LavaLamp for jQuery lovers! August 23rd, 2007
Hover above and feel for yourself, the nifty effect of Lava Lamp. What you just experienced is nothing but the LavaLamp menu packaged as a plugin for the amazing jQuery javascript library. I personally believe that the effect rivals that of flash – Don’t you? Especially considering the fact that it is extremely light weight.
Just so you know, it weighs just 700 bytes(minified)!
Often I have noticed, that the credits are usually granted towards the end. Just for a change, i am going to give my credits at the beginning. This effect was originally written by Guillermo Rauch for the mootools javascript library. All I did was to port it for the benefit of jQuery lovers. Thanks Guillermo for inspiring the javascript world with such a nice effect. A special thanks to Stephan Beal who named it “LavaLamp”, and to Glen Lipka for generously helping with the image sprites. Many fellow jQuery lovers also helped shape this plugin with valuable feedback in the mailing list. Thanks a ton, all you guys.
As User Interface developers, we know that one of the first widgets our visitors use is a “Menu”. Capturing their attention right there is something that we always strive for, and I guess LavaLamp is a step in that direction. Before you get bored with all this useless talk, let me get you started on integrating LavaLamp into your jQuery powered site.
I hope you agree that a typical HTML widget consists of 3 distinct components.
- A semantically correct HTML markup
- A CSS to skin the markup
- An unobstrusive javascript that gives it a purpose
Now lets follow the above steps and implement the LavaLamp menu for your site. Remember, In the process of porting from mootools to jQuery, i have simplified both the javascript and CSS for your convenience. So, be informed that you will need to follow the instructions on this page to get the jQuery version running. Follow the instructions on Guillermo Rauch’s page for the mootools version.
Step 1: The HTML
Since most UI developers believe that an unordered list(ul) represents the correct semantic structure for a Menu/Navbar, we will start by writing just that.
<ul class="lavaLamp">
<li><a href="#">Home</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Plant a tree</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Travel</a></li>
<li><a href="#">Ride an elephant</a></li>
</ul>
In the markup above, “ul” represents the menu, and each “li” represents a menu-item. At this point it is crucial to understand that we will be adding another artificial “li” to represent the background of the currently highlighted menu-item. Since the background itself is cosmetic and doesn’t represent a menu-item, we will be adding it from javascript. Just to make sure we are in sync, “you need not add this li”, the LavaLamp plugin will take care of it. Once added, the “li” representing the background will look like this.
<li class="back"><div class="left"></div></li>
Step 2: The CSS
You can skin this markup in many different ways to achieve your own personalized menu. The following style sheet is just one possibility. A few more possibilities are demonstrated in the “Bonus” section towards the end of this blog entry.
/* Styles for the entire LavaLamp menu */
.lavaLamp {
position: relative;
height: 29px; width: 421px;
background: url("../image/bg.gif") no-repeat top;
padding: 15px; margin: 10px 0;
overflow: hidden;
}
/* Force the list to flow horizontally */
.lavaLamp li {
float: left;
list-style: none;
}
/* Represents the background of the highlighted menu-item. */
.lavaLamp li.back {
background: url("../image/lava.gif") no-repeat right -30px;
width: 9px; height: 30px;
z-index: 8;
position: absolute;
}
.lavaLamp li.back .left {
background: url("../image/lava.gif") no-repeat top left;
height: 30px;
margin-right: 9px;
}
/* Styles for each menu-item. */
.lavaLamp li a {
position: relative; overflow: hidden;
text-decoration: none;
text-transform: uppercase;
font: bold 14px arial;
color: #fff; outline: none;
text-align: center;
height: 30px; top: 7px;
z-index: 10; letter-spacing: 0;
float: left; display: block;
margin: auto 10px;
}
Trust me, this is a simple style sheet. Follow along to understand what is done in each of its sections.
First, we style the “ul” with the bright orange background image and some basic properties like height, width, padding, margin etc. We use relative positioning because, that way we can absolutely position the background “li” relative to the “ul”. This helps by enabling us to move this background “li” freely within the context of the parent “ul”.
Next, we make the “li”s flow horizontally instead of vertically. By default, it flows vertically. There are a couple of techniques to do this. In this case, we are using the “float:left” to achieve this effect.
Next, we style the artifical “li” that represents the background of the currently highlighted menu-item. This uses the sliding doors technique. Also, notice the absolute positioning used as mentioned above.
Finally, we style the anchor that represents the actual clickable portion of each menu-item. These styles are mostly cosmetic and self-explanatory.
Some of the above rules may not be obvious if you are not very confident in how “positioning” works in CSS. For those, i highly encourage you to quickly read this article on CSS positioning. It is short, sweet and very informative.
Step 3: The Javascript
This is the easy part. Most of the javascript work is taken care by the Lava Lamp plugin itself. As a developer, you just have to include the mandatory and/or optional javascript files and fire a call to initialize the menu.
<script type="text/javascript" src="path/to/jquery.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="path/to/jquery.lavalamp.js"></script>
<!-- Optional -->
<script type="text/javascript" src="path/to/jquery.easing.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
$(function() { $(".lavaLamp").lavaLamp({ fx: "backout", speed: 700 })});
</script>
Include a reference to the jQuery library and the LavaLamp plugin. Optionally, include the easing plugin as well. It has many cool effects, that are not contained in the core. For instance, the “backout” effect used in this demo is part of the easing plugin. You can download jQuery here, Easing plugin here, and the LavaLamp plugin here.
Next, in the document.ready event, fire a call to initialize the menu. You have the option to supply an easing “fx” , the “speed” with which the animation happens and a callback to be executed when a menu-item is clicked. They are optional, the default “fx” being “linear” and the default “speed” being “500″ ms.
That’s it. At this point you should have a working version of LavaLamp menu for your site.
