Simple jQuery Modal Window Tutorial

Written by Kevin Liew on 17 Mar 2009
636,307 Views • Tutorials

Introduction

In this tutorial, I'm going to share how to create a simple modal window with jQuery. I like jQuery, it makes everything so simple and so easy. In case you don't know what's modal window. You can click here. That's an example of a modal window.

In this website, I'm using facebox (inspiration from facebook). Others, such as lightbox, thickbox, multibox, litebox...... it's too many of them and they all are having different features.

Right, let's start, this example will show you how to create a modal window that will display the content of a DIV #ID.

My objectives are:

  • Able to search the whole html document for A tag NAME="modal" attribute, so when users click on it, it will display the content of DIV #ID in the HREF attribute in Modal Window.
  • A mask that will fill the whole screen.
  • Modal windows that is simple and easy to modify.
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1. HTML code and A tag attributes

<!-- #dialog is the id of a DIV defined in the code below -->
<a href="#dialog" name="modal">Simple Modal Window</a>

<div id="boxes">

	
	<!-- #customize your modal window here -->

	<div id="dialog" class="window">
		<b>Testing of Modal Window</b> | 
		
		<!-- close button is defined as close class -->
		<a href="#" class="close">Close it</a>

	</div>

	
	<!-- Do not remove div#mask, because you'll need it to fill the whole screen -->	
 	<div id="mask"></div>
</div>

2. CSS code

<style>

/* Z-index of #mask must lower than #boxes .window */
#mask {
  position:absolute;
  z-index:9000;
  background-color:#000;
  display:none;
}
  
#boxes .window {
  position:fixed;
  width:440px;
  height:200px;
  display:none;
  z-index:9999;
  padding:20px;
}


/* Customize your modal window here, you can add background image too */
#boxes #dialog {
  width:375px; 
  height:203px;
}
</style>

3. Javascript

<script>

$(document).ready(function() {	

	//select all the a tag with name equal to modal
	$('a[name=modal]').click(function(e) {
		//Cancel the link behavior
		e.preventDefault();
		//Get the A tag
		var id = $(this).attr('href');
	
		//Get the screen height and width
		var maskHeight = $(document).height();
		var maskWidth = $(window).width();
	
		//Set height and width to mask to fill up the whole screen
		$('#mask').css({'width':maskWidth,'height':maskHeight});
		
		//transition effect		
		$('#mask').fadeIn(1000);	
		$('#mask').fadeTo("slow",0.8);	
	
		//Get the window height and width
		var winH = $(window).height();
		var winW = $(window).width();
              
		//Set the popup window to center
		$(id).css('top',  winH/2-$(id).height()/2);
		$(id).css('left', winW/2-$(id).width()/2);
	
		//transition effect
		$(id).fadeIn(2000); 
	
	});
	
	//if close button is clicked
	$('.window .close').click(function (e) {
		//Cancel the link behavior
		e.preventDefault();
		$('#mask, .window').hide();
	});		
	
	//if mask is clicked
	$('#mask').click(function () {
		$(this).hide();
		$('.window').hide();
	});			
	
});

</script>

It's very straight forward and easy to understand. Remember, you need to include jQuery framework.

Demonstration Download

4. Launch modal window with Javascript

Due to popular demand :), I have an example for it. The concept is simple. I wrapped the modal window script inside a function, and then you will able to call the modal window using javascript function call.

Yes, you will able to load the modal window on page load as well :)

$(document).ready(function () {
  //id is the ID for the DIV you want to display it as modal window
  launchWindow(id); 
});

Demonstration

And, if you want to close the modal window on key press, any keys you want, you can add the following function.

$(document).keyup(function(e) {
  if(e.keyCode == 13) {
    $('#mask').hide();
    $('.window').hide();
  }
});

Use Cookie on First Load

Another popular demand from readers and this is how you do it. You need two functions (createCookie and readCookie) from this post about web cookies

$(document).ready(function() {
//if the cookie hasLaunch is not set, then show the modal window
if (!readCookie('hasLaunch')) {
	//launch it
	launchWindow('#dialog1');		
	//then set the cookie, so next time the modal won't be displaying again.
	createCookie('hasLaunch', 1, 365);
}

});

Demonstration

Recalculate the Position of Modal window and mask on window resize

Don't know how I missed it, this is the code that reposition the modal window and recalculate the dimension of mask if user resized the windows.

