Menu Button
- Source: https://github.com/reach/reach-ui/tree/master/packages/menu-button
- WAI-ARIA: https://www.w3.org/TR/wai-aria-practices-1.2/#menubutton
An accessible dropdown menu for the common dropdown menu button design pattern.
Please note that the buttons on this page are styled by this website. They are just buttons, so they will appear the same as any other button in your app.
function Example() { return ( <Menu> <MenuButton> Actions <span aria-hidden>▾</span> </MenuButton> <MenuList> <MenuItem onSelect={() => alert("Download")}>Download</MenuItem> <MenuItem onSelect={() => alert("Copy")}>Create a Copy</MenuItem> <MenuItem onSelect={() => alert("Mark as Draft")}> Mark as Draft </MenuItem> <MenuItem onSelect={() => alert("Delete")}>Delete</MenuItem> <MenuLink as="a" href="https://reacttraining.com/workshops/"> Attend a Workshop </MenuLink> </MenuList> </Menu> );}
Installation
From the command line in your project directory, run npm install @reach/menu-button or yarn add @reach/menu-button. Then import the components and styles that you need:
npm install @reach/menu-button# oryarn add @reach/menu-button
import { Menu, MenuList, MenuButton, MenuItem, MenuItems, MenuPopover, MenuLink,} from "@reach/menu-button";import "@reach/menu-button/styles.css";
Component API
Menu
The wrapper component for the other components. No DOM element is rendered.
Menu Props
| Prop | Type | Required |
|---|---|---|
children | node | false |
Menu children
children: React.ReactNode | ((props: { isExpanded: boolean }) => React.ReactNode)
Requires two children: a MenuButton and a MenuList.
function Example() { return ( <Menu> <MenuButton>Actions</MenuButton> <MenuList> <MenuItem>Download</MenuItem> <MenuLink to="view">View</MenuLink> </MenuList> </Menu> );}
Alternatively, you can provide a render callback. This is helpful if you need to access the internal state of the Menu.
function Example() { return ( <Menu> {({ isExpanded }) => ( <React.Fragment> <MenuButton> {isExpanded ? "Close" : "Open"} <span aria-hidden="true">▾</span> </MenuButton> <MenuList> <MenuItem>Download</MenuItem> <MenuItem>Create a Copy</MenuItem> </MenuList> </React.Fragment> )} </Menu> );}
MenuButton
Wraps a DOM button that toggles the opening and closing of the dropdown menu. Must be rendered inside of a <Menu>.
<Menu> <MenuButton>Profile</MenuButton> {/* ... */}</Menu>
MenuButton CSS Selectors
Please see the styling guide.
A <MenuButton> wraps a normal <button> and no styles are applied to it, so any global button styles you have will be applied.
button { /* your normal button styles will be applied */}
You can use the [data-reach-menu-button] selector to style only the dropdown buttons:
[data-reach-menu-button] { color: blue;}
If you'd like to target when the menu is open use aria-expanded:
[data-reach-menu-button][aria-expanded="true"] { background: #000; color: white;}
MenuButton Props
| Prop | Type | Required |
|---|---|---|
button props | ||
children | node | false |
onMouseDown | preventableEventFunc | false |
onKeyDown | preventableEventFunc | false |
MenuButton button props
Any props not listed above will be spread onto the underlying button element. You can treat it like any other button in your app for styling.
<Menu> <MenuButton className="button-primary" style={{ boxShadow: "2px 2px 2px hsla(0, 0%, 0%, 0.25)" }} > Actions <span aria-hidden>▾</span> </MenuButton> <MenuList> <MenuItem onSelect={() => {}}>Do nothing</MenuItem> </MenuList></Menu>
MenuButton as
as?: keyof JSX.IntrinsicElements | React.ComponentType
A string representing an HTML element or a React component that will tell the MenuButton what underlying element to render. Defaults to button.
NOTE: Many semantic elements, such as
buttonelements, have meaning to assistive devices and browsers that provide context for the user and, in many cases, provide or restrict interactive behaviors. Use caution when overriding our defaults and make sure that the element you choose to render provides the same experience for all users. While this prop is useful for passing custom implementations, such as styled or design-system components, using anything that renders the wrong semantic HTML element will require stubbing specific behaviors and attributes. This is highly discouraged.
