Form Controls & Reactive Forms Integration

Part of the igniteui-angular-components skill hub. For app setup, providers, and import patterns — see setup.md.

Contents

• Input Group
• Combo (Multi-Select Dropdown)
• Simple Combo (Single-Select)
• Select
• Date Picker
• Date Range Picker
• Time Picker
• Calendar
• Checkbox, Radio, Switch
• Slider
• Autocomplete
• Reactive Forms Integration
• Key Rules

Overview

This reference gives high-level guidance on when to use each form control component, their key features, and common API members. For detailed documentation, call get_doc and get_api_reference from igniteui-cli with the specific component or feature you're interested in.

Input Group

import { IGX_INPUT_GROUP_DIRECTIVES } from 'igniteui-angular/input-group';
import { IgxIconComponent } from 'igniteui-angular/icon';

<igx-input-group type="border">
  <igx-prefix><igx-icon>person</igx-icon></igx-prefix>
  <label igxLabel>Username</label>
  <input igxInput name="username" type="text" [(ngModel)]="username" />
  <igx-suffix><igx-icon>clear</igx-icon></igx-suffix>
  <igx-hint>Enter your username</igx-hint>
</igx-input-group>

Types: line (default), border, box, search.

Combo (Multi-Select Dropdown)

import { IgxComboComponent } from 'igniteui-angular/combo';

<igx-combo
  [data]="cities"
  [valueKey]="'id'"
  [displayKey]="'name'"
  [groupKey]="'region'"
  placeholder="Select cities"
  [allowCustomValues]="false"
  [(ngModel)]="selectedCityIds">
</igx-combo>

Key inputs: [data], [valueKey], [displayKey], [groupKey], [placeholder], [allowCustomValues], [filterFunction], [itemsMaxHeight], [type].

Events: (opening), (opened), (closing), (closed), (selectionChanging), (addition), (searchInputUpdate).

Simple Combo (Single-Select)

import { IgxSimpleComboComponent } from 'igniteui-angular/simple-combo';

<igx-simple-combo
  [data]="countries"
  [valueKey]="'code'"
  [displayKey]="'name'"
  placeholder="Select country"
  [(ngModel)]="selectedCountry">
</igx-simple-combo>

Same API as igx-combo but restricted to single selection.

Select

import { IgxSelectComponent, IgxSelectItemComponent } from 'igniteui-angular/select';

<igx-select [(ngModel)]="selectedRole" placeholder="Choose role">
  @for (role of roles; track role.id) {
    <igx-select-item [value]="role.id">{{ role.name }}</igx-select-item>
  }
</igx-select>

Date Picker

import { IgxDatePickerComponent } from 'igniteui-angular/date-picker';

<igx-date-picker
  [(ngModel)]="selectedDate"
  [minValue]="minDate"
  [maxValue]="maxDate"
  [hideOutsideDays]="true"
  [displayMonthsCount]="2">
</igx-date-picker>

Implements ControlValueAccessor and Validator. Works with both reactive and template-driven forms.

Date Range Picker

import { IgxDateRangePickerComponent, IgxDateRangeStartComponent, IgxDateRangeEndComponent } from 'igniteui-angular/date-picker';
import { IgxDateTimeEditorDirective } from 'igniteui-angular/directives';
import { IGX_INPUT_GROUP_DIRECTIVES } from 'igniteui-angular/input-group';
import { IgxIconComponent } from 'igniteui-angular/icon';
import { IgxPickerToggleComponent, IgxPickerClearComponent } from 'igniteui-angular/core';

<igx-date-range-picker [(ngModel)]="dateRange">
  <igx-date-range-start>
    <input igxInput igxDateTimeEditor type="text" />
  </igx-date-range-start>
  <igx-date-range-end>
    <input igxInput igxDateTimeEditor type="text" />
  </igx-date-range-end>
</igx-date-range-picker>

IgxDateRangePickerComponent is imported from igniteui-angular/date-picker.

