Snabbval

Snabbval, a Swedish term meaning "fast choice," refers to a user interface pattern designed to let users select an option quickly from a potentially large set. The pattern emphasizes keyboard input and rapid narrowing of results, often by typing characters to filter the list in real time. Typical implementations combine typeahead search, fuzzy matching, and a focus-driven interface, sometimes augmented by a command palette or quick open dialog.

Key features include incremental filtering as characters are entered, support for keyboard navigation (arrow keys, enter to select), and clear affordances for when no results are found. Accessibility considerations include proper focus management and screen reader compatibility.

Snabbval is commonly used in forms, navigation menus, content management systems, and development environments. In code editors, a quick open (Ctrl/Cmd+P) is a well-known example, while web applications may offer search-as-you-type fields that prioritize matching items by relevance and recency. Some variants allow multi-select or prefix-based shortcuts, enabling power users to perform actions with minimal keystrokes.

Designers choose snabbval when the dataset is sizable and the goal is to minimize interaction cost without requiring mouse navigation. Performance is important: implementations should render results quickly and avoid freezing on large lists. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with typeahead, autocompletion, or command palette in practice, though context and feature set may differ.

See also: typeahead, autocompletion, command palette, instantaneous search, incremental search.