How to Effectively Remove Selected Class from Previous Options in JavaScript Dropdowns

Learn how to effectively manage class selections in JavaScript dropdowns, ensuring that only the current button gets highlighted with the selected class.
---

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: Remove selected class from previous option in dropdown javascript

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
How to Effectively Remove Selected Class from Previous Options in JavaScript Dropdowns

When developing web applications, dropdown menus often require associated buttons to reflect the current selection visually. A common challenge developers face is ensuring that when a new option is selected in the dropdown, the previously selected button loses its highlighted state. In this guide, we will explore how to achieve this functionality using vanilla JavaScript.

The Problem

Imagine you have a dropdown menu populated with several options and a series of buttons mirroring these options. When you select an option from the dropdown, you want to apply a selected class to the corresponding button, highlighting it visually. However, if you switch to another option, the class should be removed from the previously highlighted button.

Here's what the user described:

Requirement: When a new option is selected, the previous button must lose its selected class while the new button gains it.

Constraints: The solution must be implemented using vanilla JavaScript (i.e., no jQuery).

The Solution

To implement this functionality, you will need to track the state of your buttons based on the user's dropdown selection. Below is a simple breakdown of how to achieve this.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Select Dropdown and Buttons: Use JavaScript to select the dropdown menu and the corresponding buttons.

Add an Event Listener: Attach a change event listener to the dropdown to detect changes in selection.

Remove Previous Selection: Within the event listener, first remove the selected class from all buttons.

Apply New Selection: Check which button corresponds to the newly selected option and add the selected class to it.

Implementation

Here’s a sample code illustrating these steps:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

CSS for the Selected Class

To create a visible effect when the button is selected, here’s a simple CSS snippet:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

HTML Structure

You can use the following HTML structure to implement the dropdown and buttons:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Additional Considerations

Optional Removal of selected from the Current Button:
If you want to ensure that the selected class is only removed from the currently selected button, you might use this syntax:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This addition checks if there is an element with the selected class and removes it if it exists.

Conclusion

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can effectively manage the selected class for buttons corresponding to a dropdown menu. This will enhance your application's UI and provide a better user experience. Happy coding!