How do I create a CSS-only animated dropdown menu?
Davide S

Creating a CSS-only animated dropdown menu allows you to add interactive and visually appealing navigation to your website without relying on JavaScript or other scripting languages. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to create a CSS-only animated dropdown menu: 1. HTML Structure: Set up the HTML structure for your dropdown menu. You'll need a parent navigation element and nested lists for the dropdown items. Here's an example:

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  <nav class="dropdown-menu">
     <ul>
       <li>
         <a href="#">Menu 1</a>
         <ul class="dropdown">
           <li><a href="#">Submenu 1</a></li>
           <li><a href="#">Submenu 2</a></li>
           <!-- Add more submenu items as needed -->
         </ul>
       </li>
       <li><a href="#">Menu 2</a></li>
       <!-- Add more top-level menu items as needed -->
     </ul>
   </nav>

In this example, the.dropdown-menu class is applied to the parent navigation element. Each top-level menu item is represented by an

element, and dropdown submenus are nested within

2. CSS Styling:

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 .dropdown-menu ul {
     list-style: none;
     padding: 0;
     margin: 0;
   }

   .dropdown-menu li {
     position: relative;
     display: inline-block;
   }

   .dropdown-menu a {
     display: block;
     padding: 10px;
     background-color: #f2f2f2;
     color: #333;
     text-decoration: none;
   }

   .dropdown-menu .dropdown {
     position: absolute;
     top: 100%;
     left: 0;
     display: none;
   }

   .dropdown-menu .dropdown li {
     display: block;
   }

   .dropdown-menu li:hover > .dropdown {
     display: block;
   }

   .dropdown-menu .dropdown li a {
     white-space: nowrap;
   }

   /* Animation */
   .dropdown-menu .dropdown {
     opacity: 0;
     transform: translateY(-10px);
     transition: opacity 0.3s, transform 0.3s;
   }

   .dropdown-menu li:hover > .dropdown {
     opacity: 1;
     transform: translateY(0);
   }

In this example, the CSS styles are applied to the various elements of the dropdown menu. The top-level menu items are displayed horizontally usingdisplay: inline-block. The dropdown submenus are positioned absolutely withtop: 100% andleft: 0. The hover state of the top-level menu items triggers the display of the corresponding dropdown submenu usingdisplay: block. The animation effects are achieved by transitioning the opacity and transform properties. 3. Customize Styles: Customize the styles to match your design preferences. You can modify the colors, dimensions, typography, and animation duration to fit your design requirements. Additionally, you can apply CSS classes to further style specific dropdown items or add additional effects, such as dropdown arrows or different animation transitions. By following these steps, you can create a CSS-only animated dropdown menu. The dropdown submenus will appear and animate smoothly on hover, providing a visually engaging and interactive navigation experience. Customize the styles and functionality to match your website's design and navigation needs.

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