MenuButton children
children: React.ReactNode
Accepts any renderable content.
<MenuButton> Actions{" "} <span aria-hidden> <Gear /> </span></MenuButton>
MenuList
Wraps a DOM element that renders the menu items. Must be rendered inside of a <Menu>.
<Menu> {/* ... */} <MenuList> <MenuItem onSelect={() => {}}>Download</MenuItem> </MenuList></Menu>
MenuList CSS Selectors
[data-reach-menu-list] { padding: 20px 10px;}
MenuList Props
MenuList div props
All props are spread to the underlying element. Here we apply a className the element.
function Example() { return ( <Menu> <MenuButton> Actions <span aria-hidden>▾</span> </MenuButton> <MenuList className="slide-down"> <MenuItem onSelect={() => {}}>Start Video</MenuItem> <MenuItem onSelect={() => {}}>Start Screenshare</MenuItem> <MenuItem onSelect={() => {}}>Send a Message</MenuItem> </MenuList> </Menu> );}
The stylesheet contains these rules to create the animation.
@keyframes slide-down { 0% { opacity: 0; transform: translateY(-10px); } 100% { opacity: 1; transform: translateY(0); }}.slide-down[data-reach-menu-list],.slide-down[data-reach-menu-items] { border-radius: 5px; animation: slide-down 0.2s ease;}
MenuList children
children: React.ReactNode
Can contain only MenuItem or a MenuLink
<MenuList> <MenuItem /> <MenuLink /></MenuList>
MenuList portal
portal?: boolean
Whether or not the popover should be rendered inside a portal. Defaults to true.
MenuPopover
A low-level wrapper for the popover that appears when a menu button is open. You can compose it with MenuItems for more control over the nested components and their rendered DOM nodes, or if you need to nest arbitrary components between the outer wrapper and your list.
<Menu> {/* ... */} <MenuPopover> <div className="arbitrary-element"> <MenuItems> <MenuItem onSelect={() => {}}>Download</MenuItem> </MenuItems> </div> </MenuPopover></Menu>
MenuPopover CSS Selectors
[data-reach-menu-popover] {}
MenuPopover Props
MenuPopover children props
children: React.ReactNode
MenuPopover portal
portal?: boolean
Whether or not the popover should be rendered inside a portal. Defaults to true.
MenuItems
A low-level wrapper for menu items. Compose it with MenuPopover for more control over the nested components and their rendered DOM nodes, or if you need to nest arbitrary components between the outer wrapper and your list.
See MenuPopover for details.
MenuItems CSS Selectors
[data-reach-menu-items] {}
MenuItem
Handles menu selection. Must be a direct child of a <MenuList>.
<MenuList> <MenuItem onSelect={() => alert("download!")}>Download</MenuItem></MenuList>
MenuItem CSS Selectors
Please see the styling guide.
[data-reach-menu-item] { padding: 20px 10px;}
To change the styles of a highlighted menu item, use this pseudo-pseudo selector:
[data-reach-menu-item][data-selected] { background: red;}
The following example has this css applied:
.red-highlight[data-reach-menu-item][data-selected] { background: red;}
function Example() { return ( <Menu> <MenuButton> Actions <span aria-hidden>▾</span> </MenuButton> <MenuList> <MenuItem className="red-highlight" onSelect={() => {}}> Start Video </MenuItem> <MenuItem className="red-highlight" onSelect={() => {}}> Start Screenshare </MenuItem> </MenuList> </Menu> );}
MenuItem Props
| Prop | Type | Required |
|---|---|---|
| element props | ||
as | string | Component | false |
children | node | false |
onSelect | func | true |
MenuItem element props
All props are spread to the underlying element.
In this example the onFocus prop is passed down to the element.
function Example(props) { const [focusCount, setFocusCount] = React.useState(0); return ( <Menu> <MenuButton>Actions</MenuButton> <MenuList> <MenuItem onFocus={() => { setFocusCount(prevFocusCount => prevFocusCount + 1); }} onSelect={() => {}} > Focused {focusCount} Times </MenuItem> <MenuItem onSelect={() => {}}>Start Screenshare</MenuItem> <MenuItem onSelect={() => {}}>Send a Message</MenuItem> </MenuList> </Menu> );}
MenuItem as
as?: keyof JSX.IntrinsicElements | React.ComponentType
A string representing an HTML element or a React component that will tell the MenuItem what underlying element to render. Defaults to div.
