Make `DropdownMenu` TextField reactive to label changes #162062

ahmedrasar · 2025-01-23T08:26:31Z

Description

The current behavior of Flutter regarding DropdownMenu text field is very basic: DropdownMenu updates the text field once a selection has been made with its coordinating label, and nothing more.

If the selection's label changes, the text field will still show the old value, although the menu buttons have been updated.

This not only results in the need to write a lot of boilerplate code to match the label to the current selection, but it's also counterintuitive. The DropdownMenu should handle rematching by itself.

Issue #155660, touched on this, and a solution was introduced in #155757. It was later reverted due to it restricting some use cases. That issue & solution, however, only address initialSelection. If another selection was made and its corresponding label was changed, the text field would still show the old value, bringing us back to square one.

This PR should not conflict with any previous behavior of DropdownMenu: any new value provided by initialSelection or via controller would not be overwritten by rematching. However, entries with the same value will be mapped to a single label (the first matched entry's label).

Related Issues

Fixes DropdownMenu.didUpdateWidget should re-match initialSelection when dropdownMenuEntries have changed #155660.

Tests

Added 3 tests.

Pre-launch Checklist

I read the [Contributor Guide] and followed the process outlined there for submitting PRs.
I read the [Tree Hygiene] wiki page, which explains my responsibilities.
I read and followed the [Flutter Style Guide], including [Features we expect every widget to implement].
I signed the [CLA].
I listed at least one issue that this PR fixes in the description above.
I updated/added relevant documentation (doc comments with ///).
I added new tests to check the change I am making, or this PR is [test-exempt].
I followed the [breaking change policy] and added [Data Driven Fixes] where supported.
All existing and new tests are passing.

packages/flutter/lib/src/material/dropdown_menu.dart

QuncCccccc · 2025-02-12T18:48:11Z

Sorry for the late response! I will take a look at this change asap!

ahmedrasar · 2025-02-26T09:46:18Z

@QuncCccccc Is this PR still on the radar?

QuncCccccc · 2025-03-03T21:07:57Z

Yes! Will take a look this week! Really appreciate your patience!

QuncCccccc

Really appreciated your patience and thanks so much for helping add the fix. I just added my thoughts and comments below:)

packages/flutter/lib/src/material/dropdown_menu.dart

QuncCccccc · 2025-03-12T03:50:25Z

packages/flutter/test/material/dropdown_menu_test.dart

+    expect(controller.text, 'Updated label 1');
+  });
+
+  testWidgets('Do not rematch selection if its value maps to multiple entries', (


This may happen rarely because I think usually the entry values are unique? We can match the first matching value or do not rematch. I'm okay with either way:)

We could match against the first entry only, and it would be the same behavior as initialSelection.

The only downfall would be not being able to show different labels for the same value. It doesn't seem like a big deal because it's not how we normally use 'DropdownMenu` but it may break what some people expect, and some golden tests too.

Edit:

I would opt for rematching the first occurrence of a valid label but keeping the flag and specifying such behavior in its description.

ahmedrasar · 2025-03-16T23:12:50Z

Hello @QuncCccccc, I made changes based on your notes, check 'em out.

packages/flutter/lib/src/material/dropdown_menu.dart

ahmedrasar · 2025-03-28T07:17:21Z

I filed an issue with explanations, code samples, and videos. #161729 (comment).

As I said in that comment, I'm aware that the same behavior can be done with the help of a controller. However, whenever I come across this, I find it more fitting for the framework to handle it.

And besides that, this PR fixes #155660, which trying to work around it using a controller feels doubly wrong.

ahmedrasar · 2025-03-28T07:28:03Z

packages/flutter/lib/src/material/dropdown_menu.dart

@@ -554,6 +555,7 @@ class _DropdownMenuState<T> extends State<DropdownMenu<T>> {
    } else {
      _localTextEditingController = TextEditingController();
    }
+    _localTextEditingController!.addListener(() => _textFieldSelection = null);


This omits the need for _lastLocalTextingEditingValueObject—such a long name.

packages/flutter/lib/src/material/dropdown_menu.dart

chunhtai

LGTM, just one minor comment

packages/flutter/lib/src/material/dropdown_menu.dart

chunhtai

LGTM

chunhtai · 2025-06-10T20:41:39Z

looks like you need to rebase to fix the ci.yaml

…utter/flutter#162062)

