Dashboard 2.0: Drop down node "placeholder"?

Dashboard
1

Upgrading from Dashboard 1 to Dashboard 2, is there a way to replicate the "placeholder" functionality in the Dropdown node in Dashboard 1? The "Placeholder" value is displayed as the default if nothing is selected.

Dashboard 1 Dropdown:

Screenshot 2025-07-08 at 7.21.29 AM
Screenshot 2025-07-08 at 7.21.29 AM1580Ă—214 14 KB

Dashboard 2 Dropdown:

Screenshot 2025-07-08 at 7.20.42 AM
Screenshot 2025-07-08 at 7.20.42 AM1228Ă—222 12.1 KB

Dashboard 2 Dropdown Node Configuration:

Screenshot 2025-07-08 at 7.19.51 AM
Screenshot 2025-07-08 at 7.19.51 AM892Ă—1150 38.1 KB

2

Have you tried sending the selection value with the options. Dropdown ui-dropdown | Node-RED Dashboard 2.0

1 Like
3

I think the options let you select a particular item in the drop down array. What the "placeholder" did was to display default that was not in the list of valid values (eg: All Devices vs a selected device).

4

So to work around the lack of placeholder add "all devices" as an option, then send the value in the payload to have it selected by default. the forward flow can detect if all is selected and filter if needed.

1 Like
5

Thanks - that was the conclusion I was coming to as well. Seems a lot more work since the options are coming from a database query :slightly_frowning_face:

6

I suggest that you submit a feature request at GitHub · Where software is built, though I don't think there is much manpower available for working on the dashboard at the moment. More volunteers required.

2 Likes
7

This was raised but closed in 2024 UI Dropdown - Placeholder · Issue #386 · FlowFuse/node-red-dashboard · GitHub

1 Like
8

Yep - will do that.

I saw the earlier thread that addressed the lack of available resources. Unfortunately, I am not a developer so can't help. Now wondering if I should shelve DB2 till DB1 is not supported any longer...:frowning:.

I may just try and get as much working as I can and then put it on "hold" until there is some more activity on DB2.

9

Thanks - I've added a comment to that issue (I cannot re-open it). I don't think the "label" functionality in DB2 is the same as "placeholder" in DB1.

10

Please raise a new FR issue and link back to this. It wont get added otherwise.

1 Like
11

The original dashboard is already unsupported, at least in the sense of no new enhancements or bugfixes.
A critical vulnerability may be discovered at any time, with no possibility of a fix.

Flowfuse dashboard is a development by a commercial company and who knows they may one day be unwilling to devote any more resources to it.
It's open source of course.

And the main (only?) alternative dashboard seems to be largely the work of one person.

Not an enviable task to decide on the most appropriate dashboard, especially if one were choosing for a commercial organisation.

12

@Steve-Mcl - @joepavitt replied to my comment on GitHub. I'm going to try working with the dropdown node as it is and may be able to do what I need with some workaround. Thanks