Closed Thread Icon

Topic awaiting preservation: Drop-down box and width (Page 1 of 1) Pages that link to <a href="https://ozoneasylum.com/backlink?for=26231" title="Pages that link to Topic awaiting preservation: Drop-down box and width (Page 1 of 1)" rel="nofollow" >Topic awaiting preservation: Drop-down box and width <span class="small">(Page 1 of 1)</span>\

 
Banan
Obsessive-Compulsive (I) Inmate

From: Copenhagen, Denmark
Insane since: Jul 2005

posted posted 07-13-2005 11:54

Hello fellow patients,

I'm going even further insane over the following dilemma:

code:
<select style="width:60px;">
	<option>Option field longer than 60 pixels</option>
</select>



In Firefox, it shows perfectly, as it expands the drop-down option box content to the right.
In MSIE, it cuts off the option box content.

Problem is, it has to keep the 60 pixels width.

Check out http://www.gavekortet.dk/overview_multi.asp - it's the drop-down boxes on the right hand side of the list, some of the options has to have a text-description, like TIVOLI has special prices, and I want to add a description as to what the price is for.

Only solution I can dream up atm, would be adding a relative positioned layer that pops up next to the drop-down option box - but then, what happends if the box content adds a scroll-bar?

Any ideas?

b.

Blaise
Paranoid (IV) Inmate

From: London
Insane since: Jun 2003

posted posted 07-13-2005 12:10

So what you're saying is that, the actual dropdown box should maintain it's 60px width, but it's ok if the dropdown list it displays expands to display the content correctly.

Well I've come across this issue many times during the production of corporate sites, and I can tell you straight off the bat there's no easy answer. IE does what it does because that's how it was made, the same with Firefox.

One client in particular, a law firm, who were very intent on having their site accessible even went so far as to use DHTML to create a label which displayed the full name of the option chosen, similar to what you mentioned beforehand. It turned out that even this wasn't good enough as it proved to be problematic, with regards positioning and useability, not to mention they didn't like the fact that it ran with javascript. In the end they removed it and realised that the use will probably be able to work out what the option was tehy were selecting because they could read enough of it.

In your case however you've only got 60px to play with, I couldn't find an example in the link you said of a description so I can't really visualise the problem you're having but I would say that you shouldn't try and reinvent the wheel, and try and use the right tool for teh right job, the way it was intended to be used.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

« BackwardsOnwards »

Show Forum Drop Down Menu