In the two-input configuration:

• place the input directly inside igx-date-range-start and igx-date-range-end
• use igx-picker-toggle igxPrefix for the calendar action
• use igx-picker-clear igxSuffix for the clear action

A plain igx-prefix or igx-suffix with an igx-icon is decorative only and does not trigger picker actions. Do not wrap the inputs in an additional igx-input-group.

Avoid these patterns in two-input mode:

• <igx-prefix><igx-icon>calendar_today</igx-icon></igx-prefix>

• placing the toggle on only one input unless explicitly requested

Common two-input configuration with calendar toggles:

<igx-date-range-picker [(ngModel)]="dateRange">
  <igx-date-range-start>
    <igx-picker-toggle igxPrefix>
      <igx-icon>calendar_today</igx-icon>
    </igx-picker-toggle>
    <label igxLabel>Start Date</label>
    <input igxInput igxDateTimeEditor type="text" />
    <igx-picker-clear igxSuffix>
      <igx-icon>clear</igx-icon>
    </igx-picker-clear>
  </igx-date-range-start>

  <igx-date-range-end>
    <igx-picker-toggle igxPrefix>
      <igx-icon>calendar_today</igx-icon>
    </igx-picker-toggle>
    <label igxLabel>End Date</label>
    <input igxInput igxDateTimeEditor type="text" />
    <igx-picker-clear igxSuffix>
      <igx-icon>clear</igx-icon>
    </igx-picker-clear>
  </igx-date-range-end>
</igx-date-range-picker>

Time Picker

import { IgxTimePickerComponent } from 'igniteui-angular/time-picker';

<igx-time-picker
  [(ngModel)]="selectedTime"
  [inputFormat]="'HH:mm'">
</igx-time-picker>

Calendar

import { IgxCalendarComponent } from 'igniteui-angular/calendar';

<igx-calendar
  [(ngModel)]="selectedDate"
  [selection]="'single'"
  [hideOutsideDays]="true"
  [weekStart]="1">
</igx-calendar>

Selection modes: 'single', 'multi', 'range'.

Checkbox, Radio, Switch

import { IgxCheckboxComponent } from 'igniteui-angular/checkbox';
import { IgxRadioComponent, IgxRadioGroupDirective } from 'igniteui-angular/radio';
import { IgxSwitchComponent } from 'igniteui-angular/switch';

<igx-checkbox [(ngModel)]="rememberMe">Remember me</igx-checkbox>

<igx-radio-group>
  <igx-radio name="plan" value="basic" [(ngModel)]="plan">Basic</igx-radio>
  <igx-radio name="plan" value="pro" [(ngModel)]="plan">Pro</igx-radio>
</igx-radio-group>

<igx-switch [(ngModel)]="darkMode">Dark mode</igx-switch>

Slider

import { IgxSliderComponent, IgxSliderType } from 'igniteui-angular/slider';

public sliderType = IgxSliderType;
  public priceRange = {
      lower: 200,
      upper: 800
  };

<!-- Single value -->
<igx-slider [minValue]="0" [maxValue]="100" [(ngModel)]="volume"></igx-slider>

<!-- Range slider -->
<igx-slider
  [type]="sliderType.RANGE"
  [minValue]="0"
  [maxValue]="100"
  [lowerBound]="20"
  [upperBound]="80">
</igx-slider>

Autocomplete

import { IgxAutocompleteDirective, IgxDropDownComponent, IgxDropDownItemComponent } from 'igniteui-angular/drop-down';
import { IGX_INPUT_GROUP_DIRECTIVES } from 'igniteui-angular/input-group';

<igx-input-group type="border">
  <label igxLabel>City</label>
  <input igxInput type="text"
    [(ngModel)]="selectedCity"
    [igxAutocomplete]="citiesPanel" />
</igx-input-group>
<igx-drop-down #citiesPanel>
  @for (city of cities | startsWith:selectedCity; track city) {
    <igx-drop-down-item [value]="city">
      {{ city }}
    </igx-drop-down-item>
  }
</igx-drop-down>

The igxAutocomplete directive attaches to an input and displays a drop-down of suggestions as the user types. It references an igx-drop-down via a template variable.

