Multi-Level Menu

A simple multi-level menu with delayed item animations and an optional breadcrumb navigation and back button.

By Mary Lou in Blueprints on November 17, 2015

From our sponsor: Supercharge your marketing across design, automations, analytics, and more, using our marketing smarts.

Today’s Blueprint is a simple menu with multiple levels. The idea is to animate each menu item once a level is changed. The animation starts with the item clicked and the delays are propagated through the neighbors. The animation delays follow the same logic for the incoming items of the new level of the multi-level menu. As optional elements we have a breadcrumb navigation and a back button (not shown in our demo). Deeper levels are referenced with a data attribute. We have added some example media queries for a mobile menu version with a menu toggle. We’ve also provided a simple callback example.

The icons used in the demo are from the Organic Food icon set by Wojciech Zasina and the Feather icon set by Cole Bemis.

Please note that we are using a couple of modern CSS properties, so only modern browsers are supported.

Browser Support:

ChromeSupported
FirefoxSupported
Internet ExplorerSupported from version 10+
SafariSupported
OperaSupported

The HTML

<!-- Main container -->
<div class="container">
	<!-- Menu toggle for mobile version -->
	<button class="action action--open" aria-label="Open Menu"><span class="icon icon--menu"></span></button>
	<!-- Menu -->
	<nav id="ml-menu" class="menu">
		<!-- Close button for mobile version -->
		<button class="action action--close" aria-label="Close Menu"><span class="icon icon--cross"></span></button>
		<div class="menu__wrap">
			<ul data-menu="main" class="menu__level">
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" data-submenu="submenu-1" href="#">Vegetables</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" data-submenu="submenu-2" href="#">Fruits</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" data-submenu="submenu-3" href="#">Grains</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" data-submenu="submenu-4" href="#">Mylk & Drinks</a></li>
			</ul>
			<!-- Submenu 1 -->
			<ul data-menu="submenu-1" class="menu__level">
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Stalk Vegetables</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Roots & Seeds</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Cabbages</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Salad Greens</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Mushrooms</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" data-submenu="submenu-1-1" href="#">Sale %</a></li>
			</ul>
			<!-- Submenu 1-1 -->
			<ul data-menu="submenu-1-1" class="menu__level">
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Fair Trade Roots</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Dried Veggies</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Our Brand</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Homemade</a></li>
			</ul>
			<!-- Submenu 2 -->
			<ul data-menu="submenu-2" class="menu__level">
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Citrus Fruits</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Berries</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" data-submenu="submenu-2-1" href="#">Special Selection</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Tropical Fruits</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Melons</a></li>
			</ul>
			<!-- Submenu 2-1 -->
			<ul data-menu="submenu-2-1" class="menu__level">
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Exotic Mixes</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Wild Pick</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Vitamin Boosters</a></li>
			</ul>
			<!-- Submenu 3 -->
			<ul data-menu="submenu-3" class="menu__level">
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Buckwheat</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Millet</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Quinoa</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Wild Rice</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Durum Wheat</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" data-submenu="submenu-3-1" href="#">Promo Packs</a></li>
			</ul>
			<!-- Submenu 3-1 -->
			<ul data-menu="submenu-3-1" class="menu__level">
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Starter Kit</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">The Essential 8</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Bolivian Secrets</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Flour Packs</a></li>
			</ul>
			<!-- Submenu 4 -->
			<ul data-menu="submenu-4" class="menu__level">
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Grain Mylks</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Seed Mylks</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Nut Mylks</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Nutri Drinks</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" data-submenu="submenu-4-1" href="#">Selection</a></li>
			</ul>
			<!-- Submenu 4-1 -->
			<ul data-menu="submenu-4-1" class="menu__level">
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Nut Mylk Packs</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Amino Acid Heaven</a></li>
				<li class="menu__item"><a class="menu__link" href="#">Allergy Free</a></li>
			</ul>
		</div>
	</nav>
	<div class="content">
		<p class="info">Please choose a category</p>
		<!-- Ajax loaded content here -->
	</div>
</div>
<!-- /view -->
<script src="js/classie.js"></script>
<script src="js/dummydata.js"></script>
<script src="js/main.js"></script>
<script>
(function() {
	var menuEl = document.getElementById('ml-menu'),
		mlmenu = new MLMenu(menuEl, {
			// breadcrumbsCtrl : true, // show breadcrumbs
			// initialBreadcrumb : 'all', // initial breadcrumb text
			backCtrl : false, // show back button
			// itemsDelayInterval : 60, // delay between each menu item sliding animation
			onItemClick: loadDummyData // callback: item that doesn´t have a submenu gets clicked - onItemClick([event], [inner HTML of the clicked item])
		});

