This project allows you to create images along with descriptive text that is displayed on mouse over, similar to a tool hip, however the text is overlayed over the image.
I had seen similar examples of this functionality on the internet, some using flash and others javascript.
This is my first project using jQuery and I thought it might be useful for others.
You simple create some images (can be listed together or separately) along with there text descriptions:
<ul class="imageLibrary"> <li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/homepage/int/wil/wth/5day/t/-/weather/5day.shtml"><p>Wednesday<br />max: 9°C<br />min :5°C</p><img src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/home/img/weather/1.gif" /></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/homepage/int/wil/wth/5day/t/-/weather/5day.shtml"><p>Thursday<br />max: 10°C<br />min :7°C</p><img src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/home/img/weather/14.gif" /></a></li> <li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/homepage/int/wil/wth/5day/t/-/weather/5day.shtml"><p>Friday<br />max: 13°C<br />min :10°C</p><img src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/home/img/weather/12.gif" /></a></li> </ul>
That’s the hard part done… ;-)
Now you need to include the jQuery javascript and the HoverImageText plugin javascript, add the following to your HEAD section:
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://code.jquery.com/jquery- latest.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="jquery.hoverimagetext.js"></script>
To activate the HoverImageText plugin you’ll need to give it some data (the a elements that you created earlier will be fine), add this underneath the script includes above:
<script type="text/javascript"> $(document).ready(function() { /* options can be found within the plugin js */ $('.imageLibrary a').HoverImageText(); }); </script>
Notice the ‘.imageLibrary a’ selection, that will select the anchor (a) elements from my example above.
That’s it… you’ve done it, it should now display the image text when you move your mouse over the images.
Of course, it doesn’t look that pretty at the moment… add some style and you’ll be away!
<style type="text/css"> /* your own style sheet, here are some examples */ .imageLibrary { display: inline; clear: none; } .imageLibrary li { list-style-type: none; margin-left: 10px; display: inline; clear: none; } .imageLibrary p { position: absolute; margin: 0px; margin-left: 2px; margin-top: 2px; z-index:2; background-Color: #555555; color: #ffffff; width: 80px; text-align: center; padding-top: 5px; padding-bottom: 5px; opacity:.8; display: none; clear: none; } .imageLibrary img { z-index:1; width: 80px; height: 80px; border: #888888 groove 2px; } </style>
The full example page is included in the download release.
As mentioned earlier, your image (and text) elements need not be listed together (like in the example above), you can of course create numerous images scattered around your web page… You will of course need to contain them and style them, I used the anchor (a) element in the example, you could use something else if you like (div, span…).
Well that’s it for now, enjoy!
My other projects include: Bounce - http://plugins.jquery.com/project/Bounce TextArea Resizer - http://plugins.jquery.com/project/TextAreaResizer
