Arrow down continue to extra Menu Item

When designing a website or application, it is important to provide a smooth and intuitive user experience. One aspect of this is allowing users to navigate through menus and options easily. In this blog post, we will explore how to implement the functionality of arrow down continuing to an extra menu item using TypeScript.

Solution 1: Using Event Listeners

The first solution involves using event listeners to capture keyboard events and simulate the arrow down functionality. Here’s an example code snippet:


// Select the menu items
const menuItems = document.querySelectorAll('.menu-item');

// Add event listener to the document
document.addEventListener('keydown', (event) => {
  const key = event.key;
  
  if (key === 'ArrowDown') {
    // Find the currently focused menu item
    const focusedItem = document.querySelector('.focused');
    
    // If no menu item is focused, focus the first one
    if (!focusedItem) {
      menuItems[0].classList.add('focused');
      return;
    }
    
    // Find the index of the focused item
    const focusedIndex = Array.from(menuItems).indexOf(focusedItem);
    
    // Remove focus from the current item
    focusedItem.classList.remove('focused');
    
    // If the focused item is the last one, focus the first one
    if (focusedIndex === menuItems.length - 1) {
      menuItems[0].classList.add('focused');
    } else {
      // Otherwise, focus the next item
      menuItems[focusedIndex + 1].classList.add('focused');
    }
  }
});

In the code above, we first select all the menu items using the querySelectorAll method. Then, we add an event listener to the document for the keydown event. Inside the event listener, we check if the pressed key is the arrow down key. If it is, we find the currently focused menu item and move the focus to the next item.

Solution 2: Using tabindex Attribute

Another solution involves using the tabindex attribute to manage the focus order of the menu items. Here’s an example code snippet:


// Select the menu items
const menuItems = document.querySelectorAll('.menu-item');

// Set tabindex attribute for each menu item
menuItems.forEach((menuItem, index) => {
  menuItem.setAttribute('tabindex', `${index + 1}`);
});

// Add event listener to the document
document.addEventListener('keydown', (event) => {
  const key = event.key;
  
  if (key === 'ArrowDown') {
    // Find the currently focused menu item
    const focusedItem = document.activeElement;
    
    // If no menu item is focused, focus the first one
    if (!focusedItem) {
      menuItems[0].focus();
      return;
    }
    
    // Find the index of the focused item
    const focusedIndex = Array.from(menuItems).indexOf(focusedItem);
    
    // If the focused item is the last one, focus the first one
    if (focusedIndex === menuItems.length - 1) {
      menuItems[0].focus();
    } else {
      // Otherwise, focus the next item
      menuItems[focusedIndex + 1].focus();
    }
  }
});

In this solution, we set the tabindex attribute for each menu item to define the focus order. We then add an event listener to the document for the keydown event. Inside the event listener, we check if the pressed key is the arrow down key. If it is, we find the currently focused menu item and move the focus to the next item using the focus method.

By implementing one of these solutions, you can enhance the user experience of your website or application by allowing users to navigate through menus using the arrow down key. Feel free to choose the solution that best fits your needs and requirements.

Arrow down continue to extra Menu Item