	// mobile menu toggle
	var openMenuCtrl = document.querySelector('.action--open'),
		closeMenuCtrl = document.querySelector('.action--close');

	openMenuCtrl.addEventListener('click', openMenu);
	closeMenuCtrl.addEventListener('click', closeMenu);

	function openMenu() {
		classie.add(menuEl, 'menu--open');
	}

	function closeMenu() {
		classie.remove(menuEl, 'menu--open');
	}

	// simulate grid content loading
	var gridWrapper = document.querySelector('.content');

	function loadDummyData(ev, itemName) {
		ev.preventDefault();

		closeMenu();
		gridWrapper.innerHTML = '';
		classie.add(gridWrapper, 'content--loading');
		setTimeout(function() {
			classie.remove(gridWrapper, 'content--loading');
			gridWrapper.innerHTML = '<ul class="products">' + dummyData[itemName] + '<ul>';
		}, 700);
	}
})();
</script>

The CSS

/* Icons (made with Icomoon.io) */
/* Feather Icons by Cole Bemis */
@font-face {
	font-family: 'feather';
	font-weight: normal;
	font-style: normal;
	src: url('../fonts/feather/feather.eot?1gafuo');
	src: url('../fonts/feather/feather.eot?1gafuo#iefix') format('embedded-opentype'), url('../fonts/feather/feather.woff2?1gafuo') format('woff2'), url('../fonts/feather/feather.ttf?1gafuo') format('truetype'), url('../fonts/feather/feather.woff?1gafuo') format('woff'), url('../fonts/feather/feather.svg?1gafuo#feather') format('svg');
}

.icon {
	font-family: 'feather';
	font-weight: normal;
	font-style: normal;
	font-variant: normal;
	line-height: 1;
	text-transform: none;
	/* Better Font Rendering =========== */
	-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;
	-moz-osx-font-smoothing: grayscale;
	speak: none;
}

.icon--arrow-left:before {
	content: 'e901';
}

.icon--menu:before {
	content: 'e903';
}

.icon--cross:before {
	content: 'e117';
} 

/* Menu styles */

.menu {
	position: fixed;
	top: 120px;
	left: 0;
	width: 300px;
	height: calc(100vh - 120px);
	background: #1c1d22;
}

.menu__wrap {
	position: absolute;
	top: 3.5em;
	bottom: 0;
	overflow: hidden;
	width: 100%;
}

.menu__level {
	position: absolute;
	top: 0;
	left: 0;
	visibility: hidden;
	overflow: hidden;
	overflow-y: scroll;
	width: calc(100% + 50px);
	height: 100%;
	margin: 0;
	padding: 0;
	list-style-type: none;
}

.menu__level--current {
	visibility: visible;
}

.menu__item {
	display: block;
	width: calc(100% - 50px);
}

.menu__link {
	font-weight: 600;
	position: relative;
	display: block;
	padding: 1em 2.5em 1em 1.5em;
	color: #bdbdbd;
	-webkit-transition: color 0.1s;
	transition: color 0.1s;
}

.menu__link[data-submenu]::after {
	content: 'e904';
	font-family: 'feather';
	position: absolute;
	right: 0;
	padding: 0.25em 1.25em;
	color: #2a2b30;
}

.menu__link:hover,
.menu__link[data-submenu]:hover::after {
	color: #5c5edc;
}

.menu__link--current::before {
	content: '0B7';
	font-size: 1.5em;
	line-height: 0;
	position: absolute;
	top: 50%;
	left: 0.5em;
	height: 4px;
	color: #5c5edc;
}

[class^='animate-'],
[class*=' animate-'] {
	visibility: visible;
}

.animate-outToRight .menu__item {
	-webkit-animation: outToRight 0.6s both cubic-bezier(0.7, 0, 0.3, 1);
	animation: outToRight 0.6s both cubic-bezier(0.7, 0, 0.3, 1);
}

