Consistency of single-select and multi-select dropdown menus

[Richard_Sather]

I’ve been quiet too long about this… that’s it, I’ve cracked!

Call me a nerd and a consistency freak but is there a reason why the dropdown sizes of a single-select and multi-select fields are different? It would warm my heart to see these equally visually presented, both in length and width.

Single-select field options show 9 visible options within a scrollable container:

Multi-select field options show about 4 and half visible options in a shorter and much wider scrollable container:

Cc @lpb @Jan-Rienk

[Jan-Rienk]

Also, why not include a radio button for single select where a checkbox is for multi-select?

I believe that is the standard.

[Phil_Seeman]

Glad you brought it up, @Richard_Sather!

The width difference makes total sense to me; the multi-select needs a wider control as it needs to be able to display multiple selections within it, unlike the single-select.

The height difference makes no sense! The multi-select should be the same longer height as the single-select, for sure.

@Jan-Rienk

why not include a radio button for single select

Actually that wouldn’t be standard; a dropdown list and a list of items with radio buttons are two distinct and mutually-exclusive ways to implement a selection of a single item from a set of items.

[Richard_Sather]

Well, I would challenge the ‘width’ because we still have the same space on the left which is either for the in the single-select or the in the multi-select, right? So why the extra width on the right of the multi-select

[Phil_Seeman]

@Richard_Sather

why the extra width on the right of the multi-select

I didn’t follow your point about the left-hand side - I’m not following why that’s relevant - but the reason the multi-select should be wider is if it were the same width as the single-select then this:

would instead look something like this, offering much less room to conveniently view and manage one’s choices:

[Richard_Sather]

Yup, I see your point now!

@Phil_Seeman

The width difference makes total sense to me; the multi-select needs a wider control as it needs to be able to display multiple selections within it, unlike the single-select.

I misinterpreted that you were referring to the space on the left (that multi-select needs more over single-select, for some reason)

[lpb]

I concur with all of @Phil_Seeman’s points. Not all of @Richard_Sather’s architecture background necessarily applies here!!

[Richard_Sather]