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python-3.xpyqt5

Using PyQt5, How do I make a QComboBox searchable?

I am using PyQt5 to make a GUI. On it, I have a QComboBox that has a dropdown list that has over 400 items. I was wondering if there is any way in which I can type into the QComboBox to search for a matching case?

Solution

  • You could use a QCompleter for this. For an editable QComboBox a QCompleter is created automatically. This completer performs case insensitive inline completion but you can adjust that if needed, for example

    from PyQt5 import QtWidgets
from itertools import product

app = QtWidgets.QApplication([])

# wordlist for testing
wordlist = [''.join(combo) for combo in product('abc', repeat = 4)]

combo = QtWidgets.QComboBox()
combo.addItems(wordlist)

# completers only work for editable combo boxes. QComboBox.NoInsert prevents insertion of the search text
combo.setEditable(True)
combo.setInsertPolicy(QtWidgets.QComboBox.NoInsert)

# change completion mode of the default completer from InlineCompletion to PopupCompletion
combo.completer().setCompletionMode(QtWidgets.QCompleter.PopupCompletion)

combo.show()
app.exec()