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we are using drop down to show values. Some time that values could be 1000 or more so it is difficult for user to access any particular value so we need to have some filters there so user can easily select value which they want. Is there any alternative to filter data?

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    Is something like a typeahead field (one where you begin typing to get a filtered list) not applicable? getbootstrap.com/2.3.2/javascript.html#typeahead
    – Varedis
    Jul 23, 2015 at 8:01
  • No typeahead field is not applicable here.
    – Kishor Dhumal
    Jul 23, 2015 at 9:01
  • what kind of data are you talking about? Is it hierarchic? categorized? what does all, last and custom mean? what's in that dropdown? why is it under the action button? Basically, there are different approaches to what you need, but without some basic information, it's very difficult to nail an answer
    – Devin
    Jul 23, 2015 at 20:47

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@Varedis proposed a great solution. Drop downs are used mostly because they require less typing and leverage recognition over recall principle.

Their advantages are that you can quickly choose a value just by scrolling through a short list of options and you are not required to remember what the alternatives are and how to spell them right or use the right format.

Having a long list makes things harder because you have to recognize the right value from a large collection. This can be improved by providing a structure/order to the collection, or by eliminating uninteresting values (aka filtering).

So besides the enhanced typing/filtering solution already proposed, an alternative would be to add some structure to the data. This can be done by either sorting, grouping, categorizing, or a combination of them. This helps the user to search for the value in the right place, instead of scrolling through the whole collection.

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