Simple jQuery Modal Window Tutorial

Written by Kevin Liew on 17 Mar 2009
636,321 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
kevin Admin 15 years ago
@april: this involves the way u validate the user. do you using ajax or just normal POST method to a php file?

If you're using ajax, you will need to cancel the submit button's default behavior if the user is invalid.

If you're using php, because the page need to be refresh/navigate away, I think what you can do is, show the modal window using onload=launchModal(id)

if, none of the above describes your situation, you will have to show me your website :)
Reply
april 15 years ago
i'll try your php method.. hope it works! tnx kevin! your great knowledge in this is really a big help! =)

i'l be back soon to update you. gotta have some lunch first. i'm really hungry. lolz
Reply
april 15 years ago
i'm really having a rough time with this.. sigh. still no improvement.
Reply
april 15 years ago
hey there kevin! i really appreciated your tutorial.. thanks for posting it.

nways, i used your tutorial in one of my school projects. i don't know how to use jquery yet so i copied all of your codes to my project. the mask is working well, however, the login box doesn't appear. everytime i click my login button, the mask covers my page but no login box appears on top of it. what seems to be the problem.?

i'm so noob at this. hope you can help. tnx!
Reply
april 15 years ago
i forgot to mention that i have separated the codes.. separate file for javascript and css.

i just call both in my html page.
Reply
kevin Admin 15 years ago
Hi April, have you tried the one from the download link? it works.

Which browsers were u using?
Reply
kevin Admin 15 years ago
@april: please use the contact me form for further discussion. I guess we're flooding this post. :)
Reply
tabby 15 years ago
i would like to validate a form but the msg of validation should be displayed in jquery modal window...can anybody help me with this
Reply
empe 15 years ago
hi kevin

i got same problem with Markvoce


Markvoce on 26 Mar 2009 says:
Yes the idea would be for the modal window to appear in the middle, no matter where the page is scrolled to. Cheers

i'm using your updated code, but there is the problem :(

would you like to help me, please
Reply
kevin Admin 15 years ago
@empe: Is the live demonstration working? I have tried both in IE6, Firefox and Chrome... it's all working... what browser and OS are you using?
Reply
empe 15 years ago
i solved the problem!

i believe it is because doctype of my html

you can use script from http://www.howtocreate.co.uk/tutorials/javascript/browserwindow
Reply
poompah 15 years ago
Is it possible to use a timeout javascript to fade out a modal?

For example, an information modal pops-up and stays for 4 seconds before fading. No need for the use the click close. I have seen this elsewhere on modal boxes, can we do that here too?

Everything else is fine with the script :o)
Reply
kevin Admin 15 years ago
@poompah: yes, I think you can do that by using settimeout function and call the modal window function. I haven't tried it, but please let me know how it goes!
Reply