---
title: "JQuery Select Understanding display modes Example | Mobiscroll"
component: "Select"
framework: "jQuery"
library_version: "6.1.5"
url: "https://demo.mobiscroll.com/jquery/select/mobile-desktop-display"
---

# Understanding display modes - jQuery Select demo

JQuery select/dropdown for mobile and desktop with top, bottom, popup, center, modal, anchored positioning. For jQuery or jQuery Mobile.

- [Live demo](https://demo.mobiscroll.com/jquery/select/mobile-desktop-display)
- [View code on GitHub](https://github.com/acidb/mobiscroll-demos-jquery/tree/main/src/demos/pickers/select/mobile-desktop-display)
- This demo in other frameworks: [JavaScript](https://demo.mobiscroll.com/javascript/select/mobile-desktop-display.md), [Angular](https://demo.mobiscroll.com/angular/select/mobile-desktop-display.md), [React](https://demo.mobiscroll.com/react/select/mobile-desktop-display.md), [Vue](https://demo.mobiscroll.com/vue/select/mobile-desktop-display.md)

## Description

The select/combobox has five built-in display modes that can be controlled through the [`display` option](https://mobiscroll.com/docs/jquery/select/api#opt-display):

- `top` - modal that slides down from the top
- `bottom` - modal that slides up from the bottom
- `center` - modal that shows up in the middle with a pop animation
- `anchored` - modal that shows up anchored to an input or any dom element
- `inline` - embeddable picker that is rendered into the markup without its own modal

Use the [`touchUi` option](https://mobiscroll.com/docs/jquery/select/api#opt-touchUi) to switch between touch optimized mobile rendering and pointer optimized desktop rendering. It can be dynamically switched with the help of the `responsive` option.

The defaults change on a theme to theme basis. The `ios` theme comes with `bottom` on mobile and `anchored` on desktop while the `material` and `windows` themes have `center` on mobile and `anchored` on desktop.

**Want to see how to set up responsiveness?** [Check out the previous example →](https://demo.mobiscroll.com/jquery/select/responsive)

## What this demo shows

- Five select pickers demonstrate single-value selection across the supported display modes.
- **Inline select** Embeds the picker directly in the page without an input or modal.
- **Anchored picker** Opens from an input and positions the picker next to that input or another DOM element.
- **Top picker** Opens in a modal that slides down from the top.
- **Bottom picker** Opens in a modal that slides up from the bottom.
- **Center picker** Opens in the middle of the viewport with a pop animation.
- **Modal behavior** Focusing or clicking an input opens its picker, while clicking outside the picker closes it.
- **Picker content** Input-based examples show a predefined list of options in a popup, while inline mode displays the options directly on the page.
- **Hover state** Hovering over an option highlights it in the picker.
- **Selection** Selecting an option marks it with a checkmark to indicate the current value.
- **Footer actions** The gray `Cancel` button discards changes, while the blue `Set` button confirms the selection.
- **Input value** Confirming a selection updates the associated input with the selected value.

## Best for

- **Inline forms** Keep a short list of options visible when selection is a central part of the page and does not need a popup.
- **Desktop forms** Use the anchored display to keep the option list close to its input or another triggering element.
- **Mobile forms** Use the top or bottom display for touch-oriented selection in a modal that enters from a screen edge.
- **Focused selection** Use the center display when choosing a value should appear as a distinct modal task in the middle of the viewport.
- **Responsive interfaces** Switch between touch-optimized mobile rendering and pointer-optimized desktop rendering for the same select control.

## Tutorial

```js
{
    display: 'inline',
    touchUi: false
}
```

```js
{
    display: 'anchored',
    touchUi: false
}
```

```js
{
    display: 'top',
    touchUi: false
}
```

```js
{
    display: 'bottom',
    touchUi: false
}
```

```js
{
    display: 'center',
    touchUi: false
}
```

## API used in this demo

- [`theme`](https://mobiscroll.com/docs/jquery/select/api#opt-theme) - option
- [`themeVariant`](https://mobiscroll.com/docs/jquery/select/api#opt-themeVariant) - option
- [`display`](https://mobiscroll.com/docs/jquery/select/api#opt-display) - option
- [`inputElement`](https://mobiscroll.com/docs/jquery/select/api#opt-inputElement) - option

## Code

### JS

```js
mobiscroll.setOptions({
  theme: 'ios',
  themeVariant: 'light'
});

$(function () {
  $('#demo-inline').mobiscroll().select({
    display: 'inline',
  });

  $('#demo-anchored')
    .mobiscroll()
    .select({
      inputElement: document.getElementById('demo-anchored-input'),
      display: 'anchored',
    });

  $('#demo-top')
    .mobiscroll()
    .select({
      inputElement: document.getElementById('demo-top-input'),
      display: 'top',
    });

  $('#demo-bottom')
    .mobiscroll()
    .select({
      inputElement: document.getElementById('demo-bottom-input'),
      display: 'bottom',
    });

  $('#demo-center')
    .mobiscroll()
    .select({
      inputElement: document.getElementById('demo-center-input'),
      display: 'center',
    });
});
```

