example
<script>
function myFunction() {
// Declare variables
var input, filter,
ul, li, a, i;
input = document.getElementById('myInput');
filter = input.value.toUpperCase();
ul =
document.getElementById("myUL");
li =
ul.getElementsByTagName('li');
// Loop through all
list items, and hide those who don't match the search query
for (i = 0; i <
li.length; i++) {
a = li[i].getElementsByTagName("a")[0];
if (a.innerHTML.toUpperCase().indexOf(filter) > -1) {
li[i].style.display = "";
}
else {
li[i].style.display = "none";
}
}
}
</script>
Try it Yourself »
Tip: Remove toUpperCase() if you want to perform a case-sensitive search.
Tip: Also check out Filter Table.
Tip: You can also use our JavaScript library to filter elements: W3.JS.
