# RadDropDownList Object

The following table lists the methods of the client-side **RadDropDownList** object:

| **Name**                              | **Parameters**                             | **Return Type**                            | **Description**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **get_items**                         | none                                       | Telerik.Web.UI.DropDownListItemCollection  | Gets a collection with all items.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| **getItem**                           | Number                                     | Telerik.Web.UI.DropDownListItem            | Gets the item from the Items collection residing at the index specified by the parameter. See **Example 1**.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| **findItemByText**                    | String                                     | Telerik.Web.UI.DropDownListItem            | Gets the first item with the given text. See **Example 1**.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| **findItemByValue**                   | String                                     | Telerik.Web.UI.DropDownListItem            | Gets the first item with the given value. See **Example 1**.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| **get_selectedItem**                  | none                                       | Telerik.Web.UI.DropDownListItem            | Gets the selected item. See **Example 3**.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| **repaint**                           | none                                       | none                                       | Refreshes the RadDropDownList UI.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| **set_enabled**                       | Boolean                                    | none                                       | Enables RadDropDownList.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| **get_childListElement**              | none                                       | HTMLElement                                | Gets the UL element of the RadDropDownList.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| **get_dropDownElement**               | none                                       | HTMLElement                                | Gets the root DOM element of the RadDropDownList.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| **get_textElement**                   | none                                       | HTMLElement                                | Gets the DOM element of the RadDropDownList where the text of the currently selected item is shown.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| **openDropDown**                      | none                                       | none                                       | Opens the DropDown.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| **closeDropDown**                     | none                                       | none                                       | Closes the DropDown.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| **toggleDropDown**                    | none                                       | none                                       | Toggles the DropDown state between opened and closed.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| **get_clientTemplate**                | none                                       | String                                     | Returns the value of the RadDropDownList's ClientItemTemplate property.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| **set_clientTemplate**                | String                                     | none                                       | Sets the value of the RadDropDownList's ClientItemTemplate property.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| **get_emptySelectionMessage**         | none                                       | String                                     | Returns the value of the RadDropDownList's EmptySelectionMessage property.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| **set_emptySelectionMessage**         | String                                     | none                                       | Sets the value of the RadDropDownList's EmptySelectionMessage property.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| **trackChanges**                      | none                                       | none                                       | Starts tracking changes made to **RadDropDownList** that will be preserved over postbacks. See **Example 4**.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| **commitChanges**                     | none                                       | none                                       | Writes the changes to **RadDropDownList** that were made since a previous call to **trackChanges**, so that they are preserved over postbacks. Client-side changes are available on the server after postback. You can use the [ClientChanges](https://www.telerik.com/products/aspnet-ajax/documentation/controls/dropdownlist/client-side-programming/accessing-client-changes-at-the-server) property to access them. See **Example 4**. |
| **saveClientState**                   | none                                       | none                                       | Saves the client state to the client state hidden field.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| **get_webServiceSettings**            | none                                       | Telerik.Web.UI.WebServiceSettings          | Gets the Web service settings of the **RadDropDownList**.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| **set_webServiceSettings**            | Telerik.Web.UI.WebServiceSettings          | none                                       | Sets the Web service settings of the **RadDropDownList**.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| **get_expandAnimation**               | none                                       | Telerik.Web.UI.AnimationSettings           | Gets the expand animation settings of the **RadDropDownList**.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| **set_expandAnimation**               | Telerik.Web.UI.AnimationSettings           | none                                       | Sets the expand animation settings of the **RadDropDownList**.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| **get_collapseAnimation**             | none                                       | Telerik.Web.UI.AnimationSettings           | Gets the collapse animation settings of the **RadDropDownList**.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| **set_collapseAnimation**             | Telerik.Web.UI.AnimationSettings           | none                                       | Gets the collapse animation settings of the **RadDropDownList**.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| **get_enableScreenBoundaryDetection** | none                                       | Boolean                                    | Gets the value of the EnableScreenBoundaryDetection property of the **RadDropDownList**.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| **set_enableScreenBoundaryDetection** | Boolean                                    | none                                       | Sets the value of the EnableScreenBoundaryDetection property of the **RadDropDownList**.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| **get_enableDirectionDetection**      | none                                       | Boolean                                    | Gets the value of the EnableDirectionDetection property of the **RadDropDownList**.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| **set_enableDirectionDetection**      | Boolean                                    | none                                       | Sets the value of the EnableDirectionDetection property of the **RadDropDownList**.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| **get_expandDirection**               | none                                       | Telerik.Web.UI.DropDownListExpandDirection | Gets the expand direction of the dropdown. DropDownListExpandDirection.Up = 0; DropDownListExpandDirection.Down = 1.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| **set_expandDirection**               | Telerik.Web.UI.DropDownListExpandDirection | none                                       | Sets the expand direction of the dropdown. DropDownListExpandDirection.Up = 0; DropDownListExpandDirection.Down = 1.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| **get_rippleZonesConfiguration**      | none                                       | Array                                      | Returns an array with two objects with "element" and "rippleConfigurations" properties. The first object has the configuration of the DropDownList element and the second object - for the dropdown element of the DropDownList.                                                                                                                                                                                                            |

> caption  Example 1: Find an item by index, text, value.

```JavaScript
var dropdownlist = $find("<%= RadDropDownList1.ClientID %>");
var itemByIndex = dropdownlist.getItem(0);
var itemByText = dropdownlist.findItemByText("Item 1");
var itemByValue = dropdownlist.findItemByValue("1");
```

> caption  Example 2: Select an item.

```JavaScript
var dropdownlist = $find("<%= RadDropDownList1.ClientID %>");
var itemByIndex = dropdownlist.getItem(0);
itemByIndex.select();
```

> caption  Example 3: Clear selection.

```JavaScript
var dropdownlist = $find("<%= RadDropDownList1.ClientID %>");
var selectedItem = dropdownlist.get_selectedItem();
if(selectedItem){
    selectedItem.unselect();
}
```

> caption Example 4: Add a new item and persist it after a postback.

```JavaScript
		
function AddNewItem() {
    var dropdownlist = $find("<%= RadDropDownList1.ClientID %>");
    var dropdownlistItem = new Telerik.Web.UI.DropDownListItem();
    dropdownlistItem.set_text("item");
    dropdownlist.trackChanges();
    dropdownlist.get_items().add(dropdownlistItem);
    dropdownlistItem.select();
    dropdownlist.commitChanges();
}
	
```