You can pass another element or use this prop to render a styled component.
const StyledItem = styled.div` &[data-selected] { background: palevioletred; }`;function Example() { return ( <Menu> <MenuButton id="example-button"> Actions <span aria-hidden="true">▾</span> </MenuButton> <MenuList> <MenuItem as={StyledItem} onSelect={action("Download")}> Download </MenuItem> <MenuItem as={StyledItem} onSelect={action("Copy")}> Create a Copy </MenuItem> <MenuItem as={StyledItem} onSelect={action("Mark as Draft")}> Mark as Draft </MenuItem> <MenuItem as={StyledItem} onSelect={action("Delete")}> Delete </MenuItem> </MenuList> </Menu> );}
MenuItem children
children: React.ReactNode
You can put any type of content inside of a <MenuItem>.
function Example(props) { return ( <Menu> <MenuButton> Your Cats <span aria-hidden>▾</span> </MenuButton> <MenuList className="kittys"> <MenuItem onSelect={() => {}}> <img src="https://placekitten.com/100/100" alt="Fluffybuns the destroyer" /> <span>Fluffybuns the Destroyer</span> </MenuItem> <MenuItem onSelect={() => {}}> <img src="https://placekitten.com/120/120" alt="Simon the pensive" /> <span>Simon the pensive</span> </MenuItem> </MenuList> </Menu> );}
MenuItem onSelect
onSelect(): void
Callback that fires when a MenuItem is selected.
MenuLink
Handles linking to a different page in the menu. By default it renders <a>, but also accepts any other kind of Link as long as the Link uses the React.forwardRef API.
Must be a direct child of a <MenuList>.
import { Link } from "@reach/router";<MenuList> <MenuLink as={Link} to="somewhere/else"> Somewhere w/ Reach Router </MenuLink> <MenuLink href="https://reactjs.org">Official React Site</MenuLink> <MenuLink as={GatsbyLink} to="/somewhere/with/gatsby"> Some Gatsby Page </MenuLink></MenuList>;
MenuLink CSS Selectors
Please see the styling guide.
[data-reach-menu-item] { padding: 20px 10px;}
To change the styles of a highlighted menu item, use this pseudo-pseudo selector:
[data-reach-menu-item][data-selected] { background: red;}
MenuLink Props
| Prop | Type | Required |
|---|---|---|
| element props | ||
as | string | Component | false |
children | node | false |
onSelect | func | false |
MenuLink element props
All props are spread to the underlying element
// the `to` prop is spread onto the Reach Router Link<MenuLink as={Link} to="somewhere/else"> Somewhere</MenuLink>// the `href` prop is spread onto the underlying `a`<MenuLink href="https://reactjs.org">Official React Site</MenuLink>
MenuLink as
as?: keyof JSX.IntrinsicElements | React.ComponentType
A string representing an HTML element or a React component that will tell the MenuLink what underlying element to render. Defaults to a.
While MenuLink should always render an HTML anchor tag, this is useful to pass a styled component or if you are using a router and need to use its Link component.
import { Link } from "react-router";<Menu> <MenuButton>Products</MenuButton> <MenuList> <MenuLink as={Link} to="/settings"> Settings </MenuLink> <MenuLink href="https://reacttraining.com/workshops">Workshops</MenuLink> <MenuLink href="https://reacttraining.com/courses">Online Courses</MenuLink> </MenuList></Menu>;
Additionally, if other routers' Link component uses the React.forwardRef API, you can pass them in as well. If they don’t it won't work because we will not be able to manage focus on the element the component renders.
import { Link } from "gatsby";<MenuLink as={GatsbyLink} to="/somewhere" />;
MenuLink children
children: React.ReactNode
You can render any kind of content inside of a MenuLink.
<MenuLink> <ProfileImage userId="4" /> <UserName>Ryan Florence</UserName></MenuLink>
MenuLink onSelect
onSelect?(): void
Callback that fires when a MenuLink is selected.
useMenuButtonContext
function useMenuButtonContext(): { isExpanded: boolean }
A hook that exposes data for a given Menu component to its descendants.
