Why does AngularJS include an empty option in select?

📝 Blog Post: Why does AngularJS include an empty option in select?

Are you working with AngularJS and wondering why you always end up with an empty option as the first child of your select element, even after trying all the configurations mentioned in the AngularJS specification? You're not alone! Many developers have faced this issue and found it quite bothersome.

Here's an example of the code snippet that generates the empty option:

<select ng-model="form.type" required="required" ng-options="option.value as option.name for option in typeOptions" class="span9 ng-pristine ng-invalid ng-invalid-required">
    <option value="?" selected="selected"></option>
    <option value="0">Feature</option>
    <option value="1">Bug</option>
    <option value="2">Enhancement</option>
</select>

Now, let's understand why this empty option is present and what you can do to get rid of it.

Why does AngularJS include an empty option?

The empty option is included by AngularJS to handle the initial state of the select element. By default, AngularJS sets the value of the ng-model (in this case, form.type) to undefined. As a result, the empty option is selected.

This behavior may seem odd if you're not using multiple selection or if you're using a library like Select2, which might not display the empty option properly.

How to remove the empty option?

To remove the empty option, you have a few options depending on your requirements and preferences:

1. Use the ng-init directive

You can use the ng-init directive to set an initial value for the ng-model. For example:

<select ng-model="form.type" ng-init="form.type = typeOptions[0]" required ng-options="option.value as option.name for option in typeOptions" class="span9 ng-pristine ng-invalid ng-invalid-required">
    <option ng-repeat="option in typeOptions" value="{{option.value}}">{{option.name}}</option>
</select>

This sets the initial value of form.type to the first option in the typeOptions array, and the empty option will no longer appear.

2. Modify the ng-options expression

Another approach is to modify the ng-options expression to exclude the empty option. For example:

<select ng-model="form.type" required ng-options="option.value as option.name for option in typeOptions.slice(1)" class="span9 ng-pristine ng-invalid ng-invalid-required">
    <option value=""></option>
</select>

In this case, we're using the slice method to remove the first element (typeOptions[0]) from the typeOptions array in the ng-options expression. We also excluded the empty option explicitly by removing its content.

3. Use a default value in the controller

If you have control over the controller code, one simple solution is to set a default value for form.type in the controller itself. For example:

$scope.form = {
    type: 'feature' // Set the default value here
};

$scope.typeOptions = [
    { name: 'Feature', value: 'feature' },
    { name: 'Bug', value: 'bug' },
    { name: 'Enhancement', value: 'enhancement' }
];

With this approach, you don't need to modify the HTML template, and the empty option will be skipped.

Wrapping it up

Getting rid of the empty option in AngularJS select elements might seem like a small issue, but it can significantly impact the user experience and the appearance of your application. By using one of the methods mentioned above, you can ensure a clean and intuitive UI.

Have you faced similar issues with AngularJS select elements? How did you solve them? Let us know in the comments below and join the conversation!

P.S.: Don't forget to share this post with your fellow AngularJS developers who might be struggling with the same issue. Together, we can make AngularJS development even more enjoyable and hassle-free! 🙌

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