Menu
How TO – Search Menu
Learn how to create a search menu to filter links with JavaScript.
Search/Filter Menu
How to search for links in a navigation menu:
Search Menu
Start to type for a specific category inside the search bar to “filter” the search options.
Menu
Page Content
Start to type for a specific category inside the search bar to “filter” the search options.
Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..
Some other text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..
Some text..
Try it Yourself
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta name=”viewport” content=”width=device-width, initial-scale=1″>
<style>
body {
font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
}
* {
box-sizing: border-box;
}
/* Create a column layout with Flexbox */
.row {
display: flex;
}
/* Left column (menu) */
.left {
flex: 35%;
padding: 15px 0;
}
.left h2 {
padding-left: 8px;
}
/* Right column (page content) */
.right {
flex: 65%;
padding: 15px;
}
/* Style the search box */
#mySearch {
width: 100%;
font-size: 18px;
padding: 11px;
border: 1px solid #ddd;
}
/* Style the navigation menu inside the left column */
#myMenu {
list-style-type: none;
padding: 0;
margin: 0;
}
#myMenu li a {
padding: 12px;
text-decoration: none;
color: black;
display: block
}
#myMenu li a:hover {
background-color: #eee;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h2>Search Menu</h2>
<p>Start to type for a specific category inside the search bar to “filter” the search options.</p>
<div>
<div style=”background-color:#bbb;”>
<h2>Menu</h2>
<input type=”text” id=”mySearch” onkeyup=”myFunction()” placeholder=”Search..” title=”Type in a category”>
<ul id=”myMenu”>
<li><a href=”#”>HTML</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>CSS</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>JavaScript</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>PHP</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>Python</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>jQuery</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>SQL</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>Bootstrap</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>Node.js</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style=”background-color:#ddd;”>
<h2>Page Content</h2>
<p>Start to type for a specific category inside the search bar to “filter” the search options.</p>
<p>Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..</p>
<p>Some other text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..</p>
<p>Some text..</p>
</div>
</div>
<script>
function myFunction() {
var input, filter, ul, li, a, i;
input = document.getElementById(“mySearch”);
filter = input.value.toUpperCase();
ul = document.getElementById(“myMenu”);
li = ul.getElementsByTagName(“li”);
for (i = 0; i < li.length; i++) {
a = li[i].getElementsByTagName(“a”)[0];
if (a.innerHTML.toUpperCase().indexOf(filter) > -1) {
li[i].style.display = “”;
} else {
li[i].style.display = “none”;
}
}
}
</script>
</body>
</html>
Create A Search Menu
Step 1) Add HTML:
Example
<input type=”text” id=”mySearch” onkeyup=”myFunction()” placeholder=”Search..” title=”Type in a category”>
<ul id=”myMenu”>
<li><a href=”#”>HTML</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>CSS</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>JavaScript</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>PHP</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>Python</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>jQuery</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>SQL</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>Bootstrap</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>Node.js</a></li>
</ul>
Note: We use href=”#” in this demo since we do not have a page to link it to. In real life this should be a real URL to a specific page.
Step 2) Add CSS:
Style the search box and the navigation menu:
Example
/* Style the search box */
#mySearch {
width: 100%;
font-size: 18px;
padding: 11px;
border: 1px solid #ddd;
}
/* Style the navigation menu */
#myMenu {
list-style-type: none;
padding: 0;
margin: 0;
}
/* Style the navigation links */
#myMenu li a {
padding: 12px;
text-decoration: none;
color: black;
display: block
}
#myMenu li a:hover {
background-color: #eee;
}
Step 3) Add JavaScript:
Example
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta name=”viewport” content=”width=device-width, initial-scale=1″>
<style>
body {
font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
}
* {
box-sizing: border-box;
}
/* Create a column layout with Flexbox */
.row {
display: flex;
}
/* Left column (menu) */
.left {
flex: 35%;
padding: 15px 0;
}
.left h2 {
padding-left: 8px;
}
/* Right column (page content) */
.right {
flex: 65%;
padding: 15px;
}
/* Style the search box */
#mySearch {
width: 100%;
font-size: 18px;
padding: 11px;
border: 1px solid #ddd;
}
/* Style the navigation menu inside the left column */
#myMenu {
list-style-type: none;
padding: 0;
margin: 0;
}
#myMenu li a {
padding: 12px;
text-decoration: none;
color: black;
display: block
}
#myMenu li a:hover {
background-color: #eee;
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h2>Search Menu</h2>
<p>Start to type for a specific category inside the search bar to “filter” the search options.</p>
<div>
<div style=”background-color:#bbb;”>
<h2>Menu</h2>
<input type=”text” id=”mySearch” onkeyup=”myFunction()” placeholder=”Search..” title=”Type in a category”>
<ul id=”myMenu”>
<li><a href=”#”>HTML</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>CSS</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>JavaScript</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>PHP</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>Python</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>jQuery</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>SQL</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>Bootstrap</a></li>
<li><a href=”#”>Node.js</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style=”background-color:#ddd;”>
<h2>Page Content</h2>
<p>Start to type for a specific category inside the search bar to “filter” the search options.</p>
<p>Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..</p>
<p>Some other text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..Some text..</p>
<p>Some text..</p>
</div>
</div>
<script>
function myFunction() {
var input, filter, ul, li, a, i;
input = document.getElementById(“mySearch”);
filter = input.value.toUpperCase();
ul = document.getElementById(“myMenu”);
li = ul.getElementsByTagName(“li”);
for (i = 0; i < li.length; i++) {
a = li[i].getElementsByTagName(“a”)[0];
if (a.innerHTML.toUpperCase().indexOf(filter) > -1) {
li[i].style.display = “”;
} else {
li[i].style.display = “none”;
}
}
}
</script>
</body>
</html>