@-webkit-keyframes outToRight {
	to {
		opacity: 0;
		-webkit-transform: translate3d(100%, 0, 0);
		transform: translate3d(100%, 0, 0);
	}
}

@keyframes outToRight {
	to {
		opacity: 0;
		-webkit-transform: translate3d(100%, 0, 0);
		transform: translate3d(100%, 0, 0);
	}
}

.animate-outToLeft .menu__item {
	-webkit-animation: outToLeft 0.6s both cubic-bezier(0.7, 0, 0.3, 1);
	animation: outToLeft 0.6s both cubic-bezier(0.7, 0, 0.3, 1);
}

@-webkit-keyframes outToLeft {
	to {
		opacity: 0;
		-webkit-transform: translate3d(-100%, 0, 0);
		transform: translate3d(-100%, 0, 0);
	}
}

@keyframes outToLeft {
	to {
		opacity: 0;
		-webkit-transform: translate3d(-100%, 0, 0);
		transform: translate3d(-100%, 0, 0);
	}
}

.animate-inFromLeft .menu__item {
	-webkit-animation: inFromLeft 0.6s both cubic-bezier(0.7, 0, 0.3, 1);
	animation: inFromLeft 0.6s both cubic-bezier(0.7, 0, 0.3, 1);
}

@-webkit-keyframes inFromLeft {
	from {
		opacity: 0;
		-webkit-transform: translate3d(-100%, 0, 0);
		transform: translate3d(-100%, 0, 0);
	}
	to {
		opacity: 1;
		-webkit-transform: translate3d(0, 0, 0);
		transform: translate3d(0, 0, 0);
	}
}

@keyframes inFromLeft {
	from {
		opacity: 0;
		-webkit-transform: translate3d(-100%, 0, 0);
		transform: translate3d(-100%, 0, 0);
	}
	to {
		opacity: 1;
		-webkit-transform: translate3d(0, 0, 0);
		transform: translate3d(0, 0, 0);
	}
}

.animate-inFromRight .menu__item {
	-webkit-animation: inFromRight 0.6s both cubic-bezier(0.7, 0, 0.3, 1);
	animation: inFromRight 0.6s both cubic-bezier(0.7, 0, 0.3, 1);
}

@-webkit-keyframes inFromRight {
	from {
		opacity: 0;
		-webkit-transform: translate3d(100%, 0, 0);
		transform: translate3d(100%, 0, 0);
	}
	to {
		opacity: 1;
		-webkit-transform: translate3d(0, 0, 0);
		transform: translate3d(0, 0, 0);
	}
}

@keyframes inFromRight {
	from {
		opacity: 0;
		-webkit-transform: translate3d(100%, 0, 0);
		transform: translate3d(100%, 0, 0);
	}
	to {
		opacity: 1;
		-webkit-transform: translate3d(0, 0, 0);
		transform: translate3d(0, 0, 0);
	}
}

.menu__breadcrumbs {
	font-size: 0.65em;
	line-height: 1;
	position: relative;
	padding: 2.5em 3.75em 1.5em 2.5em;
}

.menu__breadcrumbs a {
	font-weight: bold;
	display: inline-block;
	cursor: pointer;
	vertical-align: middle;
	letter-spacing: 1px;
	text-transform: uppercase;
	color: #5c5edc;
}

.menu__breadcrumbs a:last-child {
	pointer-events: none;
}

.menu__breadcrumbs a:hover {
	color: #8182e0;
}

.menu__breadcrumbs a:not(:last-child)::after {
	content: 'e902';
	font-family: 'feather';
	display: inline-block;
	padding: 0 0.5em;
	color: #33353e;
}

.menu__breadcrumbs a:not(:last-child):hover::after {
	color: #33353e;
}

.menu__back {
	font-size: 1.05em;
	position: absolute;
	z-index: 100;
	top: 0;
	right: 2.25em;
	margin: 0;
	padding: 1.365em 0.65em 0 0;
	cursor: pointer;
	color: #2a2b30;
	border: none;
	background: none;
}

.menu__back--hidden {
	pointer-events: none;
	opacity: 0;
}

.menu__back:hover,
.menu__back:focus {
	color: #fff;
	outline: none;
}

/* Open and close buttons */

.action {
	position: absolute;
	display: block;
	margin: 0;
	padding: 0;
	cursor: pointer;
	border: none;
	background: none;
}

