Custom Select Menus and Inputs CSS styling

Styling form elements like select menus and inputs can significantly enhance the user experience and make your web application visually appealing. By using CSS, you can customize the appearance of these elements to match your design requirements. This article will explore various techniques for styling custom select menus and inputs, provide practical examples, and demonstrate how to achieve a polished and cohesive look.

Styling Custom Select Menus

By default, select menus are rendered according to the operating system's native styles, which may not align with your design. Customizing select menus can provide a consistent look and feel across different platforms.

Basic Styling:

Start by giving the select menu a custom appearance using CSS properties such as background, border, and padding.

<select class="custom-select">
  <option value="1">Option 1</option>
  <option value="2">Option 2</option>
  <option value="3">Option 3</option>
</select>

.custom-select {
  width: 100%;
  padding: 10px;
  border: 1px solid #ccc;
  border-radius: 4px;
  background-color: #fff;
  font-size: 16px;
  appearance: none;
  cursor: pointer;
}

Custom Dropdown Arrow:

To further customize the select menu, add a custom dropdown arrow using CSS pseudo-elements and the background property.

.custom-select {
  position: relative;
  background-image: url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAyNCAyNCIgZmlsbD0ibm9uZSI+PHBhdGggZD0iTTExLjI5NyAxNi4yOTdMMTguNTg2IDlsMS40MTQgMS40MTRMMTEuMjk3IDE5TDMuOTI5IDEwLjcxOUw1LjM0MyA5LjMwNiAxMS4yOTcgMTYuMjk3WiIgZmlsbD0iIzAwMCIvPjwvc3ZnPg==');
  background-repeat: no-repeat;
  background-position: right 10px center;
  background-size: 12px;
}

.custom-select::after {
  content: '';
  position: absolute;
  top: 50%;
  right: 10px;
  transform: translateY(-50%);
  width: 0;
  height: 0;
  border-left: 5px solid transparent;
  border-right: 5px solid transparent;
  border-top: 5px solid #000;
}

Understanding Grid-gap

The grid-gap property defines the space between grid items. It is a shorthand for grid-row-gap and grid-column-gap.

Syntax:

.grid-container {
  display: grid;
  grid-gap: 10px 20px;
}

Values:

• grid-gap: Specifies the gap between both rows and columns.
• grid-row-gap: Specifies the gap between rows.
• grid-column-gap: Specifies the gap between columns.

Example:

<div class="grid-container">
  <div class="grid-item">Item 1</div>
  <div class="grid-item">Item 2</div>
  <div class="grid-item">Item 3</div>
</div>

.grid-container {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr);
  grid-gap: 10px 20px;
}

.grid-item {
  background-color: #3498db;
  color: #fff;
  padding: 20px;
}

Practical Examples of CSS3 Grid Properties

Let's explore some practical examples to demonstrate how to use grid-template, grid-gap, and grid-auto-rows to create visually appealing and flexible layouts.

Responsive Card Layout:

<div class="card-container">
  <div class="card">Card 1</div>
  <div class="card">Card 2</div>
  <div class="card">Card 3</div>
  <div class="card">Card 4</div>
  <div class="card">Card 5</div>
  <div class="card">Card 6</div>
</div>

.card-container {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(200px, 1fr));
  grid-gap: 20px;
  grid-auto-rows: minmax(100px, auto);
}

.card {
  background-color: #3498db;
  color: #fff;
  padding: 20px;
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: center;
}

Grid Layout for a Dashboard:

<div class="dashboard-container">
  <div class="header">Header</div>
  <div class="sidebar">Sidebar</div>
  <div class="content">Main Content</div>
  <div class="footer">Footer</div>
</div>

.dashboard-container {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-areas: 
    'header header header'
    'sidebar main main'
    'footer footer footer';
  grid-template-columns: 200px 1fr;
  grid-template-rows: auto 1fr auto;
  grid-gap: 20px;
  grid-auto-rows: minmax(100px, auto);
}

.header {
  grid-area: header;
  background-color: #ff7e5f;
  color: #fff;
  padding: 20px;
}

.sidebar {
  grid-area: sidebar;
  background-color: #feb47b;
  color: #fff;
  padding: 20px;
}

.content {
  grid-area: main;
  background-color: #6a0572;
  color: #fff;
  padding: 20px;
}

.footer {
  grid-area: footer;
  background-color: #3498db;
  color: #fff;
  padding: 20px;
}

Fun Facts and Little-Known Insights

• Fun Fact: The CSS Grid Layout was designed to simplify the process of creating complex web layouts without relying on floats and positioning hacks.
• Insight: Using named grid areas with grid-template-areas makes it easier to understand and manage the layout of the grid, especially in complex designs.
• Secret: The minmax() function allows for flexible sizing of grid tracks, ensuring they are never smaller than a specified minimum size or larger than a specified maximum size.
• Trivia: The CSS Grid Layout specification was developed by the W3C and is now supported by all major browsers, making it a reliable choice for modern web design.
• Hidden Gem: By combining CSS Grid with media queries, developers can create highly responsive layouts that adapt to different screen sizes and orientations seamlessly.

Conclusion

CSS3 Grid Layout provides a powerful and flexible system for creating complex grid systems with ease. By understanding and utilizing properties such as grid-template, grid-gap, and grid-auto-rows, developers can achieve precise control over their layouts. Combining CSS Grid with other layout methods like Flexbox opens up endless possibilities for creating responsive and adaptive designs. Embrace the power of CSS Grid to elevate your web design and create visually stunning layouts that captivate your audience.