Provide way to keep search text when calling `close()`

Expected behaviour

There should be a way to keep the search text when closing the drop-down programmatically with close().

Actual behaviour

The search text is cleared on close:

close() {
  if (!this.isOpen || this._manualOpen) {
    return;
  }
  this.isOpen = false;
  this._clearSearch(); // <<<< this line
  this._onTouched();
  this.closeEvent.emit();
  this._cd.markForCheck();
}

More Info

• ng-select version: 2.3.1
• affected line: https://github.com/ng-select/ng-select/blob/86b1b1e8117e8d9875d49ec103a976f294934b8e/src/ng-select/ng-select.component.ts#L356
• reproducible in demo page: YES - https://ng-select.github.io/ng-select#/forms

---

This could be linked to issue #678. The problem seems to be that [clearSearchOnAdd] is too specific and the only way to control the search text. I can think of a few potential solutions:

• Provide an extra input like [clearSearchOnClose].
• Rename the input to [clearSearch], use it for both adding and closing (so they can both be turned off), and expose a clearSearch() method.
• Make the search text controllable from the outside, just like the open/closed state, perhaps through two-way binding of [(typeahead)]. That’d be ideal but, I assume, very complex.

[axelboc]

I’m using it as a picker with autocomplete. As soon as an option is selected and the dropdown is closed, I store the selection myself then clear the dropdown’s model. The dropdown never holds a value (well, not for long).

Once the dropdown is closed, I’d like the search to be persisted so I can pick another option. I’m able to keep the options, but the search term gets cleared.

Does it make sense?

[varnastadeus]

<ng-select
    #select
    [items]="items"
    (close)="select.filterValue = searchTerm"
    (input)="searchTerm = select.filterValue"
    [(ngModel)]="selected">
</ng-select>

I still don’t see this behaviour as normal, but you can preserve search term this way. Also I would like to see some working example so it would be easier to understand your use case.