$(document).ready(function () {
$(window).resize(function () {
 
 		var box = $('#boxes .window');
 
        //Get the screen height and width
        var maskHeight = $(document).height();
        var maskWidth = $(window).width();
      
        //Set height and width to mask to fill up the whole screen
        $('#mask').css({'width':maskWidth,'height':maskHeight});
               
        //Get the window height and width
        var winH = $(window).height();
        var winW = $(window).width();
 
        //Set the popup window to center
        box.css('top',  winH/2 - box.height()/2);
        box.css('left', winW/2 - box.width()/2);
 
});

});
I think I should make another post about modal window. :)

5. Conclusion

Yes, that's all you need to make a simple jquery modal window. In this tutorial, it shown you the concept of how to display DIV content inside a modal window. However, you can further develop it to accept a link and display it in an iFrame and image gallery.

For those who's looking for a fully customizable Modal Window, you can try my method, if you have any other questions, please let me know. Thanks for reading.

Update

29-2-2012: - Fixed auto resize, change modal window's position from absolute to fixed.

 

22-5-2009: - Added a new section "Activate modal window with Javascript"

16-4-2009: - If you prefer this article in Portuguese, please visit Simple jQuery Modal Window in Portuguese by Maujor

27-3-09: - Added e.preventDefault() to link to launch the modal window.
- Changed css position to fixed, so that the modal window also fixed to center. - Changed var winH = $(window).height(); to var winH = $(window).height();

24 Mar 09:
- Added e.preventDefault() to cancel the anchor link effect, we can also able to cancel it by removing the href attribute.
- Changed var winH = $(window).height(); to var winH = $(document).height();

Demo Download
Join the discussion

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797 comments
Franco 15 years ago
Hi, very nice script, easy to use for those who don`t understand Java(like me).
I want to put the styles on my .css style sheet but if I do that it doesn`t work correctly, can U healp me? (Sorry about my english)
Reply
Manzar Alam Baig 15 years ago
No comments
Reply
kevin Admin 15 years ago
@robert: yes, it's totally doable with jquery... not sure bout the implementation, but after i look at it, it uses iframe in the modal window. Of course, server side language as well, ignore that sentense if u gonna hardcode it.

so, i guess this is how u do it, just the concept tho:

1: mouseover event for each items listed, so that a quick view button will display, otherwise hidden.

2: click on the quickview button, it actually passes the url with item id and display it in the modal window with iframe support.

3: you will need to construct a page that accept the product id, and display all the details accordingly.

yea, i think that's about it.. :)
Reply
Robert Reynolds 15 years ago
Great tutorial. I am trying to create a popup modal box and have it load dynamic data that is already on the page. Magento ecommerce category page with a list of products. An example can be seen here, http://www.ae.com/web/browse/category.jsp?catId=cat10025 , by mouseover a product image to reveal "Quick View" and click to see modal window. Any suggestions how I would go about this? Thanks in advance.
Reply
kevin Admin 15 years ago
@Neil0: not sure, maybe u can do it like this: $('.window .close').click();

I havenot tested the code.

@Ortubes: Yes, someone has asked this question before. and here is the solution
http://www.queness.com/resources/html/modal/jquery-modal-window2.html
Reply
Neil0 15 years ago
Awesome...just one question. How do i get the modal window to close on the submission of a form.
Reply
Ortubes 15 years ago
How do I make the modal window automatically when the page loads?

example: http://digaki.com/confirm.jpg
Reply
Ortubes 15 years ago
Thanks, I do it the way wanted. test to see if it was good.

http://digaki.com/tecnologia/teste-jquery
Reply
kevin Admin 15 years ago
@teodore: It works in ie6. Do you mean the png rendering?
Reply
teodore 15 years ago
on IE 6.0 dont work
Reply
D 15 years ago
This seems to work for me except the masking DIV appears at the very bottom of the page, after the main page content. The Dialog div appears where it should. Ideas?
Reply
JG 15 years ago
Amazing tutorial, really helped me.
Reply
Anil Konsal 15 years ago
Very nice tutorial. i have been using jquery ui dialog but still need my own for customizations.

Thanks a lot!
Reply