FM BetterForms Docs
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  • Introduction
  • 🏆Features
  • Getting Started
    • Welcome to FM BetterForms!
    • System Overview
    • Quick Tour of the BetterForms IDE
    • 1. Setting Up Your Foundation
      • 1.1 Configure FileMaker Server
      • 1.2 Install BetterForms Helper File
      • 1.3 Add Your Server to BetterForms (IDE)
    • 2. Building Your First Application
      • 2.1 Create an App (Site) in the IDE
      • 2.2 Create Your First Page (Intro to Page Builder)
      • 2.3 Understanding & Managing Environments (IDE)
      • 2.4 Adding Elements to Your Page
      • 2.5 Understanding Validation
      • 2.6 Adding Actions to Your Page
      • 2.7 Creating Your First List View
      • 2.8 Understanding Page Data Flow
      • 2.9 Creating Your First Hook
      • 2.10 Working with Data Tables (Coming Soon)
    • 3. Understanding Core BetterForms Concepts
      • 3.1 Introduction to Hooks (and where to find them in the IDE)
      • 3.2 Running Your First Hook (Practical Example)
      • 3.3 Introduction to Actions & Action Scripts (IDE Context)
      • 3.4 Understanding the Data Model (and Page Data Model UI)
    • 4. Common Customizations & Expanding Your App
      • 4.1 Adding & Configuring Buttons (Page Builder)
      • 4.2 Implementing Page Navigation (Actions & Site Navigation UI)
      • 4.3 Displaying Data in Tables (Page Builder & Element Config)
      • 4.4 Basic App Styling (Site Styling UI)
    • 5. Mastering the BetterForms Environment & Advancing Your Skills
      • 5.1 Understanding & Managing Environments (In-Depth)
      • 5.2 Deep Dive: Page Configuration & Settings
        • Navigating the Page Builder Interface
        • Working with Page-Level Action Scripts
        • Configuring the Page Data Model
        • Page Integration Settings Explained
        • Managing Page Info & Other Settings
      • 5.3 Working with Global Scripts
      • 5.4 Managing App (Site) Settings & Navigation
      • 5.5 Exploring Further: What to Learn Next
    • Support & Resources
      • Getting Help
      • Learning JSON
  • Reference
    • Site Settings
      • Navigation
      • App Model
      • DOM Header Insertions
      • Global Named Actions
      • Site Structure
      • Slots / Code Injection
    • Developer Mode
    • Page Settings
      • Data Model
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        • Custom Validators
      • Misc Page Settings
    • Page Elements
      • Copy of Site Structure
      • BetterForms Elements
        • Checkbox
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        • DateTime Picker
        • Google Address Autocomplete
        • Image Display Element
        • Input
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        • Range Slider (noUiSlider)
        • Radios
        • Select
        • Advanced Select (selectEx)
        • TextArea
      • Common
        • Input
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        • HTML
      • Grouping Elements
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        • Panel
        • accordion
        • accordion2
        • listrows
      • Uploading Files
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        • dropzone to S3
        • uploadCare
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      • Misc Elements
        • Plain Text / Code Editor
        • signature
        • fullCalendar
        • rangeSlider
      • Payment Gateways
        • Authorize.net
        • PayPal
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      • Adding Custom Page Elements
    • Actions Processor
      • Named Actions (Action Scripts)
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        • runUtilityHook
        • path
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        • channelLeaveAnon
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      • Authentication Actions
    • Script Hooks
      • Globals Variables
        • $$BF_Model
        • $$BF_App
        • $$BF_State
      • Keeping Keys Private
      • Reducing Payload Size
      • API Callback Endpoint
      • Common Hooks
      • Scoped Hooks
    • Users & Authentication
      • Managing User Accounts
      • Custom Login Pages
      • OAuth
    • Advanced Configuration
      • Custom Domains
    • BF Utility Functions
      • Example Usage
        • BF.i18n()
    • BF Error Codes
    • Messaging
      • Adding users to channels
      • Removing users from channels
      • Sending messages
      • Get connected users
      • Get active channels
    • Practices for File Downloads
    • BF Streaming Proxy
    • Updating the Helper File
    • Connection Trouble Shooting Guide
    • Software Testing Overview
    • JavaScript Libraries
    • FM BetterForms - Quality Assurance
    • Rollbacks and Version Control
    • BF Server Proxy
    • Setting up Auth0
    • Create an S3 Bucket on AWS
    • ApexCharts - Getting started
    • BF Enterprise Documentation
    • BetterForms Error Pages API
    • BF Streaming API
    • LLM Query API
    • Creating a PWA
  • Usage Tips
    • Troubleshooting
      • Debugging
      • Frozen Actions Queue
      • Vue Variables
    • JavaScript Tips
      • Calling Named Actions from HTML Vue Events
      • Calculations
    • Hacking a Webpage
    • System Overview
    • Forms Processor
      • Form Types
      • HTML & VueJS
      • Styling and Design
    • Customizing and Styling
      • Custom CSS
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        • Components Editor
        • Component Best Practices
      • Page Pre-loaders
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    • Design Patterns and Best Practices
      • Working with environments
      • Handling Data
      • Saving Data
      • Data Optimization
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      • UI / UX
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      • Script Engine Optimization
    • Getting Started
    • Installation
  • Security
    • Authentication
    • Security White Paper
    • Firewalls
    • Technology Stack
  • Compatibility
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On this page
  • Common Configuration Properties
  • Example Schema Snippet
  • BetterForms Specific Notes
  • Full Property Reference