Notes
Unmounting the Menu after an action
If one of your menu items causes the <Menu> itself to unmount, it is your job to move focus to the changed content. One exception to this is if you're using MenuLink and Reach Router. In this case, the router will handle focus for you.
Note the callbacks given to setState in the following demo app where focus is managed between screens. If you don't do this you'll drop keyboard and screen reader users off at the top of the document. It'll then be hard for them to know what changed and how to find it. Moving focus helps them stay where you want them the very same way visual design does.
function Example(props) { const screen1FocusRef = React.useRef(); const screen2ButtonFocusRef = React.useRef(); React.useEffect(() => { requestAnimationFrame(() => { if (screen === 1) { screen1FocusRef.current.focus(); } if (screen === 2) { screen2ButtonFocusRef.current.focus(); } }); }, [screen]); const [screen, setScreen] = React.useState(1); if (screen === 1) { return ( <div ref={screen1FocusRef} tabIndex="-1"> <h4>Screen One</h4> <Menu> <MenuButton>Actions</MenuButton> <MenuList> <MenuItem onSelect={() => setScreen(2)}>Go to screen 2</MenuItem> <MenuItem onSelect={() => {}}>Do nothing</MenuItem> </MenuList> </Menu> <Menu /> </div> ); } if (screen === 2) { return ( <div> <h4>Screen 2</h4> <button ref={screen2ButtonFocusRef} onClick={() => setScreen(1)}> Back to screen 1 </button> </div> ); } return null;}
Icons
If you add an icon to indicate to users the button is a dropdown menu, use aria-hidden on the icon. Screen readers will already announce to the user that the element is a dropdown menu; adding a label to your icon would be redundant.
<MenuButton> Actions <span aria-hidden>▾</span></MenuButton>
However, if you have no text and only an icon, please make sure your icon has a screen reader friendly label:
// we'd rather it said "Actions" than// "downward pointing triangle"<MenuButton> <span aria-label="Actions">▾</span></MenuButton>// add screen reader only text for svgsimport VisuallyHidden from "@reach/visually-hidden"<MenuButton> <VisuallyHidden>Actions</VisuallyHidden> <svg aria-hidden> <polygon points="0,0 20,0 10,10 " /> </svg></MenuButton>// and your images an alt attribute<MenuButton> <img src="gear.png" alt="gear"/></MenuButton>// Or just label the button and hide everything<MenuButton aria-label="Actions"> <span aria-hidden> <TripleDots/> </span></MenuButton>
Events
You may want to pass your own click handler to a MenuButton, MenuItem or MenuLink that, in some cases, intercepts and prevents the default behavior from ocurring. You may think to do this by passing a handler to the onClick prop:
<Menu> <MenuButton>Actions</MenuButton> <MenuList> <MenuItem onClick={event => { if (!userLoggedIn) { event.preventDefault(); openDialog(); } }} onSelect={() => alert("Download")} > Download </MenuItem> </MenuList></Menu>
This won't work because we actually do not call the onClick handler to activate Menu or select MenuItem or MenuLink components. This is because a user may mouse down on a menu button, drag over a menu item and then select it by releasing the mouse trigger. A user may also start clicking one item, then drag to another item before mouseup to change their selectiion.
As such, events for each component look more like this:
MenuButton: ActivatesMenuinonMouseDownoronKeyDown(Enter or Spacebar keys)MenuItem: Selects itself inonMouseUporonKeyDown(Enter or Spacebar keys)MenuLink: Selects itself inonMouseUporonKeyDown(Enter or Spacebar keys).- For
MenuLink, theclickevent is fired after the selection events. So if you only need to intercept the event that triggers the anchor link, you can still useonClick, but the rest of the event handlers called inMenuLinkwill still be which means theMenuwill close and youronSelecthandler will be triggered.
- For
Keyboard Accessibility
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Enter | Open/close while focused on the MenuButton; Selects an item when navigating. |
| Spacebar | Open/close while focused on the MenuButton; Selects an item when navigating. |
| ArrowUp | Highlight previous item |
| ArrowDown | Highlight next item |
| Home | Highlight first item |
| End | Highlight last item |
| Escape | Close menu |
| Tab | No effect |
| Type characters | Highlights matching item |