Convert HTML Lists into Custom Dropdowns – Simple Select

Preview:

Description:

Simple Select is a lightweight custom select JavaScript library that transforms regular HTML lists into highly customizable and fully accessible dropdowns.

Features

• No external dependencies. Just vanilla JS and CSS.
• Provides structure and basic behavior, but zero styling opinions. You control the look entirely.
• Uses straightforward CSS classes (simple-select-trigger, simple-select-dropdown, simple-select-option) for easy targeting.
• Built with proper ARIA attributes and keyboard navigation support.
• Drop it into any vanilla JS project. No build tools or specific frameworks required.

How to use it:

1. Grab the minified CSS and JS files from the package and link them in your HTML:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="simple-select.min.css" />
<script src="simple-select.min.js"></script>

2. Wrap your HTML list in a div with the class simple-select.

<div class="simple-select">
  <!-- The Trigger Button -->
  <div
    tabindex="0"
    role="combobox"
    aria-haspopup="listbox"
    aria-expanded="false" <!-- JS toggles this -->
    class="simple-select-trigger"
  >
    <span class="simple-select-selected">Select an language</span>
  </div>
  <!-- The Dropdown List -->
  <ul role="listbox" class="simple-select-dropdown">
    <li role="option" class="simple-select-option" data-value="opt1">JavaScript</li>
    <li role="option" class="simple-select-option" data-value="opt2">HTML5</li>
    <li role="option" class="simple-select-option" data-value="opt3">CSS3</li>
    <!-- Add more options as needed -->
  </ul>
</div>

3. By default, the text inside .simple-select-selected updates when you pick an option. Set data-update-label-on-select="false" on the main .simple-select div if you want to handle the label update yourself (e.g., maybe you just want an icon, or you update it via other JS logic).

<div class="simple-select" data-update-label-on-select="false">
  ...
</div>

4. Get the selected value using the ‘select’ event.

// Target your specific select
const mySelect = document.querySelector('.simple-select'); 
mySelect.addEventListener('select', function(event) {
  // event.detail.value contains the data-value of the selected option
  console.log('Selected value:', event.detail.value);
});

The value comes from the data-value attribute on the selected <li>. If you omit data-value, it falls back to the textContent of the list item. For predictable data handling, I recommend always using data-value.

5. The library itself adds minimal base styles (mostly for positioning/hiding the dropdown). You’ll want to target .simple-select-trigger, .simple-select-dropdown, and .simple-select-option to match your design.

.simple-select-trigger {
  /* your styles here */
}
.simple-select-trigger:after {
  /* your styles here */
}
.simple-select-trigger:hover {
  /* your styles here */
}
.simple-select-trigger:focus {
  /* your styles here */
}
.simple-select-dropdown {
  /* your styles here */
}
.simple-select-option {
  /* your styles here */
}
.simple-select-option:hover {
  /* your styles here */
}
.simple-select-option.simple-select-selected {
  /* your styles here */
}

6. Control whether the trigger button text updates on selection.

<div class="simple-select" data-update-label-on-select="false">
</div>

Comparison with Alternatives

• Native <select>: The browser default. Always available, requires no JS for basic use. The big downside is styling – it’s notoriously difficult and inconsistent across browsers. Simple Select wins easily if you need custom styling.
• Choices.js: A more feature-rich library. It offers searching/filtering, multiple selections, asynchronous data loading, and more. It’s excellent but also larger and more complex. If you need those advanced features, Choices.js is a strong contender. If you just need a simple, styleable dropdown, Simple Select is much lighter.
• Select2: Another popular and feature-packed library, historically dependent on jQuery but newer versions might be standalone. Similar to Choices.js, it offers many features beyond a basic dropdown. If you’re already using jQuery or need its extensive features/theming, it’s an option. For vanilla JS projects prioritizing minimal footprint, Simple Select is more direct.

Changelog:

v1.0.9 (06/11/2025)

• Allow trigger to be an input

v1.0.8 (05/20/2025)

• Change z-indexes

v1.0.7 (05/17/2025)

• Added support for data-update-label-on-select attribute to control whether the trigger button text updates on selection