CSS: Dropdowns

Creating a dropdown menu in CSS allows you to hide a predefined list of options within a button or other elements. Let’s explore two common approaches for creating dropdown menus:

Hoverable Dropdown:

A hoverable dropdown appears when the user moves the mouse over an element. Here’s a simple example:

HTML

<style>
  .dropdown {
    position: relative;
    display: inline-block;
  }
  .dropdown-content {
    display: none;
    position: absolute;
    background-color: #f9f9f9;
    min-width: 160px;
    box-shadow: 0px 8px 16px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);
    padding: 12px 16px;
    z-index: 1;
  }
  .dropdown:hover .dropdown-content {
    display: block;
  }
</style>
<div class="dropdown">
  <span>Mouse over me</span>
  <div class="dropdown-content">
    <p>Hello World!</p>
  </div>
</div>

In this example:

• The .dropdown class creates the container for the dropdown.
• The .dropdown-content class holds the actual content (in this case, a simple “Hello World!” message).
• When the user hovers over the container, the content becomes visible.

Dropdown Menu with Links:

If you want a dropdown menu with clickable links, consider the following example:

HTML

<style>
  /* Style The Dropdown Button */
  .dropbtn {
    background-color: #4CAF50;
    color: white;
    padding: 16px;
    font-size: 16px;
    border: none;
    cursor: pointer;
  }
  /* Container for Dropdown Content */
  .dropdown {
    position: relative;
    display: inline-block;
  }
  /* Dropdown Content (Hidden by Default) */
  .dropdown-content {
    display: none;
    position: absolute;
    background-color: #f9f9f9;
    min-width: 160px;
    box-shadow: 0px 8px 16px 0px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);
    z-index: 1;
  }
  /* Links inside the Dropdown */
  .dropdown-content a {
    color: black;
    padding: 12px 16px;
    text-decoration: none;
    display: block;
  }
  /* Change Link Color on Hover */
  .dropdown-content a:hover {
    background-color: #f1f1f1;
  }
  /* Show Dropdown Menu on Hover */
  .dropdown:hover .dropdown-content {
    display: block;
  }
  /* Change Button Background Color when Dropdown Content is Shown */
  .dropdown:hover .dropbtn {
    background-color: #3e8e41;
  }
</style>
<div class="dropdown">
  <button class="dropbtn">Dropdown</button>
  <div class="dropdown-content">
    <a href="#">Option 1</a>
    <a href="#">Option 2</a>
    <a href="#">Option 3</a>
  </div>
</div>

In this example:

• The .dropbtn class styles the button that triggers the dropdown.
• The .dropdown-content class contains the links (replace them with your desired options).
• When the user hovers over the button, the dropdown menu appears.