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# Dropdowns

Toggle contextual overlays for displaying lists of links and more with the Bootstrap dropdown plugin.

## Overview

Dropdowns are toggleable, contextual overlays for displaying lists of links and more. They’re made interactive with the included Bootstrap dropdown JavaScript plugin. They’re toggled by clicking, not by hovering; this is an intentional design decision.

Dropdowns are built on a third party library, Popper.js, which provides dynamic positioning and viewport detection. Be sure to include popper.min.js before Bootstrap’s JavaScript.

## Accessibility

The WAI ARIA standard defines an actual `role="menu"` widget, but this is specific to application-like menus which trigger actions or functions. ARIA menus can only contain menu items, checkbox menu items, radio button menu items, radio button groups, and sub-menus.

Bootstrap’s dropdowns, on the other hand, are designed to be generic and applicable to a variety of situations and markup structures. For instance, it is possible to create dropdowns that contain additional inputs and form controls, such as search fields or login forms. For this reason, Bootstrap does not expect (nor automatically add) any of the `role` and `aria-` attributes required for true ARIA menus. Authors will have to include these more specific attributes themselves.

However, Bootstrap does add built-in support for most standard keyboard menu interactions, such as the ability to move through individual `.dropdown-item` elements using the cursor keys and close the menu with the `ESC` key.

## Examples

Wrap the dropdown’s toggle (your button or link) and the dropdown menu within `.dropdown`, or another element that declares `position: relative;`. Dropdowns can be triggered from `<a>` or `<button>` elements to better fit your potential needs.

### Single button dropdowns

Any single `.btn` can be turned into a dropdown toggle with some markup changes. Here’s how you can put them to work with either `<button>` elements:

    <div class="dropdown">
      <button class="btn btn-secondary dropdown-toggle" type="button" id="dropdownMenuButton" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">
        Dropdown button
      </button>
      <div class="dropdown-menu" aria-labelledby="dropdownMenuButton">
        <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Action</a>
        <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Another action</a>
        <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Something else here</a>
      </div>
    </div>

And with `<a>` elements:

Dropdown link

    <div class="dropdown show">
      <a class="btn btn-secondary dropdown-toggle" href="#" role="button" id="dropdownMenuLink" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">
        Dropdown link
      </a>

      <div class="dropdown-menu" aria-labelledby="dropdownMenuLink">
        <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Action</a>
        <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Another action</a>
        <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Something else here</a>
      </div>
    </div>

The best part is you can do this with any button variant, too:

    <!-- Example single danger button -->
    <div class="btn-group">
      <button type="button" class="btn btn-danger dropdown-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">
        Action
      </button>
      <div class="dropdown-menu">
        <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Action</a>
        <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Another action</a>
        <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Something else here</a>
        <div class="dropdown-divider"></div>
        <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Separated link</a>
      </div>
    </div>

### Split button dropdowns

Similarly, create split button dropdowns with virtually the same markup as single button dropdowns, but with the addition of `.dropdown-toggle-split` for proper spacing around the dropdown caret.

We use this extra class to reduce the horizontal `padding` on either side of the caret by 25% and remove the `margin-left` that’s added for regular button dropdowns. Those extra changes keep the caret centered in the split button and provide a more appropriately sized hit area next to the main button.

    <!-- Example split danger button -->
    <div class="btn-group">
      <button type="button" class="btn btn-danger">Action</button>
      <button type="button" class="btn btn-danger dropdown-toggle dropdown-toggle-split" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">
        <span class="sr-only">Toggle Dropdown</span>
      </button>
      <div class="dropdown-menu">
        <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Action</a>
        <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Another action</a>
        <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Something else here</a>
        <div class="dropdown-divider"></div>
        <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Separated link</a>
      </div>
    </div>

## Sizing

Button dropdowns work with buttons of all sizes, including default and split dropdown buttons.

    <!-- Large button groups (default and split) -->
    <div class="btn-group">
      <button class="btn btn-secondary btn-lg dropdown-toggle" type="button" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">
        Large button
      </button>
      <div class="dropdown-menu">
        ...
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="btn-group">
      <button class="btn btn-secondary btn-lg dropdown-toggle" type="button" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">
        Large button
      </button>
      <button type="button" class="btn btn-lg btn-secondary dropdown-toggle dropdown-toggle-split" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">
        <span class="sr-only">Toggle Dropdown</span>
      </button>
      <div class="dropdown-menu">
        ...
      </div>
    </div>

    <!-- Small button groups (default and split) -->
    <div class="btn-group">
      <button class="btn btn-secondary btn-sm dropdown-toggle" type="button" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">
        Small button
      </button>
      <div class="dropdown-menu">
        ...
      </div>
    </div>
    <div class="btn-group">
      <button class="btn btn-secondary btn-sm dropdown-toggle" type="button" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">
        Small button
      </button>
      <button type="button" class="btn btn-sm btn-secondary dropdown-toggle dropdown-toggle-split" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">
        <span class="sr-only">Toggle Dropdown</span>
      </button>
      <div class="dropdown-menu">
        ...
      </div>
    </div>

## Dropup variation

Trigger dropdown menus above elements by adding `.dropup` to the parent element.

