Simple Drop-Down Menu

Konstantin Jagello Apr 18, 2007

General

This clean-looking menu is very simple to implement and can be placed anywhere on a page. Adding or deleting levels is easy to do. The menu is created without tables, using unordered lists and hidden layers.

Notes

Created by: Konstantin Jagello
Web Site: http://javascript-array.com/
Posted: April 18, 2007

Source Code

Paste this source code into the designated areas.

External file

Paste this code into an external JavaScript file named: simpleDropDownMenu.js

/* This script and many more are available free online at
The JavaScript Source!! http://www.javascriptsource.com
Created by: Konstantin Jagello | http://javascript-array.com/ */
var TimeOut         = 300;
var currentLayer    = null;
var currentitem     = null;
var currentLayerNum = 0;
var noClose         = 0;
var closeTimer      = null;

function mopen(n) {
  var l  = document.getElementById("menu"+n);
  var mm = document.getElementById("mmenu"+n);
	
  if(l) {
    mcancelclosetime();
    l.style.visibility='visible';
    if(currentLayer && (currentLayerNum != n))
      currentLayer.style.visibility='hidden';
    currentLayer = l;
    currentitem = mm;
    currentLayerNum = n;			
  } else if(currentLayer) {
    currentLayer.style.visibility='hidden';
    currentLayerNum = 0;
    currentitem = null;
    currentLayer = null;
 	}
}

function mclosetime() {
  closeTimer = window.setTimeout(mclose, TimeOut);
}

function mcancelclosetime() {
  if(closeTimer) {
    window.clearTimeout(closeTimer);
    closeTimer = null;
  }
}

function mclose() {
  if(currentLayer && noClose!=1)   {
    currentLayer.style.visibility='hidden';
    currentLayerNum = 0;
    currentLayer = null;
    currentitem = null;
  } else {
    noClose = 0;
  }
  currentLayer = null;
  currentitem = null;
}

document.onclick = mclose;

CSS

Paste this code into your external CSS file or in the <style> section within the HEAD section of your HTML document.

#dd {
  margin-left: 25%;
  padding: 0 0 20px 0;
}

#dd li {
  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
  list-style: none;
  float: left;
  font: bold 11px arial;
}

#dd li a.menu {
  display: block;
  text-align: center;
  background: #5970B2;
  padding: 4px 10px;
  margin: 0 1px 0 0;
  color: #FFF;
  width: 60px;
  text-decoration: none;
}

#dd li a.menu:hover {
  background: #49A3FF;
}

.submenu {
  background: #EAEBD8;
  border: 1px solid #5970B2;
  visibility: hidden;
  position: absolute;
  z-index: 3;
}

.submenu a {
  display: block;
  font: 11px arial;
  text-align: left;
  text-decoration: none;
  padding: 5px;
  color: #2875DE;
}

.submenu a:hover {
  background: #49A3FF;
  color: #FFF;
}

Head

Paste this code into the HEAD section of your HTML document.


<script type="text/javascript" src="simpleDropDownMenu.js"></script>

Body

Paste this code into the BODY section of your HTML document


<ul id="dd">
  <li><a href="#" class="menu" id="mmenu1" 
      onmouseover="mopen(1);"
      onmouseout="mclosetime();">Home</a>
    <div class="submenu" id="menu1"
      onmouseover="mcancelclosetime()"
      onmouseout="mclosetime();">
        <a href="#">HTML Tutorials</a>
        <a href="#">DHTML Tutorials</a>
        <a href="#">JavaScript Tutorials</a>
        <a href="#">CSS Tutorials</a>
    </div>
  </li>
  <li><a href="#" class="menu" id="mmenu2" 
      onmouseover="mopen(2);"
      onmouseout="mclosetime();">Download</a>
    <div class="submenu" id="menu2"
      onmouseover="mcancelclosetime()"
      onmouseout="mclosetime();">
        <a href="#">ASP Scripts</a>
        <a href="#">PHP Scripts</a>
        <a href="#">Ajax Scripts</a>
        <a href="#">Perl Scripts</a>
    </div>
  </li>
  <li><a href="#" class="menu">Order</a></li>
  <li><a href="#" class="menu">Help</a></li>
  <li><a href="#" class="menu" id="mmenu3" 
      onmouseover="mopen(3);"
      onmouseout="mclosetime();">Contact</a>
    <div class="submenu" id="menu3"
      onmouseover="mcancelclosetime()"
      onmouseout="mclosetime();">
        <a href="#">Office</a>
        <a href="#">Sales</a>
        <a href="#">Customer Service</a>
        <a href="#">Shipping</a>
    </div>
  </li>
</ul>

Leave a Response

(20 comments)

They should expand as need. otherwise, you can do it in the CSS code.

Lee Oct 31, 2008

You would need to set it up in your CSS file.

Lee Oct 31, 2008

How do you change the size of the menu boxes?[br /]thanks, Linda

linda Sep 15, 2008

Is there any way to make it so that the buttons (or filler between buttons) will stretch across the top of a page? I'd like to make the horizontal menu something of a divider from my logo...

nic May 15, 2008

I am using Safari 3.0.4 on a Mac and it seems to be fine.

Chad Bannister Jan 31, 2008

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