.action:focus {
	outline: none;
}

.action--open {
	font-size: 1.5em;
	top: 1em;
	left: 1em;
	display: none;
	color: #fff;
	position: fixed;
	z-index: 1000;
}

.action--close {
	font-size: 1.1em;
	top: 1.25em;
	right: 1em;
	display: none;
	color: #45464e;
}

/* Example media query */
@media screen and (max-width: 40em) {
	.action--open,
	.action--close {
		display: block;
	}
	.menu {
		z-index: 1000;
		top: 0;
		width: 100%;
		height: 100vh;
		-webkit-transform: translate3d(-100%, 0, 0);
		transform: translate3d(-100%, 0, 0);
		-webkit-transition: -webkit-transform 0.3s;
		transition: transform 0.3s;
	}
	.menu--open {
		-webkit-transform: translate3d(0, 0, 0);
		transform: translate3d(0, 0, 0);
	}
}

The JavaScript

/**
 * main.js
 * http://www.codrops.com
 *
 * Licensed under the MIT license.
 * http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php
 * 
 * Copyright 2015, Codrops
 * http://www.codrops.com
 */
;(function(window) {

	'use strict';

	var support = { animations : Modernizr.cssanimations },
		animEndEventNames = { 'WebkitAnimation' : 'webkitAnimationEnd', 'OAnimation' : 'oAnimationEnd', 'msAnimation' : 'MSAnimationEnd', 'animation' : 'animationend' },
		animEndEventName = animEndEventNames[ Modernizr.prefixed( 'animation' ) ],
		onEndAnimation = function( el, callback ) {
			var onEndCallbackFn = function( ev ) {
				if( support.animations ) {
					if( ev.target != this ) return;
					this.removeEventListener( animEndEventName, onEndCallbackFn );
				}
				if( callback && typeof callback === 'function' ) { callback.call(); }
			};
			if( support.animations ) {
				el.addEventListener( animEndEventName, onEndCallbackFn );
			}
			else {
				onEndCallbackFn();
			}
		};

	function extend( a, b ) {
		for( var key in b ) { 
			if( b.hasOwnProperty( key ) ) {
				a[key] = b[key];
			}
		}
		return a;
	}

	function MLMenu(el, options) {
		this.el = el;
		this.options = extend( {}, this.options );
		extend( this.options, options );
		
		// the menus (´s)
		this.menus = [].slice.call(this.el.querySelectorAll('.menu__level'));
		// index of current menu
		this.current = 0;

		this._init();
	}

	MLMenu.prototype.options = {
		// show breadcrumbs
		breadcrumbsCtrl : true,
		// initial breadcrumb text
		initialBreadcrumb : 'all',
		// show back button
		backCtrl : true,
		// delay between each menu item sliding animation
		itemsDelayInterval : 60,
		// direction 
		direction : 'r2l',
		// callback: item that doesn´t have a submenu gets clicked
		// onItemClick([event], [inner HTML of the clicked item])
		onItemClick : function(ev, itemName) { return false; }
	};

	MLMenu.prototype._init = function() {
		// iterate the existing menus and create an array of menus, more specifically an array of objects where each one holds the info of each menu element and its menu items
		this.menusArr = [];
		var self = this;
		this.menus.forEach(function(menuEl, pos) {
			var menu = {menuEl : menuEl, menuItems : [].slice.call(menuEl.querySelectorAll('.menu__item'))};
			self.menusArr.push(menu);

			// set current menu class
			if( pos === self.current ) {
				classie.add(menuEl, 'menu__level--current');
			}
		});

		// create back button
		if( this.options.backCtrl ) {
			this.backCtrl = document.createElement('button');
			this.backCtrl.className = 'menu__back menu__back--hidden';
			this.backCtrl.setAttribute('aria-label', 'Go back');
			this.backCtrl.innerHTML = '';
			this.el.insertBefore(this.backCtrl, this.el.firstChild);
		}
		
		
		// create breadcrumbs
		if( self.options.breadcrumbsCtrl ) {
			this.breadcrumbsCtrl = document.createElement('nav');
			this.breadcrumbsCtrl.className = 'menu__breadcrumbs';
			this.el.insertBefore(this.breadcrumbsCtrl, this.el.firstChild);
			// add initial breadcrumb
			this._addBreadcrumb(0);
		}