Roll Flutter from 824868f5d1e6 to f79452e3f4ea (94 revisions) flutter/flutter@824868f...f79452e 2025-06-12 [email protected] Roll Skia from 38b9f9b0e496 to b41e7017658e (12 revisions) (flutter/flutter#170514) 2025-06-12 [email protected] Fix `Semantics.identifier` on TextField not working on web (flutter/flutter#170395) 2025-06-12 [email protected] Revert "[a11y] Semantics flag refactor step 2: embedder part" (flutter/flutter#170498) 2025-06-12 [email protected] Copy `packages_autoroller` to `dev/packages_autoroller/run`. (flutter/flutter#170495) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Allow the Slider to always show the value indicator. (flutter/flutter#162223) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Update master branch `CHANGELOG.md` for 3.32.3. (flutter/flutter#170492) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Add time to first frame for `Mac_arm64_ios imitation_game_swiftui` (flutter/flutter#167602) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Make `DropdownMenu` TextField reactive to label changes (flutter/flutter#162062) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Roll Dart SDK from b569246d64bc to 9f741ef8a689 (1 revision) (flutter/flutter#170473) 2025-06-11 [email protected] [impellerc] add GLES shader define. (flutter/flutter#170375) 2025-06-11 98614782+auto-submit[bot]@users.noreply.github.com Reverts "Pause UIScene migration (#170457)" (flutter/flutter#170487) 2025-06-11 98614782+auto-submit[bot]@users.noreply.github.com Reverts "Fix DropdownButtonFormField focusing when replacing FocusNode (#166645)" (flutter/flutter#170477) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Pause UIScene migration (flutter/flutter#170457) 2025-06-11 [email protected] iOS tool dylibs do not need entitlements (flutter/flutter#170448) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Adds getters for different formats of build mode name (flutter/flutter#170251) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Remove all code in `conductor/core` that is now unused (flutter/flutter#170454) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Roll Packages from 974f152 to 0b322a2 (9 revisions) (flutter/flutter#170462) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Roll Skia from b78fdc3ba26b to 38b9f9b0e496 (7 revisions) (flutter/flutter#170453) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Fix remaining iconbuttontheme overrides in listtile (flutter/flutter#169029) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Fix DropdownButtonFormField focusing when replacing FocusNode (flutter/flutter#166645) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Add CupertinoRadio widget of the week video (flutter/flutter#170027) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Docs: Update docs for suffix icon interaction behaviour (flutter/flutter#169828) 2025-06-11 [email protected] [ Widget Preview ] Don't try to load previews with compile-time errors (flutter/flutter#170262) 2025-06-11 [email protected] [canvaskit] Manually trigger `input` event in text editing tests for Safari (flutter/flutter#170022) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Tiny clean-up in triage docs (flutter/flutter#170429) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Roll pub packages (flutter/flutter#170444) 2025-06-11 [email protected] [Impeller] Avoid creating paths when rendering arcs (flutter/flutter#170398) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Fix date picker calendar tap targets (portrait mode) (flutter/flutter#169163) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Add SK_SUPPORT_UNSPANNED_APIS staging flag (flutter/flutter#170139) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Roll Dart SDK from 6290dfd1d88a to b569246d64bc (4 revisions) (flutter/flutter#170430) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Roll Skia from 910070084066 to b78fdc3ba26b (33 revisions) (flutter/flutter#170412) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Use pathops module groups (flutter/flutter#169857) 2025-06-10 [email protected] Roll pub packages (flutter/flutter#170399) 2025-06-10 [email protected] Verify old version of Python has the `lib2to3` import available (flutter/flutter#170187) 2025-06-10 [email protected] Use "flutter pub get" to resolve packages when building the docs snippets tool (flutter/flutter#170381) 2025-06-10 [email protected] [engine] Reland: ensure engines spawned from an engine using dynamic rendering selection still use the dynamic surface. (flutter/flutter#170389) 2025-06-10 [email protected] Revert "Add call to Dart_NotifyDestroyed when the flutter view is des… (flutter/flutter#170309) 2025-06-10 [email protected] fix: set versionCodeOverride when split-per-abi is specified (flutter/flutter#169816) 2025-06-10 [email protected] fix: Skip native assets build test (flaky, takes 15m+) (flutter/flutter#170383) 2025-06-10 [email protected] Marks Linux web_benchmarks_ddc to be unflaky (flutter/flutter#167631) 2025-06-10 [email protected] Marks Linux web_benchmarks_ddc_hot_reload to be unflaky (flutter/flutter#168807) 2025-06-10 98614782+auto-submit[bot]@users.noreply.github.com Reverts "[engine] ensure engines spawned from an engine using dynamic rendering selection still use the dynamic surface. (#170313)" (flutter/flutter#170377) 2025-06-10 [email protected] [a11y] Semantics flag refactor step 2: embedder part (flutter/flutter#167738) 2025-06-10 [email protected] Roll Dart SDK from c26e7ca44805 to 6290dfd1d88a (5 revisions) (flutter/flutter#170363) 2025-06-10 [email protected] Remove `pubspec.lock` files for `flutter_tools` and `widget_preview_scaffold`. (flutter/flutter#170364) 2025-06-10 [email protected] [engine] ensure engines spawned from an engine using dynamic rendering selection still use the dynamic surface. (flutter/flutter#170313) ...

