How to Creating Pure CSS Drop Down Menu

Tutorial How to Creating Pure CSS Drop Down Menu

In this tutorial we describe how to create a drop down menu with pure CSS, without a single line of javascript code. The advantages of this method is the menu can be displayed in all browsers, even if the javascript engine turned off.

The disadvantages is there is no animation, but still able to properly display the menu, the user can access all of its content. Ok lets Prepare 2 pieces of HTML and CSS files. HTML file will display the menu, while the CSS file is a machine to make the drop down menu.

1. HTML file

<h1>Simple Pure CSS Drop Down Menu</h1>
<nav id="primary_nav_wrap">
<ul>
  <li class="current-menu-item"><a href="#">Home</a></li>
  <li><a href="#">Menu 1</a>
    <ul>
      <li><a href="#">Sub Menu 1</a></li>
      <li><a href="#">Sub Menu 2</a></li>
      <li><a href="#">Sub Menu 3</a></li>
      <li><a href="#">Sub Menu 4</a>
        <ul>
          <li><a href="#">Deep Menu 1</a>
            <ul>
              <li><a href="#">Sub Deep 1</a></li>
              <li><a href="#">Sub Deep 2</a></li>
              <li><a href="#">Sub Deep 3</a></li>
                <li><a href="#">Sub Deep 4</a></li>
            </ul>
          </li>
          <li><a href="#">Deep Menu 2</a></li>
        </ul>
      </li>
      <li><a href="#">Sub Menu 5</a></li>
    </ul>
  </li>
  <li><a href="#">Menu 2</a>
    <ul>
      <li><a href="#">Sub Menu 1</a></li>
      <li><a href="#">Sub Menu 2</a></li>
      <li><a href="#">Sub Menu 3</a></li>
    </ul>
  </li>
  <li><a href="#">Menu 3</a>
    <ul>
      <li class="dir"><a href="#">Sub Menu 1</a></li>
      <li class="dir"><a href="#">Sub Menu 2 THIS IS SO LONG IT MIGHT CAUSE AN ISSEUE BUT MAYBE NOT?</a>
        <ul>
          <li><a href="#">Category 1</a></li>
          <li><a href="#">Category 2</a></li>
          <li><a href="#">Category 3</a></li>
          <li><a href="#">Category 4</a></li>
          <li><a href="#">Category 5</a></li>
        </ul>
      </li>
      <li><a href="#">Sub Menu 3</a></li>
      <li><a href="#">Sub Menu 4</a></li>
      <li><a href="#">Sub Menu 5</a></li>
    </ul>
  </li>
  <li><a href="#">Menu 4</a></li>
  <li><a href="#">Menu 5</a></li>
  <li><a href="#">Menu 6</a></li>
  <li><a href="#">Contact Us</a></li>
</ul>
</nav>

Now create css file

#primary_nav_wrap
{
    margin-top:15px
}

#primary_nav_wrap ul
{
    list-style:none;
    position:relative;
    float:left;
    margin:0;
    padding:0
}

#primary_nav_wrap ul a
{
    display:block;
    color:#333;
    text-decoration:none;
    font-weight:700;
    font-size:12px;
    line-height:32px;
    padding:0 15px;
    font-family:"HelveticaNeue","Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif
}

#primary_nav_wrap ul li
{
    position:relative;
    float:left;
    margin:0;
    padding:0
}

#primary_nav_wrap ul li.current-menu-item
{
    background:#ddd
}

#primary_nav_wrap ul li:hover
{
    background:#f6f6f6
}

#primary_nav_wrap ul ul
{
    display:none;
    position:absolute;
    top:100%;
    left:0;
    background:#fff;
    padding:0
}

#primary_nav_wrap ul ul li
{
    float:none;
    width:200px
}

#primary_nav_wrap ul ul a
{
    line-height:120%;
    padding:10px 15px
}

#primary_nav_wrap ul ul ul
{
    top:0;
    left:100%
}

#primary_nav_wrap ul li:hover > ul
{
    display:block
}