Xamarincommunitytoolkit: [Spec] Auto-Suggest Box Control

[techduggu]

Summary

Create an Auto-Suggest Box Control that allows selection of items from a list with the option of entering text to filter down that list (the equivalent of a classic WPF ComboBox or the UWP AutoSuggestBox

I also noticed that few years back it was heavily requested in Xamarin.Forms too by @hartez as well as community but it hasn't picked up and now moved to inactive: https://github.com/xamarin/Xamarin.Forms/issues/1775

API Changes

The initial suggestion is to port the implementation offered by @dotMorten in X.F.
https://github.com/dotMorten/XamarinFormsControls/tree/main/AutoSuggestBox
And NuGet here: https://www.nuget.org/packages/dotMorten.Xamarin.Forms.AutoSuggestBox

The implementation is based on UWP's AutoSuggestBox. It uses native controls under the covers and works for UWP, Android and iOS.

I am creating this Spec to further receive any community feedback/questions on this otherwise @dotMorten can help to port this library as-it-is to XCT.

Intended Use Case

This is a common control required by all platforms specially while developing features like Search with auto-populated suggestions.

Visuals

[AndreiMisiukevich]

I think it would be awesome to have such control in XCT!

[AndreiMisiukevich]

But I am not sure about the name of this control. How about something like
AutoCompleteEntry ?

[dotMorten]

Just FYI my control is native and thus doesn't provide a templated list because XF still to this day does not allow us to convert things into native views unless they are entire pages

[dotMorten]

How about something like
AutoCompleteEntry ?

As mentioned above this is a port of the existing UWP control. The design and doc aligns and can be reused as is. It's a proven design and I just don't think we should fragment the xaml APIs even further but stick to same naming when we can.

[techduggu]

Yeah, AutoSuggestBox sounds good to me and it is inline with UWP too: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/design/controls-and-patterns/auto-suggest-box

[techduggu]

Just FYI my control is native and thus doesn't provide a templated list because XF still to this day does not allow us to convert things into native views unless they are entire pages

I removed the 'templated' word from the Description as it was confusing. I think we are good with Native approach because that is what was being initially proposed in X.F. too here (see at the end of the Description about the UWP, Android and iOS native approach).

[powerdude]

i'd suggestEntry as the suffix since the Xamarin Forms control is called Entry and this could be seen as an enhancement of it. Box works for UWP since its control is called TextBox i believe.

[sthewissen]

i'd suggestEntry as the suffix since the Xamarin Forms control is called Entry and this could be seen as an enhancement of it. Box works for UWP since its control is called TextBox i believe.

I'm tempted to agree with this sentiment.

[techduggu]

As the initial idea is to port @dotMorten existing library to XCT which is originally based on UWP Auto-Suggest Box control (and hence goes its name).

If we would like to change this control's name in XCT, probably we should also consider its design implementation.
At present, @dotMorten implementation is based on UWP and native controls. Hence, please share any feedback for design too which will help in the decision (whether to port the existing library or build purely forms based e.g. templated approach).

Please note, months of discussion already happened here which you may refer: https://github.com/xamarin/Xamarin.Forms/issues/1775

[jBijsterboschNL]

Hi @techduggu / @dotMorten / @jfversluis, is there still some progress going on for this awesome control? What is holding you back for starting to port the AutoSuggestBox implementation from @dotMorten over to the XCT? Could I perhaps be of any assistance to you guys?

As for naming I would go for @AndreiMisiukevich suggestion, as this is more in line with Xamarin.Forms controls naming: AutoCompleteEntry or AutoSuggestEntry. Where the last one is maybe an even better name for it.

[techduggu]

Hi @jBijsterboschNL
Thanks for showing your interest.
I talked to @dotMorten and we think it is best to create another implementation of this control for XCT as his control (like he mentioned in above thread) is a port of existing UWP control and hence goes its original name.

So, if we plan to create implementation of this control from scratch in XCT, we should start listing the specs (based on the discussion already happened here: https://github.com/xamarin/Xamarin.Forms/issues/1775). Can you help with starting the process for this or feel free to implement (if you need any help, I can help out over weekends)?