TipsBlocks Web Technique Library

PRACTICAL WEB TIP

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Context Preview Rail

A shared preview rail updates to display contextual information for the hovered menu item.

Live Demo

Hover over the element or use Tab to focus.

Source Code

Copy the HTML, CSS or JavaScript you need for your project.

HTML
<div class="tbx-1214"><nav class="tbx-1214-menu" aria-label="Project navigation"><a href="#tbx-1214-identity">01  Identity</a><a href="#tbx-1214-spaces">02  Spaces</a><a href="#tbx-1214-digital">03  Digital</a></nav><div class="tbx-1214-rail" aria-hidden="true"><span class="tbx-1214-tip tbx-1214-default">SELECT A TOPIC →</span><span class="tbx-1214-tip tbx-1214-a">VISUAL SYSTEMS / 12 PROJECTS</span><span class="tbx-1214-tip tbx-1214-b">INTERIORS / 08 PROJECTS</span><span class="tbx-1214-tip tbx-1214-c">INTERFACES / 16 PROJECTS</span></div></div>
CSS
.tbx-1214{box-sizing:border-box}
.tbx-1214{display:grid;grid-template-columns:minmax(0,1fr) minmax(90px,125px);gap:16px;align-items:center;width:100%;min-height:182px;padding:14px;background:#f7f2e9;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:#42382d}.tbx-1214 *{box-sizing:border-box}.tbx-1214-menu{display:grid;gap:4px}.tbx-1214-menu a{display:block;padding:10px 6px;border-bottom:1px solid #b7a995;text-decoration:none;font-size:clamp(11px,2.8vw,15px);font-weight:800;color:#42382d;transition:padding-left .3s,background .3s;outline-offset:1px;white-space:nowrap}.tbx-1214-menu a:is(:hover,:focus-visible){padding-left:14px;background:#e8dfd0}.tbx-1214-rail{position:relative;display:grid;place-items:center;min-height:116px;border-left:2px solid #cc9a64;padding-left:12px}.tbx-1214-tip{position:absolute;left:12px;right:0;font-size:10px;line-height:1.7;letter-spacing:.05em;color:#77583b;font-weight:800;opacity:0;transform:translateY(9px);transition:opacity .24s,transform .3s}.tbx-1214-default{opacity:1;transform:none}.tbx-1214:has(.tbx-1214-menu a:is(:hover,:focus-visible)) .tbx-1214-default{opacity:0}.tbx-1214:has(.tbx-1214-menu a:nth-child(1):is(:hover,:focus-visible)) .tbx-1214-a,.tbx-1214:has(.tbx-1214-menu a:nth-child(2):is(:hover,:focus-visible)) .tbx-1214-b,.tbx-1214:has(.tbx-1214-menu a:nth-child(3):is(:hover,:focus-visible)) .tbx-1214-c{opacity:1;transform:translateY(0)}.tbx-1214-menu a:focus-visible{outline:2px solid #be7945}
@media (prefers-reduced-motion:reduce){.tbx-1214 *, .tbx-1214 *::before, .tbx-1214 *::after{transition:none !important;animation:none !important;scroll-behavior:auto !important}}

How to Use

Insert the HTML and add the CSS to your stylesheet. Adjust colors and sizes and avoid class conflicts.

Use Case

Useful for navigation menus and portfolio galleries.

Technical Notes

Keep controls usable on touch devices. Test keyboard focus and reduced-motion preferences.

Mobile:Ensure the interactive content remains accessible without hover on touch devices.

Browser:Uses modern CSS. Check behavior in the browsers you support.

Reduced Motion:Check that prefers-reduced-motion is respected.