Sharepoint Drop-Down Column with Multiple Select Choices

Question

One of my columns contain 200 countries. End user should be able to select multiple items from the list.

Sharepoint multiple choice column only allows for one of three choices:

Drop-Down Menu
Radio Buttons
Checkboxes (allow multiple selections)

I'd like to be able to combine the features of Drop-down menu and checkbox.

Is this possible and is there a workaround in Sharepoint designer?

Not looking to do this in InfoPath forms.

Thanks!

Answer 1

You need to put your 200 Countries values into a Custom List, then use a Lookup column rather than a Choice column.  With the Lookup column, you can allow multi-selects.

Answer 2

If you can change your field type to another then use type "Lookup column with multiple values". It has good UI experience. But you must create additional list with your 200 countries.

If you want to use only choice type field then I think no, you must add custom control on form.
May be like this:
1. Add script on form.
2. Script will render some jquery autocomplete control (https://jqueryui.com/autocomplete/#combobox) or select2 control (https://select2.org/dropdown or https://select2.org/selections) on form load. If no third party controls exists that applied to you then create own control with necessary features. Populate it from out-of-box field options.
3. Hide out-of-box field.
4. Add onChange or onPreSave handlers that copy values from your custom control to out-of-box field.
When form saved it save out-of-box field value to list item.