# Select (Dropdown)

Source: https://www.potatoannotator.com/docs/annotation-types/select-dropdown

The select type provides a dropdown menu for single selection. Best for longer lists of options (5+) where radio buttons would be visually overwhelming.

## Basic Configuration

```yaml
annotation_schemes:
  - name: "category"
    description: "Select the document category"
    annotation_type: "select"
    labels:
      - name: "news"
      - name: "opinion"
      - name: "tutorial"
      - name: "review"
      - name: "other"
```

## Configuration Options

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
|-------|------|----------|-------------|
| `name` | string | Yes | Unique identifier for the annotation |
| `description` | string | Yes | Instructions shown to annotators |
| `annotation_type` | string | Yes | Must be `"select"` |
| `labels` | array | Yes | List of options to choose from |
| `default` | string | No | Default selected option |
| `required` | boolean | No | Whether selection is required |

## Examples

### Document Classification

```yaml
- name: "document_type"
  description: "What type of document is this?"
  annotation_type: "select"
  labels:
    - name: "Research Paper"
    - name: "News Article"
    - name: "Blog Post"
    - name: "Technical Documentation"
    - name: "Legal Document"
    - name: "Marketing Material"
    - name: "Personal Communication"
    - name: "Other"
  required: true
```

### Language Selection

```yaml
- name: "language"
  description: "What language is this text written in?"
  annotation_type: "select"
  labels:
    - name: "English"
    - name: "Spanish"
    - name: "French"
    - name: "German"
    - name: "Chinese"
    - name: "Japanese"
    - name: "Other"
  default: "English"
```

### With Tooltips

```yaml
- name: "genre"
  description: "Select the genre of this text"
  annotation_type: "select"
  labels:
    - name: "Fiction"
      tooltip: "Made-up stories and narratives"
    - name: "Non-fiction"
      tooltip: "Factual content based on real events"
    - name: "Poetry"
      tooltip: "Verse and poetic forms"
    - name: "Drama"
      tooltip: "Scripts and theatrical works"
```

## Output Format

The select annotation outputs the selected option name:

```json
{
  "id": "item_1",
  "annotations": {
    "category": "tutorial"
  }
}
```

## When to Use Select vs Radio

| Use Select | Use Radio |
|------------|-----------|
| 5+ options | 2-5 options |
| Options are well-known to annotators | Need to see all options at once |
| Space is limited | Keyboard shortcuts are important |
| Long option labels | Quick visual scanning needed |

## Best Practices

1. **Order options logically** - Alphabetically, by frequency, or by semantic grouping
2. **Include "Other" option** - When the list might not be exhaustive
3. **Use clear, distinct labels** - Avoid ambiguous or overlapping categories
4. **Set sensible defaults** - If one option is most common, consider making it the default