Bonus
Just with some minor changes in the style sheet, you can get a totally different look n feel for the menu. And yes, the HTML markup and the Javascript remain the same.
Here is one more variation, again with just some minor changes to the style sheet. I know, they don’t look pretty, but all i am saying is that you are limited only by your imagination.
Finally, for your convenience, i have zipped up all the necessary files into a cohesive package. Download it, and open the demo.html to see all the 3 variations in one page.
Feel free to leave a comment with your feedback, suggestions, requests etc.
Update
Based on popular request, LavaLamp Menu has been updated to support jquery 1.2.x versions. Download the zip file for version 0.2.0 of LavaLamp and open the demo.html to check it out for yourself. Since Firefox 3 has some issues with $(document).ready() function, try using $(window).load() instead if you face any problems. Hopefully a future version of Firefox or jQuery will fix the problem.
thank youuuu
Completely agree with your comments on this – thanks for taking the time to post.
[...] 11. Lava Lamp [...]
Hi folks,
this lavalamp plugin is really great, but I`ve got a problem which makes me crazy.
You can see my test page under http://www.kuskus.de/lavalamp
It all seems fine, but the links don`t function and as a non-programmer I bet that I made an essential fault, which I am not able to see.
It would be so kind, if s.o. could get me a hint.
THX alot in andvance
Duffy from Germany
aha, all tutorials concerning the lavalamp seem to be made for coders and not only poor webdesigners. So if you poor webdesigners got the same problem, change in the code below “return false” to “return true”. thats it.
$(function() {
$(”#1, #2, #3″).lavaLamp({
fx: “backout”,
speed: 700,
click: function(event, menuItem) {
return true;
}
});
});
now the plugin starts to make me realy happy
Duffydodo
[...] usare il Lavalamp in uno dei nostri progetti, ma esistono due versioni una per il jQuery e una per le MooTools, peccato che io usi prototype (testato con Prototype JavaScript framework, [...]
Thank you for the wonderful plugin!
Also thank you Duffydodo. I spent ages looking through the Javascript code; didn’t think about even looking at the block of Javascript in my main page haha.
[...] Este es uno de los mejorsitos, crea un efecto “slide” muy lindo. Lavamp [...]
very good!thanks for your work!
very good! thanks…
Hi, I tried to get this to work a while back. The effect worked great on a single page, but when I clicked from one page (say index.html with a menu item: HOME) to another page (say about.html with a menu item: ABOUT), bubble would show behind the HOME menu item on page load and not behind the ABOUT one.
Am I missing something here?
I’d like to get the bubble to show on page load behind ABOUT when I’m on about.html, HOME when on index.html etc.
ade, what your trying to do is waht I wanted and I have it working, but it still adds the “.current” class to the first link. What you can do is code “.active” into the of the ACTIVE page so it becomes and then change “$li=$(”li”,this),curr=$(”li.current”,this)” in the minified JS file to “$li=$(”li”,this),curr=$(”li.active”,this)”
the only problem is, is the .current still gets added to the home link.. and i dont know how to remove it yet.. does any1 know how to get this working the correct way? or how to remove the current link from the first li?
[...] LavaLamp Navigation menu with a ‘lava’ effect. [...]
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Hi Jay,
I’m glad you understood what I was on about. That sounds like a way of doing it, but I’m sure there must be something simpler that we’re probably both missing.
Surly this plugin must be meant to do what we’re wanting it too already, I think everyone using it would want it to behave like this.
Can anyone out there help?
)
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Hi,
Possibly stupid question, but -
will jCarousel Lite work in wordpress selfhosted?
Thanks
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[...] using jQuery Very fancy style of menu design using jQuery. Gives your menu a feel like it's a Lava Lamp. Very well explained and easy to integrate [...]
thanks admin
this is very good. thanks
thank you for this article. Ive looked at the end.
thanks for your information…
Fantastic links, subscribed to a few of these!
Fantastic links, subscribed to a few of these!
thanks you!
[...] [...]
hi friend,
i am using lavalamp menu in my project, i am giving links to menus but when i am go to “about us” page from “home” page the menu selection box is appearing on “home” link, plz gaid me how can i appear that on “about us” menu in “about us” page.
thanks in advance
plz reply…..
Regards,
Kamlesh Wagh
Nashik, Maharashtra
India
If you are using Lavalamp menu in WordPress and you want to highligth the current page item, you just have to repalce all ocurrencies for “current” in jquery.lavalamp.js to “current_page_item”.
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very good !thank you for your work!
May i know how to put a dropdown submenu in my main menu that will ease when i hover it.Please help. thanks…
[...] 8. LavaLamp [...]
Hey Ganesh
Big thanks for this Plugin – Lavalamp looks awesome!
I put it on my website http://www.redkoaladesign.pl
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Maybe a stupid question ? would this work on a vertical menu ?
Thank you for sharing !
Hey,
I am wondering the same thing that others on this page have asked about keeping the current page highlighted when you click the link. If anyone has a solution I would really appreciate it. Thanks
P.S You need a better spam filter!
it is interesting and informative article. This has been very helpful understanding a lot
of things. I’m sure a lot of other people will agree with me.
thask
hey thank you for this javascript it help me to release my new website
you are so great here i have used it http://www.khoatu.de/
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[...] the Mootools library. And later a jQuery version of this menu called lavalamp was made popular by Ganesh. This time I will show you how to achieve the same effect using the CSS3 new [...]
Hi…
I’m using ur scripts as a normal scripts (not for wp or joomla).
Now the problem is how to fix the .current issue ?
Everytime i click the links, the position is back to the first li.
Too many comments already and make me dizzy to find the solution.
Thanks,
Raff
I just discovered this blog today. Do you have a recording of this webinar?