Skip to content

Transfer (dual list) — spec

Citing Ant Design Transfer, MUI (no built-in), shadcn-ui (no built-in)

Purpose

Two side-by-side lists with arrows to move items between them. Used for: permission editors (available roles → assigned roles), team assignment, tag selection (available tags → applied tags), feature flags (available features → enabled features).

When Transfer vs alternatives

Pattern Use
Transfer User explicitly moves items between TWO lists; both sides matter
Multi-Select User picks from many; UI shows selected as tags only
Checkbox list Simpler — just toggle each item
Tree (with check) Hierarchical permissions; tree shape matters

Transfer is a power-user pattern. Most consumer UIs should use Multi-Select instead.

Anatomy

┌──────────────────┐                   ┌──────────────────┐
│ Available (12)   │                   │ Assigned (3)     │
│ ▣ Search...      │                   │ ▣ Search...      │
├──────────────────┤                   ├──────────────────┤
│ ☐ Item A          │      [→  ]       │ ☑ Item D          │
│ ☐ Item B          │      [→→]       │ ☑ Item E          │
│ ☑ Item C          │   [←]  [←←]      │ ☑ Item F          │
│ ☐ Item D          │                   │                   │
│ ...               │                   │                   │
└──────────────────┘                   └──────────────────┘
   Select all (1)                          Remove all (0)
Slot Required Notes
Source list (left) yes Available items
Target list (right) yes Selected/assigned items
Movement arrows (center) yes Single + bulk move buttons
Search per side optional Filter within each list
Header per side yes Title + count + select-all
Item checkbox yes Multi-select before move

API

<Transfer
  source={availableItems}
  target={selectedItemKeys}
  onChange={setSelectedItemKeys}
  searchable
  titles={["사용 가능한 권한", "할당된 권한"]}
  itemRender={(item) => <PermissionItem item={item} />}
/>
Prop Type Default Description
source Item[] — All possible items
target string[] [] Keys currently in the target side
onChange (targetKeys: string[]) => void —
titles [string, string] ["Source", "Target"] Header labels per side
searchable boolean false Search inputs
itemRender (item) => ReactNode default Custom rendering
disabled boolean false
oneWay boolean false Items only move source → target (no return) 
type Item = {
  key: string;
  label: string;
  description?: string;
  disabled?: boolean;
  data?: unknown;
};

Behavior

Movement

  1. User checks items in source list.
  2. Click → to move selected items to target.
  3. Reverse with ←.
  4. Bulk: →→ (move all visible), ←← (return all).

Per-side search filters that side's visible items. Doesn't affect the other side. Combined search across both: typically not provided (different lists, different intent).

States

State Visual
Default Both lists rendered
Item checked (in source) Move-right arrow enabled
Item checked (in target) Move-left arrow enabled
Empty source side "모든 항목이 할당되었습니다"
Empty target side "할당된 항목이 없습니다"
Disabled Both lists muted

Accessibility

  • Each side: <section> with <h3> heading.
  • Lists: role="listbox" aria-multiselectable="true".
  • Items: role="option", aria-selected="true|false".
  • Movement buttons: <button> with aria-label.

Keyboard

Key Behavior
Tab Reach search → list → arrows → other list (in order)
↑ / ↓ Move within list
Space Toggle item selected
Enter (on arrow) Apply movement

Mobile pattern

Transfer's two-side layout doesn't fit mobile. Switch to:

[Single tab list with toggles]
"Available" tab          "Assigned" tab
   Item A  [→ Add]            Item D  [✕]
   Item B  [→ Add]            Item E  [✕]
   Item C  [✓ Added]          Item F  [✕]

Or a simpler "tap to toggle" pattern:

☐ Item A    (tap to add)
☐ Item B
☑ Item D    (tap to remove)
☑ Item E

Don't

  • Don't use Transfer for < 10 items. Use Checkbox list — simpler.
  • Don't use for non-symmetric "both sides matter" cases. If user only cares about one side, use Multi-Select.
  • Don't omit per-side counts — users want to know how many they've selected.
  • Don't disable items in source after moving — make it clear they're already in target by hiding or disabling consistently.

References

Cross-reference