		// event binding
		this._initEvents();
	};

	MLMenu.prototype._initEvents = function() {
		var self = this;

		for(var i = 0, len = this.menusArr.length; i < len; ++i) {
			this.menusArr[i].menuItems.forEach(function(item, pos) {
				item.querySelector('a').addEventListener('click', function(ev) { 
					var submenu = ev.target.getAttribute('data-submenu'),
						itemName = ev.target.innerHTML,
						subMenuEl = self.el.querySelector('ul[data-menu="' + submenu + '"]');

					// check if there's a sub menu for this item
					if( submenu && subMenuEl ) {
						ev.preventDefault();
						// open it
						self._openSubMenu(subMenuEl, pos, itemName);
					}
					else {
						// add class current
						var currentlink = self.el.querySelector('.menu__link--current');
						if( currentlink ) {
							classie.remove(self.el.querySelector('.menu__link--current'), 'menu__link--current');
						}
						classie.add(ev.target, 'menu__link--current');
						
						// callback
						self.options.onItemClick(ev, itemName);
					}
				});
			});
		}
		
		// back navigation
		if( this.options.backCtrl ) {
			this.backCtrl.addEventListener('click', function() {
				self._back();
			});
		}
	};

	MLMenu.prototype._openSubMenu = function(subMenuEl, clickPosition, subMenuName) {
		if( this.isAnimating ) {
			return false;
		}
		this.isAnimating = true;
		
		// save "parent" menu index for back navigation
		this.menusArr[this.menus.indexOf(subMenuEl)].backIdx = this.current;
		// save "parent" menu´s name
		this.menusArr[this.menus.indexOf(subMenuEl)].name = subMenuName;
		// current menu slides out
		this._menuOut(clickPosition);
		// next menu (submenu) slides in
		this._menuIn(subMenuEl, clickPosition);
	};

	MLMenu.prototype._back = function() {
		if( this.isAnimating ) {
			return false;
		}
		this.isAnimating = true;

		// current menu slides out
		this._menuOut();
		// next menu (previous menu) slides in
		var backMenu = this.menusArr[this.menusArr[this.current].backIdx].menuEl;
		this._menuIn(backMenu);

		// remove last breadcrumb
		if( this.options.breadcrumbsCtrl ) {
			this.breadcrumbsCtrl.removeChild(this.breadcrumbsCtrl.lastElementChild);
		}
	};

	MLMenu.prototype._menuOut = function(clickPosition) {
		// the current menu
		var self = this,
			currentMenu = this.menusArr[this.current].menuEl,
			isBackNavigation = typeof clickPosition == 'undefined' ? true : false;

		// slide out current menu items - first, set the delays for the items
		this.menusArr[this.current].menuItems.forEach(function(item, pos) {
			item.style.WebkitAnimationDelay = item.style.animationDelay = isBackNavigation ? parseInt(pos * self.options.itemsDelayInterval) + 'ms' : parseInt(Math.abs(clickPosition - pos) * self.options.itemsDelayInterval) + 'ms';
		});
		// animation class
		if( this.options.direction === 'r2l' ) {
			classie.add(currentMenu, !isBackNavigation ? 'animate-outToLeft' : 'animate-outToRight');
		}
		else {
			classie.add(currentMenu, isBackNavigation ? 'animate-outToLeft' : 'animate-outToRight');	
		}
	};

	MLMenu.prototype._menuIn = function(nextMenuEl, clickPosition) {
		var self = this,
			// the current menu
			currentMenu = this.menusArr[this.current].menuEl,
			isBackNavigation = typeof clickPosition == 'undefined' ? true : false,
			// index of the nextMenuEl
			nextMenuIdx = this.menus.indexOf(nextMenuEl),

			nextMenuItems = this.menusArr[nextMenuIdx].menuItems,
			nextMenuItemsTotal = nextMenuItems.length;

		// slide in next menu items - first, set the delays for the items
		nextMenuItems.forEach(function(item, pos) {
			item.style.WebkitAnimationDelay = item.style.animationDelay = isBackNavigation ? parseInt(pos * self.options.itemsDelayInterval) + 'ms' : parseInt(Math.abs(clickPosition - pos) * self.options.itemsDelayInterval) + 'ms';

