# Table Dropdown that I can type into **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Tags:** vision, scripting\ **Created:** [September 17, 2025, 8:00pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/table-dropdown-that-i-can-type-into/110733 "2025-09-17T20:00:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MindMusic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MindMusic](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/MindMusic)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2025, 8:00pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/table-dropdown-that-i-can-type-into/110733/1 "2025-09-17T20:00:43Z")
Hey there everyone, I’m trying to create a table cell where I can select from existing similar values in a dropdown, or type new values into it like a regular table cell or text box… the following code on my PowerTable gets me very close… ```java def configureEditor(self, colIndex, colName): if colName == 'SubProject': ProjectID = self.parent.ProjectID from javax.swing import AbstractCellEditor, JComboBox from javax.swing.table import TableCellEditor class MyCellEditor(TableCellEditor, AbstractCellEditor): def __init__ (self, tableComponent): self.table = tableComponent self.cbValues = None def getTableCellEditorComponent(self, table, value, isSelected, rowIndex, vColIndex): # Get a list of other values existing values newData = system.db.runPrepQuery("SELECT DISTINCT C.[SubProject] FROM OMS.[Categories] AS C INNER JOIN CRM.[Milestones] AS M ON M.[ID] = C.[MilestoneID] WHERE M.[ProjectID] = ? ORDER BY C.[SubProject]", [ProjectID]) newList = [] for row in newData: newList.append(row[colName]) # Build the Combo box with the values from above self.cbValues = JComboBox(newList) # Make the combo box editable self.cbValues.setEditable(1) # Ensure that the existing value is selected. self.cbValues.setSelectedItem(value) return self.cbValues def getCellEditorValue(self): return self.cbValues.getSelectedItem() return {'editor': MyCellEditor(self)} ``` The only drawback is that after I type a new value into it and press enter, it doesn’t stop editing and lose focus… I have to know to click on something else on the screen in order for the value I entered to “stick” by calling the powertable’s onCellEdited event. Does anyone know how to make the typed editing behave more like a regular text box, where pressing enter commits the edit? Thanks in advance! Frank. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![robertm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea5d25/32.png) [@robertm](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/robertm)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2025, 8:52pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/table-dropdown-that-i-can-type-into/110733/2 "2025-09-17T20:52:06Z")
I did this with a standard drop down list and a data entry box with an indirect binding to the index of dropdown ---
**Author:** ![MindMusic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MindMusic](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/MindMusic)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2025, 12:17pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/table-dropdown-that-i-can-type-into/110733/3 "2025-09-18T12:17:32Z")
Yeah, I would do that too if it were a single dropdown box…except I need this in a table. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![robertm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea5d25/32.png) [@robertm](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/robertm)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2025, 12:33pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/table-dropdown-that-i-can-type-into/110733/4 "2025-09-18T12:33:45Z")
Ah, sorry, I misunderstood the need. Just one column of the table? ---
**Author:** ![amarks](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/amarks/32/45610_2.png) [@amarks](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/amarks)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2025, 4:10pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/table-dropdown-that-i-can-type-into/110733/5 "2025-09-18T16:10:17Z")
Almost always, if a dataset/table needs to be interacted with I just end up making a template that is a single row and then use a template repeater to fill in the row’s parameter. You could easily use a dropdown component in the “row template.” ---
**Author:** ![lrose](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/lrose/32/62724_2.png) [@lrose](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/lrose)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2025, 5:34pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/table-dropdown-that-i-can-type-into/110733/6 "2025-09-18T17:34:01Z")
You are very close. You need to make your class be an action listener, so that you can react to the combo box's action. Specifically, when you press the enter key, then the action command will be comboBoxEdited. So if you look for that, then you can stop the editing when the enter key is pressed. ```python def configureEditor(self, colIndex, colName): if colName == 'SubProject': ProjectID = self.parent.ProjectID from javax.swing import AbstractCellEditor, JComboBox from javax.swing.table import TableCellEditor from java.awt.event import ActionListener class MyCellEditor(TableCellEditor, AbstractCellEditor, ActionListener): def __init__ (self, tableComponent): self.table = tableComponent self.cbValues = None def getTableCellEditorComponent(self, table, value, isSelected, rowIndex, vColIndex): # Get a list of other values existing values newData = system.db.runPrepQuery("SELECT DISTINCT C.[SubProject] FROM OMS.[Categories] AS C INNER JOIN CRM.[Milestones] AS M ON M.[ID] = C.[MilestoneID] WHERE M.[ProjectID] = ? ORDER BY C.[SubProject]", [ProjectID]) newList = [] for row in newData: newList.append(row[colName]) # Build the Combo box with the values from above self.cbValues = JComboBox(newList) # Register this class as an action listener on the combo box self.cbValues.addActionListener(self) # Make the combo box editable self.cbValues.setEditable(1) # Ensure that the existing value is selected. self.cbValues.setSelectedItem(value) return self.cbValues def getCellEditorValue(self): return self.cbValues.getSelectedItem() def actionPerformed(self,actionEvent): if actionEvent.getActionCommand() == 'comboBoxEdited': self.stopCellEditing() return {'editor': MyCellEditor(self)} ``` ---
**Author:** ![MindMusic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e8c25b/32.png) [@MindMusic](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/MindMusic)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2025, 7:14pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/table-dropdown-that-i-can-type-into/110733/7 "2025-09-18T19:14:27Z")
I suspected it was something like this, but couldn’t suss out the exact syntax to use. Thanks so much! 🤎