Bootstrap Multiselect update option list on flow

Answer 1

I've been added the functionality of updating options after filtering and getting them from the server side. This solution relays on the concept of injecting new options, destroying the select and initializing it again.

I took into account:

1. Considering the existing selected options, which must stay.
2. Removing duplicate options (might be as a conflict from which that already selected and the new that came from the server).
3. Keeping the options tray open after the update.
4. Reassign the previous text in the search text box & focusing it.

Just add the 'updateOptions' as a function after the 'refresh' function along with the two helper functions as follows:

updateOptions: function (options) {
        var select = this.$select;
        options += this.getSelectedOptionsString();
        var selectedIds = select.val(),
            btnGroup = select.next('.btn-group'),
            searchInput = btnGroup.find('.multiselect-search'),
            inputVal = searchInput.val();

        options = this.removeOptionsDuplications(options);
        if (!options) {
            options = '';
        }

        // 1) Replacing the options with new & already selected options
        select.html(options);

        // 2) Destroyng the select
        select.multiselect('destroy');

        // 3) Reselecting the previously selected values
        if (selectedIds) {
            select.val(selectedIds);
        }

        // 4) Initialize the select again after destroying it
        select.multiselect(this.options);

        btnGroup = select.next('.btn-group');
        searchInput = btnGroup.find('.multiselect-search');

        // 5) Keep the tray options open
        btnGroup.addClass('open');

        // 6) Setting the search input again & focusing it
        searchInput.val(inputVal);
        searchInput.focus();
    },
    getSelectedOptionsString: function () { // Helper
        var result = '',
            select = this.$select,
            options = select.find('option:selected');

        if (options && options.length) {
            $.each(options, function (index, value) {
                if (value) {
                    result += value.outerHTML;
                }
            });
        }

        return result;
    },
    removeOptionsDuplications: function (options) { // Helper
        var result = '',
            ids = new Object();

        if (options && options.length) {
            options = $(options);
            $.each(options, function (index, value) {
                var option = $(value),
                    optionId = option.attr('value');

                if (optionId) {
                    if (!ids[optionId]) {
                        result += option[0].outerHTML;
                        ids[optionId] = true;
                    }
                }
            });
        }
        return result;
    },

Demo:

State:

"Option 1"

$('#select').multiselect('updateOptions', 'Option 2');

State:

"Option 2"

"Option 1"