			// we need to reset the classes once the last item animates in
			// the "last item" is the farthest from the clicked item
			// let's calculate the index of the farthest item
			var farthestIdx = clickPosition <= nextMenuItemsTotal/2 || isBackNavigation ? nextMenuItemsTotal - 1 : 0;

			if( pos === farthestIdx ) {
				onEndAnimation(item, function() {
					// reset classes
					if( self.options.direction === 'r2l' ) {
						classie.remove(currentMenu, !isBackNavigation ? 'animate-outToLeft' : 'animate-outToRight');
						classie.remove(nextMenuEl, !isBackNavigation ? 'animate-inFromRight' : 'animate-inFromLeft');
					}
					else {
						classie.remove(currentMenu, isBackNavigation ? 'animate-outToLeft' : 'animate-outToRight');
						classie.remove(nextMenuEl, isBackNavigation ? 'animate-inFromRight' : 'animate-inFromLeft');
					}
					classie.remove(currentMenu, 'menu__level--current');
					classie.add(nextMenuEl, 'menu__level--current');

					//reset current
					self.current = nextMenuIdx;

					// control back button and breadcrumbs navigation elements
					if( !isBackNavigation ) {
						// show back button
						if( self.options.backCtrl ) {
							classie.remove(self.backCtrl, 'menu__back--hidden');
						}
						
						// add breadcrumb
						self._addBreadcrumb(nextMenuIdx);
					}
					else if( self.current === 0 && self.options.backCtrl ) {
						// hide back button
						classie.add(self.backCtrl, 'menu__back--hidden');
					}

					// we can navigate again..
					self.isAnimating = false;
				});
			}
		});	
		
		// animation class
		if( this.options.direction === 'r2l' ) {
			classie.add(nextMenuEl, !isBackNavigation ? 'animate-inFromRight' : 'animate-inFromLeft');
		}
		else {
			classie.add(nextMenuEl, isBackNavigation ? 'animate-inFromRight' : 'animate-inFromLeft');
		}
	};

	MLMenu.prototype._addBreadcrumb = function(idx) {
		if( !this.options.breadcrumbsCtrl ) {
			return false;
		}

		var bc = document.createElement('a');
		bc.innerHTML = idx ? this.menusArr[idx].name : this.options.initialBreadcrumb;
		this.breadcrumbsCtrl.appendChild(bc);

		var self = this;
		bc.addEventListener('click', function(ev) {
			ev.preventDefault();

			// do nothing if this breadcrumb is the last one in the list of breadcrumbs
			if( !bc.nextSibling || self.isAnimating ) {
				return false;
			}
			self.isAnimating = true;
			
			// current menu slides out
			self._menuOut();
			// next menu slides in
			var nextMenu = self.menusArr[idx].menuEl;
			self._menuIn(nextMenu);

			// remove breadcrumbs that are ahead
			var siblingNode;
			while (siblingNode = bc.nextSibling) {
				self.breadcrumbsCtrl.removeChild(siblingNode);
			}
		});
	};

	window.MLMenu = MLMenu;

})(window);

Find this project on Github

Tagged with: menu

Mary Lou

ML is a freelance web designer and developer with a passion for interaction design. She studied Cognitive Science and Computational Logic and has a weakness for the smell of freshly ground peppercorns.

http://www.codrops.com

CSS Reference

Learn about all important CSS properties from the basics with our extensive and easy-to-read CSS Reference.

It doesn't matter if you are a beginner or intermediate, start learning CSS now.

Feedback ⁷⁰

Comments are closed.

rhinorck March 27, 2017 at 07:15

How can I get the links to go to html files? I want to integrate with WordPress but when I try to use external links as suggested by @Raymond above, the menu disappears. Anyone had any success with this?
- Ardian June 22, 2017 at 13:45
  
  In order to work the external link (the last one with href),just delete the “onItemClick” so: onItemClick: loadDummyData – also the loadDummyData(){…} function.
  