Roll Flutter from 824868f5d1e6 to f79452e3f4ea (94 revisions) flutter/flutter@824868f...f79452e 2025-06-12 [email protected] Roll Skia from 38b9f9b0e496 to b41e7017658e (12 revisions) (flutter/flutter#170514) 2025-06-12 [email protected] Fix `Semantics.identifier` on TextField not working on web (flutter/flutter#170395) 2025-06-12 [email protected] Revert "[a11y] Semantics flag refactor step 2: embedder part" (flutter/flutter#170498) 2025-06-12 [email protected] Copy `packages_autoroller` to `dev/packages_autoroller/run`. (flutter/flutter#170495) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Allow the Slider to always show the value indicator. (flutter/flutter#162223) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Update master branch `CHANGELOG.md` for 3.32.3. (flutter/flutter#170492) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Add time to first frame for `Mac_arm64_ios imitation_game_swiftui` (flutter/flutter#167602) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Make `DropdownMenu` TextField reactive to label changes (flutter/flutter#162062) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Roll Dart SDK from b569246d64bc to 9f741ef8a689 (1 revision) (flutter/flutter#170473) 2025-06-11 [email protected] [impellerc] add GLES shader define. (flutter/flutter#170375) 2025-06-11 98614782+auto-submit[bot]@users.noreply.github.com Reverts "Pause UIScene migration (#170457)" (flutter/flutter#170487) 2025-06-11 98614782+auto-submit[bot]@users.noreply.github.com Reverts "Fix DropdownButtonFormField focusing when replacing FocusNode (#166645)" (flutter/flutter#170477) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Pause UIScene migration (flutter/flutter#170457) 2025-06-11 [email protected] iOS tool dylibs do not need entitlements (flutter/flutter#170448) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Adds getters for different formats of build mode name (flutter/flutter#170251) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Remove all code in `conductor/core` that is now unused (flutter/flutter#170454) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Roll Packages from 974f1522ee03 to 17c02a5 (9 revisions) (flutter/flutter#170462) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Roll Skia from b78fdc3ba26b to 38b9f9b0e496 (7 revisions) (flutter/flutter#170453) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Fix remaining iconbuttontheme overrides in listtile (flutter/flutter#169029) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Fix DropdownButtonFormField focusing when replacing FocusNode (flutter/flutter#166645) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Add CupertinoRadio widget of the week video (flutter/flutter#170027) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Docs: Update docs for suffix icon interaction behaviour (flutter/flutter#169828) 2025-06-11 [email protected] [ Widget Preview ] Don't try to load previews with compile-time errors (flutter/flutter#170262) 2025-06-11 [email protected] [canvaskit] Manually trigger `input` event in text editing tests for Safari (flutter/flutter#170022) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Tiny clean-up in triage docs (flutter/flutter#170429) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Roll pub packages (flutter/flutter#170444) 2025-06-11 [email protected] [Impeller] Avoid creating paths when rendering arcs (flutter/flutter#170398) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Fix date picker calendar tap targets (portrait mode) (flutter/flutter#169163) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Add SK_SUPPORT_UNSPANNED_APIS staging flag (flutter/flutter#170139) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Roll Dart SDK from 6290dfd1d88a to b569246d64bc (4 revisions) (flutter/flutter#170430) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Roll Skia from 910070084066 to b78fdc3ba26b (33 revisions) (flutter/flutter#170412) 2025-06-11 [email protected] Use pathops module groups (flutter/flutter#169857) 2025-06-10 [email protected] Roll pub packages (flutter/flutter#170399) 2025-06-10 [email protected] Verify old version of Python has the `lib2to3` import available (flutter/flutter#170187) 2025-06-10 [email protected] Use "flutter pub get" to resolve packages when building the docs snippets tool (flutter/flutter#170381) 2025-06-10 [email protected] [engine] Reland: ensure engines spawned from an engine using dynamic rendering selection still use the dynamic surface. (flutter/flutter#170389) 2025-06-10 [email protected] Revert "Add call to Dart_NotifyDestroyed when the flutter view is des… (flutter/flutter#170309) 2025-06-10 [email protected] fix: set versionCodeOverride when split-per-abi is specified (flutter/flutter#169816) 2025-06-10 [email protected] fix: Skip native assets build test (flaky, takes 15m+) (flutter/flutter#170383) 2025-06-10 [email protected] Marks Linux web_benchmarks_ddc to be unflaky (flutter/flutter#167631) 2025-06-10 [email protected] Marks Linux web_benchmarks_ddc_hot_reload to be unflaky (flutter/flutter#168807) 2025-06-10 98614782+auto-submit[bot]@users.noreply.github.com Reverts "[engine] ensure engines spawned from an engine using dynamic rendering selection still use the dynamic surface. (#170313)" (flutter/flutter#170377) 2025-06-10 [email protected] [a11y] Semantics flag refactor step 2: embedder part (flutter/flutter#167738) 2025-06-10 [email protected] Roll Dart SDK from c26e7ca44805 to 6290dfd1d88a (5 revisions) (flutter/flutter#170363) 2025-06-10 [email protected] Remove `pubspec.lock` files for `flutter_tools` and `widget_preview_scaffold`. (flutter/flutter#170364) 2025-06-10 [email protected] [engine] ensure engines spawned from an engine using dynamic rendering selection still use the dynamic surface. (flutter/flutter#170313) ...

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Add RawMenuAnchor animation callbacks #167806

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Make DropdownMenu TextField reactive to label changes #162062

Make DropdownMenu TextField reactive to label changes #162062

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Description

Related Issues

Tests

Pre-launch Checklist

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Make `DropdownMenu` TextField reactive to label changes #162062

Make `DropdownMenu` TextField reactive to label changes #162062

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