Getting Started with UWP ComboBox (SfComboBox)

14 May 20257 minutes to read

The SfComboBox control allows the user to select an item from a list of suggestions.

Overview of the control

Adding SfComboBox control

Create a Universal Windows Platform project in Visual Studio and refer to the following assemblies.

  • Syncfusion.SfInput.UWP

  • Syncfusion.SfShared.UWP

1.Include the namespace for Syncfusion.SfInput.UWP assembly in MainPage.xaml

<Page xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"

xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"

xmlns:input="using:Syncfusion.UI.Xaml.Controls.Input">

2.Now add the SfComboBox control with a required optimal name using the included namespace

<input:SfComboBox x:Name="combobox">
SfComboBox combobox = new SfComboBox();
Dim combobox As New SfComboBox()

Populating Items

Items Source

SfComboBoxItems can be populated with the business object collection. The below example is illustrated to create a SfComboBox that display a list of products.

1.Create the Product model as follows.

public class ProductList
{
    public string Name { get; set; } 
}
Public Class ProductList

    Public Property Name() As String

End Class

2.Create a ViewModel class with Products property and Products property is initialized with several data objects in constructor.

public class ViewModel
{
    private List<ProductList> _products;

    public List<ProductList> Products
    {
        get { return _products; }
        set { _products = value; }
    }

    public ViewModel()
    {
        _products = new List<ProductList>();

        _products.Add(new ProductList() { Name = "Tools" });

        _products.Add(new ProductList() { Name = "Grid" });

        _products.Add(new ProductList() { Name = "Chart" });

        _products.Add(new ProductList() { Name = "Gauge" });

        _products.Add(new ProductList() { Name = "Olap" });

        _products.Add(new ProductList() { Name = "Pivot" });

        _products.Add(new ProductList() { Name "SpreadSheet" });
    }
}
Public Class ViewModel
    Private _products As List(Of ProductList)

    Public Property Products As List(Of ProductList)
        Get
            Return _products
        End Get
        Set(value As List(Of ProductList))
            _products = value
        End Set
    End Property

    Public Sub New()
        _products = New List(Of ProductList)()

        _products.Add(New ProductList() With {.Name = "Tools"})
        _products.Add(New ProductList() With {.Name = "Grid"})
        _products.Add(New ProductList() With {.Name = "Chart"})
        _products.Add(New ProductList() With {.Name = "Gauge"})
        _products.Add(New ProductList() With {.Name = "Olap"})
        _products.Add(New ProductList() With {.Name = "Pivot"})
        _products.Add(New ProductList() With {.Name = "SpreadSheet"})
    End Sub
End Class

Binding to Data

Bind the Products collection to the ItemsSource property of the SfComboBox.

<Page x:Class="GettingStarted.MainPage"
      xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
      xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
      xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
      xmlns:local="using:GettingStarted"
      xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
      xmlns:editors="using:Syncfusion.UI.Xaml.Controls.Input"
      mc:Ignorable="d">
    <Page.DataContext>
        <local:ViewModel />
    </Page.DataContext>
    <Grid>
        <editors:SfComboBox x:Name="comboBox"
                               ItemsSource="{Binding Products}" />
    </Grid>
</Page>

In another way, set the SfComboBox.ItemsSource property in C# as follows,

ViewModel viewModel = new ViewModel();
comboBox.ItemsSource = viewModel.Products;

The above steps populate the SfComboBox as illustrated in the following screenshot.

Showing itemsource property of UWP sfcombobox

DisplayMemberPath

The DisplayMemberPath property of the SfComboBox is used to define the model’s property that is to be displayed inside the header of the tab items.

  • HTML
    • < editors:SfComboBox

DisplayMemberPath="Name" ItemsSource="{Binding Products}" />

    This populates the SfComboBox as illustrated in the following screenshot.

    Showing product name of the UWP sfcombobox

    Item Template

    The ItemTemplate property of the SfComboBox can be used to customize the content part of the SfComboBoxItems.

  • HTML
    • <editors:SfComboBox ItemsSource="{Binding Products}">          
    <editors:SfComboBox.ItemTemplate>
        <DataTemplate>
            <Grid>
                <StackPanel>
                    <TextBlock Text="{Binding Name}" FontSize="17"/>
                    <TextBlock Text="{Binding Email}" FontSize="10" Opacity="0.5"/>
                </StackPanel>
            </Grid>
        </DataTemplate>
    </editors:SfComboBox.ItemTemplate>
</editors:SfComboBox>

    This populates the SfComboBox as illustrated in the following screenshot.

    Showing employee name of the UWP sfcombobox