gistfile1.js

$(function() {
  $("#app").select2({
    ajax: {
      url: "/dashboard/api/1/apps",
      dataType: 'json',
      delay: 250,
      // the first parameter passed into this 
      // function is a direct reference to the "term" from the select2
      // search box so you don't need to add params.term.
      data: function (params) {
        return {
          name: params,
        };
      },
      /** 
       * results is the actual name of the select2
       * function that gets called internally when
       * data is returned from the server so it must
       * be named results.
       */
      results: function (data, page) {
        // parse the results into the format expected by Select2.
        // since we are using custom formatting functions we do not need to
        // alter the remote JSON data
        
        /** 
         * you can't call a function after a return statement.
         * Passing a non-string value to alert will only return
         * [object Object] so in order to see what will be inside
         * data use console.log(data).
         */
        console.log(data);
        return {
          results: data.apps
        };
      },
      cache: true
    },
    /**
     * outside of the ajax options
     * there is a formatSelection and a formatResult
     * which are responsible for taking what was specified
     * in the results function and actually displaying it.
     */
     /** 
      * formatResult will be called on every item
      * in the array, so each app in apps will run
      * through the formatResult function
      */
    formatResult: function (app) {
      return app.name;
    },
    /**
     * formatSelection is called once the user
     * makes a selection and it determines what
     * format the data will be displayed in once a
     * selection is made.
     */
    formatSelection: function (app) {
      return app.name
    },
    escapeMarkup: function (markup) { return markup; }, // let our custom formatter work
    minimumInputLength: 1,
    // templateResult: formatRepo, // omitted for brevity, see the source of this page
    // templateSelection: formatRepoSelection // omitted for brevity, see the source of this page
  });
});