How to make custom Select Boxes in HTML using CSS and JavaScript/jQuery?

Question

I was searching for custom Select Boxes and stumbled across this URL.

I was trying to understand how the boxes work and following is what I got from it:

1. The box has a container which holds two things - the actual HTML select element with options and another div which is a sibling to the select which holds a list of the same items.
2. I'm assuming the list is created through JavaScript so as to prevent the user from typing the options again in HTML.
3. The display of the select is set to none so that it doesn't show up. The reason is that the select is just to submit the data when the form gets submitted but will not be shown on the page. Instead, the other div with the list is shown and will act as the interaction element.

Now I know how to make the other div look like a select element through CSS. What I'm not getting is how to "link" between the other div with the actual select element. Like, how to select the option from the select element when I click on one of the list item and also how to display that item on the front? Basically, how to make the other div act like a select element?

Answer 1

After some searching i found this, I think you are looking for this

 // Iterate over each select element $('select').each(function() { // Cache the number of options var $this = $(this), numberOfOptions = $(this).children('option').length; // Hides the select element $this.addClass('s-hidden'); // Wrap the select element in a div $this.wrap('<div class="select"></div>'); // Insert a styled div to sit over the top of the hidden select element $this.after('<div class="styledSelect"></div>'); // Cache the styled div var $styledSelect = $this.next('div.styledSelect'); // Show the first select option in the styled div $styledSelect.text($this.children('option').eq(0).text()); // Insert an unordered list after the styled div and also cache the list var $list = $('<ul />', { 'class': 'options' }).insertAfter($styledSelect); // Insert a list item into the unordered list for each select option for (var i = 0; i < numberOfOptions; i++) { $('<li />', { text: $this.children('option').eq(i).text(), rel: $this.children('option').eq(i).val() }).appendTo($list); } // Cache the list items var $listItems = $list.children('li'); // Show the unordered list when the styled div is clicked (also hides it if the div is clicked again) $styledSelect.click(function(e) { e.stopPropagation(); $('div.styledSelect.active').each(function() { $(this).removeClass('active').next('ul.options').hide(); }); $(this).toggleClass('active').next('ul.options').toggle(); }); // Hides the unordered list when a list item is clicked and updates the styled div to show the selected list item // Updates the select element to have the value of the equivalent option $listItems.click(function(e) { e.stopPropagation(); $styledSelect.text($(this).text()).removeClass('active'); $this.val($(this).attr('rel')); $list.hide(); /* alert($this.val()); Uncomment this for demonstration! */ }); // Hides the unordered list when clicking outside of it $(document).click(function() { $styledSelect.removeClass('active'); $list.hide(); }); }); 

 body { padding: 50px; background-color: white; } .s-hidden { visibility: hidden; padding-right: 10px; } .select { cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; position: relative; font: normal 11px/22px Arial, Sans-Serif; color: black; border: 1px solid #ccc; } .styledSelect { position: absolute; top: 0; right: 0; bottom: 0; left: 0; background-color: white; padding: 0 10px; font-weight: bold; } .styledSelect:after { content: ""; width: 0; height: 0; border: 5px solid transparent; border-color: black transparent transparent transparent; position: absolute; top: 9px; right: 6px; } .styledSelect:active, .styledSelect.active { background-color: #eee; } .options { display: none; position: absolute; top: 100%; right: 0; left: 0; z-index: 999; margin: 0 0; padding: 0 0; list-style: none; border: 1px solid #ccc; background-color: white; -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); } .options li { padding: 0 6px; margin: 0 0; padding: 0 10px; } .options li:hover { background-color: #39f; color: white; } 

 <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.1/jquery.min.js"></script> <select id="selectbox1"> <option value="">Select an option&hellip;</option> <option value="aye">Aye</option> <option value="eh">Eh</option> <option value="ooh">Ooh</option> <option value="whoop">Whoop</option> </select> <select id="selectbox2"> <option value="">Month&hellip;</option> <option value="january">January</option> <option value="february">February</option> <option value="march">March</option> <option value="april">April</option> <option value="may">May</option> <option value="june">June</option> <option value="july">July</option> <option value="august">August</option> <option value="september">September</option> <option value="october">October</option> <option value="november">November</option> <option value="december">December</option> </select> 

Answer 2

 $("#myselect").change(function(){ alert($( "#myselect option:selected" ).text()); }) 

 <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.1/jquery.min.js"></script> <select id="myselect"> <option value="1">Mr</option> <option value="2">Mrs</option> <option value="3">Ms</option> <option value="4">Dr</option> <option value="5">Prof</option> </select>