Apply jQuery autocomplete to cloned element

Question

I am using jQuery autocomplete which is working fine with existing element but not with dynamically added element.

Here is my autocomplete code (Which I have changed a bit)

$(function() {

        (function( $ ) {
        $.widget( "ui.combobox", {
            _create: function() {
                var self = this,
                    select = this.element.hide(),
                    selected = select.children( ":selected" ),
                    value = selected.val() ? selected.text() : "";
                var input = this.input = $( ".editableCombobox" )    // your input box
                    //.insertAfter( select )
                    .val( value )
                    .autocomplete({
                        delay: 0,
                        minLength: 0,
                        source: function( request, response ) {
                            var matcher = new RegExp( $.ui.autocomplete.escapeRegex(request.term), "i" );
                            response( select.children( "option" ).map(function() {
                                var text = $( this ).text();
                                if ( this.value && ( !request.term || matcher.test(text) ) )
                                    return {
                                        label: text.replace(
                                            new RegExp(
                                                "(?![^&;]+;)(?!<[^<>]*)(" +
                                                $.ui.autocomplete.escapeRegex(request.term) +
                                                ")(?![^<>]*>)(?![^&;]+;)", "gi"
                                            ), "$1" ),
                                        value: text,
                                        option: this
                                    };
                            }) );
                        },
                        select: function( event, ui ) {
                            ui.item.option.selected = true;
                            self._trigger( "selected", event, {
                                item: ui.item.option
                            });
                        },
                        change: function( event, ui ) {
                            if ( !ui.item ) {
                            var matcher = new RegExp( "^" + $.ui.autocomplete.escapeRegex( $(this).val() ) + "$", "i" ),
                                valid = false;
                                select.children( "option" ).each(function() {
                                if ( $( this ).text().match( matcher ) ) {
                                this.selected = valid = true;
                                return false;
                                }
                                });
                                //if ( !valid ) {
                                    // remove invalid value, as it didn't match anything
                                    //$( this ).val( "" );
                                    //select.val( "" );
                                    //input.data( "autocomplete" ).term = "";
    //return false;
        //                      }
                            }
                        }
                    })
                    .addClass( "ui-widget ui-widget-content ui-corner-left" );

                input.data( "autocomplete" )._renderItem = function( ul, item ) {
                    return $( "<li></li>" )
                        .data( "item.autocomplete", item )
                        .append( "<a>" + item.label + "</a>" )
                        .appendTo( ul );
                };

                this.button = $( "<button type='button'>&nbsp;</button>" )
                    .attr( "tabIndex", -1 )
                    .attr( "title", "Show All Items" )
                    .insertAfter( input )
                    .button({
                        icons: {
                            primary: "ui-icon-triangle-1-s"
                        },
                        text: false
                    })
                    .removeClass( "ui-corner-all" )
                    //.addClass( "ui-corner-right ui-button-icon" )
                    .live('click',function() {
                        // close if already visible
                        if ( $(this).prev().autocomplete( "widget" ).is( ":visible" ) ) {
                            $(this).prev().autocomplete( "close" );
                            return;
                        }

                        // work around a bug (likely same cause as #5265)
                        $( this ).blur();

                        // pass empty string as value to search for, displaying all results
                         $(this).prev().autocomplete( "search", "" );
                         $(this).prev().focus();
                    });
            },

            destroy: function() {
                this.input.remove();
                this.button.remove();
                this.element.show();
                $.Widget.prototype.destroy.call( this );
            }
        });
    })( jQuery );

        $( "#combobox" ).combobox();
        $( "#toggle" ).live('click',function() {
            $( "#combobox" ).toggle();
        });

        });  

Here is my code which adds new element

var selectedRow = $('#contactGroup'+rowId);
    var clonedRow = selectedRow.clone();  
selectedRow.after(clonedRow);   

After reading many similar questions I think .live might help but not sure where to use it.

EDIT:

I tried removing live.