Filtering is not built in — use a pipe or filter the data in the component to control which items appear.

Reactive Forms Integration

All form controls implement ControlValueAccessor and work with both reactive and template-driven forms.

import { ChangeDetectionStrategy, Component } from '@angular/core';
import { FormGroup, FormControl, Validators, ReactiveFormsModule } from '@angular/forms';
import { IgxComboComponent } from 'igniteui-angular/combo';
import { IGX_INPUT_GROUP_DIRECTIVES } from 'igniteui-angular/input-group';
import { IgxDatePickerComponent } from 'igniteui-angular/date-picker';
import { IgxSelectComponent, IgxSelectItemComponent } from 'igniteui-angular/select';

@Component({
  selector: 'app-my-form',
  imports: [
    ReactiveFormsModule,
    IGX_INPUT_GROUP_DIRECTIVES,
    IgxComboComponent,
    IgxDatePickerComponent,
    IgxSelectComponent,
    IgxSelectItemComponent
  ],
  changeDetection: ChangeDetectionStrategy.OnPush,
  template: `
    <form [formGroup]="form" (ngSubmit)="submit()">
      <igx-input-group>
        <label igxLabel>Name</label>
        <input igxInput formControlName="name" />
        @if (form.controls.name.invalid && form.controls.name.touched) {
          <igx-hint>Name is required</igx-hint>
        }
      </igx-input-group>

      <igx-combo
        [data]="skills"
        formControlName="skills"
        [valueKey]="'id'"
        [displayKey]="'name'"
        placeholder="Select skills">
      </igx-combo>

      <igx-date-picker formControlName="startDate"></igx-date-picker>

      <igx-select formControlName="role" placeholder="Choose role">
        @for (r of roles; track r.id) {
          <igx-select-item [value]="r.id">{{ r.name }}</igx-select-item>
        }
      </igx-select>
    </form>
  `
})
export class MyFormComponent {
  form = new FormGroup({
    name: new FormControl('', Validators.required),
    skills: new FormControl<number[]>([]),
    startDate: new FormControl<Date | null>(null),
    role: new FormControl<string | null>(null)
  });

  skills = [{ id: 1, name: 'Angular' }, { id: 2, name: 'TypeScript' }];
  roles = [{ id: 'admin', name: 'Admin' }, { id: 'user', name: 'User' }];

  submit() {
    if (this.form.valid) {
      console.log(this.form.value);
    }
  }
}

Key Rules

• Always check app.config.ts first — add provideAnimations() before using Combo, Select, Date Picker, or any overlay component
• Import from specific entry points — avoid the root igniteui-angular barrel
• Date/Time pickers implement both ControlValueAccessor and Validator — they integrate with reactive forms natively
• For igx-date-range-picker with separate start and end inputs, use this structure for both inputs: igx-picker-toggle igxPrefix, then input igxInput igxDateTimeEditor, then optional igx-picker-clear igxSuffix.
• Do not use a plain igx-prefix / igx-suffix icon for calendar or clear actions.
• How to choose between Combo, Simple Combo, Select, and Auto-complete:
  • Use igx-combo for multi-select dropdowns with built-in filtering and grouping
  • Use igx-simple-combo for single-select dropdowns with built-in filtering and grouping
  • Use igx-select for simple single-select dropdowns without filtering or grouping (or when you want to provide custom filtering UI)
  • Use igxAutocomplete for input fields with dynamic suggestions based on user input

See Also

• setup.md — App providers, architecture, all entry points
• layout.md — Tabs, Stepper, Accordion, Splitter, Navigation Drawer
• data-display.md — List, Tree, Card and other display components
• feedback.md — Dialog, Snackbar, Toast, Banner
• directives.md — Button, Ripple, Tooltip, Drag and Drop