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  1. Reference
  2. Page Elements
  3. BetterForms Elements

Select

The Select element, commonly known as a dropdown list, allows users to choose a single option from a predefined list. It's a compact way to present multiple choices when only one can be selected.

In BetterForms, this is frequently used for selecting a country, state, category, status, or any other scenario where a user needs to pick one item from a moderately long list of options.

Common Configuration Properties

Below are some of the most common properties used when configuring a Select element in BetterForms:

Property
Type
Description

type

String

Must be set to "select".

label

String

A label for the dropdown list.

model

String

The key in your BetterForms data model where the value of the selected option will be stored.

values

Array

An array of strings or objects defining the options in the dropdown. If objects, they usually have name (display text) and id or value (stored value) properties. Can also be grouped if selectOptions with groups is used.

disabled

Boolean

If true, the select element will be visible but not interactive. Defaults to false.

hint

String

Additional helper text displayed with the select element.

required

Boolean

If true, the form will require an option to be selected. Defaults to false.

featured

Boolean

Can be used by themes to apply special styling.

styleClasses

String / Array

CSS class(es) to apply to the select element wrapper for custom styling.

selectOptions

Object

Advanced options for the select field, such as multiple (for multi-select, though less common with basic select), noneSelectedText, or defining groups for optgroups within the dropdown.

Example Schema Snippet

{
  "type": "select",
  "label": "Select your country:",
  "model": "userCountry",
  "values": [
    { "id": "US", "name": "United States" },
    { "id": "CA", "name": "Canada" },
    { "id": "GB", "name": "United Kingdom" },
    { "id": "AU", "name": "Australia" }
  ],
  "selectOptions": {
    "noneSelectedText": "-- Please select a country --"
  },
  "hint": "Choose your country of residence."
}

BetterForms Specific Notes

  • The model will store the id (or value) of the chosen option from the values array.

  • The values array is key. For simple lists, an array of strings can suffice. For more control over display text vs. stored value, use an array of objects (commonly with id/value and name keys).

  • For very long lists of options that might benefit from searching or type-ahead functionality, consider more advanced select components like vueMultiSelect (an optional VFG field) or custom solutions if available in BetterForms.

Full Property Reference

PreviousRadiosNextAdvanced Select (selectEx)

Last updated 25 days ago

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This element is based on a standard form generation library. For a comprehensive list of all available properties, advanced configuration options (like optgroups), and the full technical specification, please refer to the .

Select Field Documentation