  P.S – on the demo link “https://tympanus.net/Blueprints/MultiLevelMenu/” the menu works on my iphone 4s, but when I download the source, I click on the menu and it doesn’t open. This is very strange, is there any different script called online (which I dont think so). Any idea ???
Van ARV May 27, 2017 at 18:09

Hey, thanks very much. for this awesome blueprint. I have an urgent request. I tried to use this blueprint as a non-ajax Main-Navigation for a CMS. After figuring out the current page and the related submenu I set the according index to this.current in the JS-File. The according submenu is opening when a subpage is loaded, which is fine, but the breadcrumbs and back controls are not behaving accordingly, because it thinks the opened submenu is the new root-level. I already opened an issue on GitHub, but no answer so far. Any ideas on how to set/open a submenu on initialization?
rndDesto July 28, 2017 at 05:47

This plugin is awesome, but I have problem with crossbrowser test. It says multybrowser support, how I can run on IE10+ and Microsoft Edge. Menu is blank even if I already allow block content.
- Aatif November 15, 2017 at 05:28
  
  Did you find any solution to this problem? I am experiencing the same problem
James August 4, 2017 at 13:05

Do you really need all that JavaScript ??

What if I just wanted a menu with different levels could I just use JQuery(Hide/Show/AddClass) etc etc I’m not bothered about the history displaying links either ?
Color 3D August 15, 2017 at 22:47

The Best!
Michal August 25, 2017 at 16:58

Maybe you mentioned …,
How can I change the icon to display div content in html?
…I’m sorry, I’m not professional
Thank you
Michal
Lucas October 1, 2017 at 19:52

This is awesome! just wondering if anyone knows if there’s a React version of this sort of thing? Otherwise I might have crack at making one.Thanks for building this, Captain Tympanus 🙂
Aatif November 15, 2017 at 06:43

Did anyone solve the problem of this plugin not working on Internet Explorer?
Indah Ramayani January 11, 2018 at 13:15

this not work on internet explorer. but this very awesome menu.
wong January 26, 2018 at 13:15

The online version is working well at IE, but the download version not working…. 🙁
Lauren Barker February 15, 2018 at 19:49

Major props for such a good UX and creative way to make deep navigation beautiful. Using it a current project and will submit a pull request once I’ve added some features mobile vs desktop versions.

FYI for those wondering about browser compatibility issues – Looks like the main.js file is different from the version supplied within the repo. When I updated my local version to use the exact main.js code from tympanus.net instead of the downloaded version or repo, compatibility issues for IE 11 and safari were solved.
Max Bentz March 9, 2018 at 08:50

Any idea how to disable the animations and still have the menu work? I have created a dynamic menu which can take database items and generate a menu, however modernizer or classie keeps disabling the menu when I disable animations. It’s about efficiency with the dynamic menu and the animations are really slowing it down. Even if I set the delays to like .01 JS will stop the menu from working.

Any help on completely removing classie.js and modernizer would be awesome. Thank you.
Zoran Wolf May 17, 2018 at 16:16

I would like to show the backCtrl Back Button. How do I do this?
Zoran Wolf May 17, 2018 at 17:41

Is it possible to add a Back Button and have the breadcrumbs? Where is the backCtrl set to false?

Cookie	Duration	Description
__utma	2 years	This cookie is set by Google Analytics and is used to distinguish users and sessions. The cookie is created when the JavaScript library executes and there are no existing __utma cookies. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to Google Analytics.
__utmb	30 minutes	The cookie is set by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to determine new sessions/visits. The cookie is created when the JavaScript library executes and there are no existing __utma cookies. The cookie is updated every time data is sent to Google Analytics.
__utmc	session	The cookie is set by Google Analytics and is deleted when the user closes the browser. The cookie is not used by ga.js. The cookie is used to enable interoperability with urchin.js which is an older version of Google analytics and used in conjunction with the __utmb cookie to determine new sessions/visits.
__utmt	10 minutes	The cookie is set by Google Analytics and is used to throttle request rate.
__utmz	6 months	This cookie is set by Google analytics and is used to store the traffic source or campaign through which the visitor reached your site.

Cookie	Duration	Description
IDE	1 year 24 days	Used by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile.
test_cookie	15 minutes	This cookie is set by doubleclick.net. The purpose of the cookie is to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.

Cookie	Duration	Description
ak_bmsc	2 hours	No description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional	1 year	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others	1 year	No description
_mcid	1 year	No description

The HTML

The CSS

The JavaScript

Mary Lou

Exploring Animations for Menu Hover Effects

Morphing Gooey Text Hover Effect

Inline Menu Layout with Gallery Panel

Subscribe to Codrops

CSS Reference

Feedback 70

Feedback ⁷⁰