New code for Autocomplete

$(function() {

        (function( $ ) {
        $.widget( "ui.combobox", {
            _create: function() {
                var self = this,
                    select = this.element.hide(),
                    selected = select.children( ":selected" ),
                    value = selected.val() ? selected.text() : "";
                var input = this.input = $( ".editableCombobox" )    // your input box
                    //.insertAfter( select )
                    .val( value )
                    .autocomplete({
                        delay: 0,
                        minLength: 0,
                        source: function( request, response ) {
                            var matcher = new RegExp( $.ui.autocomplete.escapeRegex(request.term), "i" );
                            response( select.children( "option" ).map(function() {
                                var text = $( this ).text();
                                if ( this.value && ( !request.term || matcher.test(text) ) )
                                    return {
                                        label: text.replace(
                                            new RegExp(
                                                "(?![^&;]+;)(?!<[^<>]*)(" +
                                                $.ui.autocomplete.escapeRegex(request.term) +
                                                ")(?![^<>]*>)(?![^&;]+;)", "gi"
                                            ), "$1" ),
                                        value: text,
                                        option: this
                                    };
                            }) );
                        },
                        select: function( event, ui ) {
                            ui.item.option.selected = true;
                            self._trigger( "selected", event, {
                                item: ui.item.option
                            });
                        },
                        change: function( event, ui ) {
                            if ( !ui.item ) {
                            var matcher = new RegExp( "^" + $.ui.autocomplete.escapeRegex( $(this).val() ) + "$", "i" ),
                                valid = false;
                                select.children( "option" ).each(function() {
                                if ( $( this ).text().match( matcher ) ) {
                                this.selected = valid = true;
                                return false;
                                }
                                });
                                //if ( !valid ) {
                                    // remove invalid value, as it didn't match anything
                                    //$( this ).val( "" );
                                    //select.val( "" );
                                    //input.data( "autocomplete" ).term = "";
    //return false;
        //                      }
                            }
                        }
                    })
                    .addClass( "ui-widget ui-widget-content ui-corner-left" );

                input.data( "autocomplete" )._renderItem = function( ul, item ) {
                    return $( "<li></li>" )
                        .data( "item.autocomplete", item )
                        .append( "<a>" + item.label + "</a>" )
                        .appendTo( ul );
                };

                this.button = $( "<button type='button'>&nbsp;</button>" )
                    .attr( "tabIndex", -1 )
                    .attr( "title", "Show All Items" )
                    .insertAfter( input )
                    .button({
                        icons: {
                            primary: "ui-icon-triangle-1-s"
                        },
                        text: false
                    })
                    .removeClass( "ui-corner-all" )
                    .addClass( "ui-corner-right ui-button-icon" )
                    .click(function() {
                        // close if already visible
                        if ( $(this).prev().autocomplete( "widget" ).is( ":visible" ) ) {
                            $(this).prev().autocomplete( "close" );
                            return;
                        }

                        // work around a bug (likely same cause as #5265)
                        $( this ).blur();

                        // pass empty string as value to search for, displaying all results
                         $(this).prev().autocomplete( "search", "" );
                         $(this).prev().focus();
                    });
            },

            destroy: function() {
                this.input.remove();
                this.button.remove();
                this.element.show();
                $.Widget.prototype.destroy.call( this );
            }
        });
    })( jQuery );

        $( "#combobox" ).combobox();
        $( "#toggle" ).click(function() {
            $( "#combobox" ).toggle();
        });

        });

Binding newly added element in clone method

 var selectedRow = $('#contactGroup'+rowId);
        var clonedRow = selectedRow.clone();  
    selectedRow.after(clonedRow);   
 $(('#contactGroup'+rowId) .editableCombobox).autocomplete( "search", "" );

Answer 1

You can't use 'live' on autocomplete, as far as I know.

Place your autocomplete options in a function that expects the field as parameter, on which you want to apply the autocomplete method.

function enable_autocomplete(InputField) {
    $(InputField).autocomplete({
        source: availableTags
    });
}

Then, after cloning the field, call this function with the cloned field.

enable_autocomplete(ClonedField);

I've written you an easy example, what makes it much easier to understand what I am trying to say ;-)

Edit: I've written another example based on the combobox example from jQueryUIs website.