Is there a max number of options (values) in HTML drop down control?

Question

Does anyone know how many options a drop down list can have? Is it unlimited? How many before performance degrades?

Answer 1

Does anyone know how many options a drop down list can have? Is it unlimited?

I imagine it is unlimited in theory, obviously not in practice as a computer's RAM and the specific browser's limitations come into play.

How many before performance degrades?

Again, this would depend on a few factors, at the least the specific browser, the computer's memory and processing power.

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EDIT: From experience, I have had drop down lists with thousands of options. It wasn't ideal though because who wants to scroll through all of those? This is why an auto-complete of some type is more desirable for numerous reasons, especially the end user's experience.