CSS - Creating and Styling Navigation Bars and Dropdown Menus

Creating and Styling Navigation Bars and Dropdown Menus in CSS

The majority of websites must include navigation bars and dropdown menus since they offer a convenient way for users to browse the site's content.

Code

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>Navigation and Dropdown Menu</title>
    <style>
        .navbar {
            background-color: #333;
            overflow: hidden;
            color: white;
        }
        .navbar a {
            float: left;
            display: block;
            color: white;
            text-align: center;
            padding: 14px 20px;
            text-decoration: none;
        }
        .dropdown {
            float: left;
            overflow: hidden;
        }
        .dropdown .dropbtn {
            font-size: 16px;  
            border: none;
            outline: none;
            color: white;
            padding: 14px 16px;
            background-color: inherit;
        }
        .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;
        }
        .dropdown-content a {
            float: none;
            color: black;
            padding: 12px 16px;
            text-decoration: none;
            display: block;
            text-align: left;
        }
        .dropdown:hover .dropdown-content {
            display: block;
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <div class="navbar">
        <a href="#home">Home</a>
        <div class="dropdown">
            <button class="dropbtn">Dropdown 
                <i class="fa fa-caret-down"></i>
            </button>
            <div class="dropdown-content">
                <a href="#">Link 1</a>
                <a href="#">Link 2</a>
                <a href="#">Link 3</a>
            </div>
        </div> 
    </div>
</body>
</html>

Explanation of code

Navbar: The text is white on a dark backdrop. Links have no text adornment and are designed to look like blocks with padding on the left.

Dropdown: Hovering over it reveals its hidden default state. Clearly positioned to display above other material, and tastefully designed with a light backdrop and drop shadow to increase visibility.

logo

CSS

Beginner 5 Hours

Creating and Styling Navigation Bars and Dropdown Menus in CSS

The majority of websites must include navigation bars and dropdown menus since they offer a convenient way for users to browse the site's content.

Code

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>Navigation and Dropdown Menu</title>
    <style>
        .navbar {
            background-color: #333;
            overflow: hidden;
            color: white;
        }
        .navbar a {
            float: left;
            display: block;
            color: white;
            text-align: center;
            padding: 14px 20px;
            text-decoration: none;
        }
        .dropdown {
            float: left;
            overflow: hidden;
        }
        .dropdown .dropbtn {
            font-size: 16px;  
            border: none;
            outline: none;
            color: white;
            padding: 14px 16px;
            background-color: inherit;
        }
        .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;
        }
        .dropdown-content a {
            float: none;
            color: black;
            padding: 12px 16px;
            text-decoration: none;
            display: block;
            text-align: left;
        }
        .dropdown:hover .dropdown-content {
            display: block;
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <div class="navbar">
        <a href="#home">Home</a>
        <div class="dropdown">
            <button class="dropbtn">Dropdown 
                <i class="fa fa-caret-down"></i>
            </button>
            <div class="dropdown-content">
                <a href="#">Link 1</a>
                <a href="#">Link 2</a>
                <a href="#">Link 3</a>
            </div>
        </div> 
    </div>
</body>
</html>

Explanation of code

Navbar: The text is white on a dark backdrop. Links have no text adornment and are designed to look like blocks with padding on the left.

Dropdown: Hovering over it reveals its hidden default state. Clearly positioned to display above other material, and tastefully designed with a light backdrop and drop shadow to increase visibility.

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Frequently Asked Questions for CSS

Content, padding, border, and margin make up the box model.

Relative moves from original position; absolute positions relative to nearest positioned ancestor.

id is unique; class can be reused.

visibility hides but keeps space; display removes element from layout.

Minify files, reduce specificity, and remove unused styles.

Overrides all other declarations, regardless of specificity.

Use margin: auto or flexbox/grid techniques.

Allow responsive design by applying styles based on screen size or device.

Define relationships between selectors: descendant ( ), child (>), adjacent (+), sibling (~).

Tools like SASS or LESS add features like variables and nesting to CSS.

Targets part of an element, like ::before or ::after.

Use @import "filename.css"; at the top of the file.

Controls stacking order of overlapping elements.

Forces a property to inherit value from parent.

Static — not affected by top, bottom, left, or right.

Use universal selector * or define styles in body/root.

em is relative to parent; rem is relative to root element.

Inline, internal (embedded), and external CSS.

A layout model for arranging elements in rows or columns with flexible sizing.

Targets elements in a specific state, like :hover or :nth-child().

Use fluid layouts, media queries, and relative units.

CSS styles HTML elements to control layout, color, fonts, and responsiveness.

Reusable custom property values, declared with --var-name.

Determines which rule applies when multiple rules target the same element.

Performs calculations to dynamically set CSS property values.

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