Implementing search auto-suggest and auto-complete in Apache Wicket

25 Sep 2023

Apache Wicket is a powerful Java web framework that allows developers to create rich and dynamic web applications. One common feature in many web applications is a search bar with auto-suggestion and auto-complete capability. In this blog post, we will explore how to implement search auto-suggest and auto-complete functionality in Apache Wicket.

Setting up the project

Before we can start implementing the search auto-suggest and auto-complete functionality, we need to set up a basic Apache Wicket project. You can create a new Apache Wicket project using your preferred IDE or Maven. Once the project is set up, we can proceed with the implementation.

Implementing search auto-suggest

To implement search auto-suggest, we need to leverage the JavaScript and Ajax capabilities of Apache Wicket. Here’s how you can do it:

Create an input field for the search bar using the TextField component in Wicket. Add an AjaxFormComponentUpdatingBehavior to the input field to handle the auto-suggest functionality.

TextField<String> searchField = new TextField<>("searchField", Model.of(""));
searchField.add(new AjaxFormComponentUpdatingBehavior("input") {
    @Override
    protected void onUpdate(AjaxRequestTarget target) {
        String searchTerm = searchField.getModelObject();
        // Add logic to fetch and display search suggestions
    }
});
add(searchField);

In the onUpdate method of the AjaxFormComponentUpdatingBehavior, you can fetch the search suggestions based on the entered search term. This can be done by making an AJAX call to your server-side code or using a JavaScript library like jQuery to fetch the suggestions from an API.
Once you have the search suggestions, you can use JavaScript to display them in a drop-down list below the search input field. You can achieve this by manipulating the DOM using JavaScript or by using a JavaScript library like jQuery.

Implementing search auto-complete

The process to implement search auto-complete is quite similar to search auto-suggest. Here’s how you can implement it in Apache Wicket:

Create an input field for the search bar using the TextField component.

TextField<String> searchField = new TextField<>("searchField", Model.of(""));
add(searchField);

Add an AutoCompleteTextField to the search input field and customize it as per your requirements. You can provide a completion list, minimum characters to trigger completion, and behavior for rendering and selecting the completed value.
```
AutoCompleteTextField<String> autoCompleteTextField = new AutoCompleteTextField<>("searchField", Model.of("")) {
    @Override
    protected java.util.Iterator<String> getChoices(String input) {
        // Add logic to fetch and return search suggestions based on input
    }
};
add(autoCompleteTextField);
```
Note that you need to override the getChoices method to fetch and return the search suggestions based on the input.

Customize the rendering of the auto-complete list items by overriding the onSelect method of the AutoCompleteTextField. This method will be called when the user selects a suggestion from the auto-complete list.

autoCompleteTextField = new AutoCompleteTextField<>("searchField", Model.of("")) {
    // ...

    @Override
    protected void onSelect(AjaxRequestTarget target, String selectedValue) {
        // Add logic to handle the selection of the auto-complete value
    }
};

Conclusion

Implementing search auto-suggest and auto-complete functionality in Apache Wicket is straightforward, thanks to its powerful Ajax capabilities. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can enhance the user experience of your web application by providing helpful suggestions and completing search queries effortlessly. So go ahead and give it a try in your next Apache Wicket project!

#ApacheWicket #SearchAutoComplete