### HTML

```html
<select id="demo-inline">
    <option value="atl">Atlanta</option>
    <option value="ber">Berlin</option>
    <option value="chi">Chicago</option>
    <option value="lon">London</option>
</select>

<label>
   Anchored
    <input mbsc-input id="demo-anchored-input" data-input-style="outline" data-label-style="stacked" placeholder="Please select..." />
</label>
<select id="demo-anchored">
    <option value="atl">Atlanta</option>
    <option value="ber">Berlin</option>
    <option value="chi">Chicago</option>
    <option value="lon">London</option>
</select>

<label>
    Top
    <input mbsc-input id="demo-top-input" data-input-style="outline" data-label-style="stacked" placeholder="Please select..." />
</label>
<select id="demo-top">
    <option value="atl">Atlanta</option>
    <option value="ber">Berlin</option>
    <option value="chi">Chicago</option>
    <option value="lon">London</option>
</select>

<label>
    Bottom
    <input mbsc-input id="demo-bottom-input" data-input-style="outline" data-label-style="stacked" placeholder="Please select..." />
</label>
<select id="demo-bottom">
    <option value="atl">Atlanta</option>
    <option value="ber">Berlin</option>
    <option value="chi">Chicago</option>
    <option value="lon">London</option>
</select>

<label>
    Center
    <input mbsc-input id="demo-center-input" data-input-style="outline" data-label-style="stacked" placeholder="Please select..." />
</label>
<select id="demo-center">
    <option value="atl">Atlanta</option>
    <option value="ber">Berlin</option>
    <option value="chi">Chicago</option>
    <option value="lon">London</option>
</select>
```

## Implementation notes

- `display` accepts five values on the `Select`/select instance: `'top'` (modal sliding down from the top), `'bottom'` (modal sliding up from the bottom), `'center'` (centered modal with a pop animation), `'anchored'` (positioned relative to the bound input/element), and `'inline'` (rendered directly into the page markup with no modal).
- `touchUi` (boolean) switches between touch-optimized rendering (`true`) and pointer-optimized desktop rendering (`false`), independent of `display`; it is commonly paired with the `responsive` option to change per breakpoint.
- Defaults for `display`/`touchUi` are theme-dependent: the `ios` theme defaults to `bottom` on mobile and `anchored` on desktop, while `material` and `windows` default to `center` on mobile and `anchored` on desktop.
- Each non-inline instance is bound to a plain input via `inputElement` (JS/jQuery) so the input stays independent markup from the picker; the `inline` instance has no input and no `inputElement`.
- Framework binding differs only in how `display` is passed: React sets it as a `display` prop on `<Select>` (e.g. `display="anchored"`); Vue sets it as a `display` attribute on `<MbscSelect>`; Angular sets it as a static `display` attribute on `<mbsc-select>` (not a `[display]` binding, since it does not change at runtime in this demo) alongside a `[touchUi]` property binding; JS/jQuery pass `{ display: 'anchored', touchUi: ... }` into `mobiscroll.select(el, {...})` / `$(el).mobiscroll().select({...})`.
- `touchUi` itself is always a bound/dynamic value across frameworks (`touchUi={...}` in React, `:touchUi="..."` in Vue, `[touchUi]="..."` in Angular, `touchUi: ...` in JS/jQuery) because the demo toggles it live to compare mobile vs. desktop rendering per display mode.

## Run it in your project

1. If not signed up yet, or don't own a license, you can [start a free trial](https://mobiscroll.com/starttrial).

2. Clone the repository:

   ```
   git clone https://github.com/acidb/mobiscroll-demos-jquery.git
   ```

3. If not installed yet, install the Mobiscroll CLI from NPM:

   ```
   npm install -g @mobiscroll/cli
   ```

4. Config Mobiscroll - open a terminal window in the root directory and run:

   ```
   mobiscroll config jquery
   ```

5. Install dependencies - open a terminal window in the root directory and run:

   ```
   npm install
   ```

6. Run the project:

   ```
   npm run dev
   ```

On a trial, add `--trial` to the config command: `mobiscroll config jquery --trial`.

Running a demo locally requires a Mobiscroll trial or a license; setup is per framework at https://mobiscroll.com/docs/jquery/getting-started/installation

## Related demos

- Previous: [Responsive behavior](https://demo.mobiscroll.com/jquery/select/responsive.md) - Responsive setup of the JQuery select. Change the rendering and positioning dynamically, based on screen size.
- Next: [Populating the picker](https://demo.mobiscroll.com/jquery/select/data-sources.md) - JQuery select component with different ways of loading the data: native html select, data objects and remote json.