Creating a Popover in React with Pure CSS
The HTML <popover>
element is on its way to becoming a standard way to create dismissible
overlays, but browser support is still evolving. While we wait for full adoption, we can easily create
similar functionality in React using a combination of state, CSS, and event handling. This post will guide
you through building a simple yet effective popover component.
The Challenge
We want to create a small information box that appears when a user hovers over an element. This is a common
UI pattern used for tooltips, help text, and other contextual information. Since the
<popover>
tag isn't universally available yet, we'll implement this ourselves.
The Basic HTML/CSS Approach
Let's first look at the basic HTML and CSS structure that achieves this effect:
<div class="tooltip-container">
Instant Capital
<div class="tooltip">Lorem ipsums</div>
</div>
.tooltip-container {
position: relative;
width: fit-content;
cursor: pointer;
}
.tooltip {
position: absolute;
top: -2px;
left: 100%;
display: none;
transform: translateY(-100%) translateX(-16px); /* Adjust positioning as needed */
background-color: #333; /* Example styling */
color: white;
padding: 5px 10px;
border-radius: 4px;
white-space: nowrap; /* Prevent text wrapping */
z-index: 1; /* Ensure it's on top */
}
.tooltip-container:hover .tooltip {
display: inline;
}
This works by hiding the .tooltip element by default (display: none;) and then showing it on hover of the .tooltip-container using the :hover pseudo-class.
Further Enhancements
- Positioning: You can use JavaScript to dynamically calculate the popover position to prevent it from going off-screen. Libraries like react-popper or floating-ui can help with this.
- Click to Toggle: Instead of hover, you could use a click event to toggle the popover.
- Dismiss on Outside Click: Add an event listener to the document to close the popover when the user clicks outside of it.
- Animations: Use CSS transitions or animations for a smoother user experience.
As the <popover>
element gains wider browser support, we can eventually transition to it,
but for now, this approach offers a reliable alternative.