    <!-- Default dropup button -->
    <div class="btn-group dropup">
      <button type="button" class="btn btn-secondary">Dropup</button>
      <button type="button" class="btn btn-secondary dropdown-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">
        <span class="sr-only">Toggle Dropdown</span>
      </button>
      <div class="dropdown-menu">
        <!-- Dropdown menu links -->
      </div>
    </div>

    <!-- Split dropup button -->
    <div class="btn-group dropup">
      <button type="button" class="btn btn-secondary">
        Split dropup
      </button>
      <button type="button" class="btn btn-secondary dropdown-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">
        <span class="sr-only">Toggle Dropdown</span>
      </button>
      <div class="dropdown-menu">
        <!-- Dropdown menu links -->
      </div>
    </div>

## Menu items

Historically dropdown menu contents had to be links, but that’s no longer the case with v4. Now you can optionally use `<button>` elements in your dropdowns instead of just `<a>`s.

    <div class="dropdown">
      <button class="btn btn-secondary dropdown-toggle" type="button" id="dropdownMenu2" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">
        Dropdown
      </button>
      <div class="dropdown-menu" aria-labelledby="dropdownMenu2">
        <button class="dropdown-item" type="button">Action</button>
        <button class="dropdown-item" type="button">Another action</button>
        <button class="dropdown-item" type="button">Something else here</button>
      </div>
    </div>

## Menu alignment

By default, a dropdown menu is automatically positioned 100% from the top and along the left side of its parent. Add `.dropdown-menu-right` to a `.dropdown-menu` to right align the dropdown menu.

Heads up! Dropdowns are positioned only with CSS and may need some additional styles for exact alignment.

    <div class="btn-group">
      <button type="button" class="btn btn-secondary dropdown-toggle" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">
        This dropdown's menu is right-aligned
      </button>
      <div class="dropdown-menu dropdown-menu-right">
        <button class="dropdown-item" type="button">Action</button>
        <button class="dropdown-item" type="button">Another action</button>
        <button class="dropdown-item" type="button">Something else here</button>
      </div>
    </div>

## Menu headers

Add a header to label sections of actions in any dropdown menu.

    <div class="dropdown-menu">
      <h6 class="dropdown-header">Dropdown header</h6>
      <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Action</a>
      <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Another action</a>
    </div>

## Menu dividers

Separate groups of related menu items with a divider.

    <div class="dropdown-menu">
      <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Action</a>
      <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Another action</a>
      <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Something else here</a>
      <div class="dropdown-divider"></div>
      <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Separated link</a>
    </div>

## Disabled menu items

Add `.disabled` to items in the dropdown to style them as disabled.

    <div class="dropdown-menu">
      <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Regular link</a>
      <a class="dropdown-item disabled" href="#">Disabled link</a>
      <a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Another link</a>
    </div>

## Usage

Via data attributes or JavaScript, the dropdown plugin toggles hidden content (dropdown menus) by toggling the `.show` class on the parent list item. The `data-toggle="dropdown"` attribute is relied on for closing dropdown menus at an application level, so it’s a good idea to always use it.

On touch-enabled devices, opening a dropdown adds empty (`$.noop`) `mouseover` handlers to the immediate children of the `<body>` element. This admittedly ugly hack is necessary to work around a quirk in iOS’ event delegation, which would otherwise prevent a tap anywhere outside of the dropdown from triggering the code that closes the dropdown. Once the dropdown is closed, these additional empty `mouseover` handlers are removed.

### Via data attributes

Add `data-toggle="dropdown"` to a link or button to toggle a dropdown.

    <div class="dropdown">
      <button id="dLabel" type="button" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">
        Dropdown trigger
      </button>
      <div class="dropdown-menu" aria-labelledby="dLabel">
        ...
      </div>
    </div>

### Via JavaScript

Call the dropdowns via JavaScript:

    $('.dropdown-toggle').dropdown()

##### `data-toggle="dropdown"` still required

Regardless of whether you call your dropdown via JavaScript or instead use the data-api, `data-toggle="dropdown"` is always required to be present on the dropdown’s trigger element.

### Options

Options can be passed via data attributes or JavaScript. For data attributes, append the option name to `data-`, as in `data-placement=""`.

Name | Type | Default | Description
--- | --- | --- | ---
placement | string | 'bottom' | How to position the popover - top | bottom.
offset | number | string | 0 | Offset of the dropdown relative to its target. For more information refer to Popper.js's offset docs.
flip | boolean | true | Allow Dropdown to flip in case of an overlapping on the reference element. For more information refer to Popper.js's flip docs.

### Methods

Method | Description
--- | ---
`$().dropdown('toggle')` | Toggles the dropdown menu of a given navbar or tabbed navigation.
`$().dropdown('update')` | Updates the position of an element’s dropdown.

### Events

All dropdown events are fired at the `.dropdown-menu`’s parent element and have a `relatedTarget` property, whose value is the toggling anchor element.

Event | Description
--- | ---
`show.bs.dropdown` | This event fires immediately when the show instance method is called.
`shown.bs.dropdown` | This event is fired when the dropdown has been made visible to the user (will wait for CSS transitions, to complete).
`hide.bs.dropdown` | This event is fired immediately when the hide instance method has been called.
`hidden.bs.dropdown` | This event is fired when the dropdown has finished being hidden from the user (will wait for CSS transitions, to complete).

    $('#myDropdown').on('show.bs.dropdown', function () {
      // do something…
    })