Dropdown Menu CSS

Question

I cannot figure out what is wrong with my dropdown menu. When I over over the main level link, the drop down appear but at the left of my screen instead of underneath the main link. I have been on this for a couple of hours and any help would be greatly appreciated.

Here is the html part :

<div class="nav">

        <ul id="menu">
           <li><a href="#" class="current">Home</a></li>
              <li><a href="#">Apetiziers</a>
              <ul>
               <li><a href="#">Sub-Link 1</a></li>
               <li><a href="#">Sub-Link 2</a></li>
               <li><a href="#">Sub-Link 3</a></li>
               <li><a href="#">Sub-Link 4</a></li>
              </ul>
              </li>

              <li><a href="#">Entree</a>
             <ul>
             <li><a href="#">Sub-Link 1</a></li>
             <li><a href="#">Sub-Link 2</a></li>
             <li><a href="#">Sub-Link 3</a></li>
             <li><a href="#">Sub-Link 4</a></li>
             </ul>
              </li>

              <li><a href="#">Main Course</a>
             <ul>
             <li><a href="#">Sub-Link 1</a></li>
             <li><a href="#">Sub-Link 2</a></li>
             <li><a href="#">Sub-Link 3</a></li>
             <li><a href="#">Sub-Link 4</a></li>
             </ul>      
              </li>

              <li><a href="#">Dessert</a>
             <ul>
              <li><a href="#">Sub-Link 1</a></li>
              <li><a href="#">Sub-Link 2</a></li>
              <li><a href="#">Sub-Link 3</a></li>
              <li><a href="#">Sub-Link 4</a></li>
             </ul>      
              </li>


              <li><a href="#">Contact Us</a></li>
        </ul>

 </div>

And the .css :

ul#menu {
   float: left;
  margin: 0;
  width: auto;
    padding: 0px 40px 0px;
    background: #333; color: #fff;
    line-height: 100%;
}

ul#menu li {
  display: inline; 
}


/* top level link */
ul#menu a {
  float: left;
  padding: 10px 16px;
  margin-right: 0px;
  background: #789; color: #fff;
  text-decoration: none;
  border-right: 1px solid #e2e2e2;
}

/* main level link hover */
ul#menu a.current {
  background: #f60; color: #fff;
}


ul#menu li:hover > a {
  color: #fff; background: #ff4500;
  text-decoration: underline;
}

/* dropdown */
ul#menu li:hover > ul {
    display: block; /* shows the sub-menu (child ul of li) on hover */
}

/* sub level list */
ul#menu ul {
    display: none; /* hides the sub-menu until you hover over it */
    margin: 0;
    padding: 0;
    width: 140px;
    position: absolute;
    top: 35px;
    left: 0;
    background: #000;
    border: solid 1px #ccc;
}

ul#menu ul li {
    float: none;
    margin: 0;
    padding: 0;
}

ul#menu ul a {
    font-weight: normal;
    background: #9BB3BF; color: #036;
}

/* sub levels link hover */
ul#menu ul li a:hover {
color: #036; background: #DDDF99;
}

Answer 1

If cannot want use : position:relative, then use : left:auto; instead : left:0; http://codepen.io/anon/pen/KAGhL But position relative will be usefull and will give ability to set z-index to keep menu on top of other element

Answer 2

It is probably jumping towards the closest relative container. So configure your list to act as relative container:

ul#menu > li {
  position: relative;
}

Also there was unnecessary float in your anchor tags, your li are already set to display as inline there is no point in float them

ul#menu a {
    display: inline-block;
    padding: 10px 16px;
    /* ... */
}

Here your fixed code

Answer 3

If you are free to change the CSS style, why not think of doing something like this. Why not try with this CSS style?

HTML

<ul class="nav">
    <li>
        <a href="#">Menu 1</a>
        <ul>
            <li><a href="#">Sub Menu Item</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Sub Menu Item</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Sub Menu Item</a></li>
        </ul>
    </li>
    <li>
        <a href="#">Menu 2</a>
        <ul>
            <li><a href="#">Sub Menu Item</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Sub Menu Item</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Sub Menu Item</a></li>
        </ul>
    </li>
    <li>
        <a href="#">Menu 3</a>
        <ul>
            <li><a href="#">Sub Menu Item</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Sub Menu Item</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Sub Menu Item</a></li>
        </ul>
    </li>
</ul>

CSS

* {font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma;}
ul.nav {border-bottom: 1px solid #999;}
ul.nav li a {display: block; text-decoration: none; color: #333; padding: 5px; border: 1px solid #fff;}
ul.nav > li:hover {border: 1px solid #666; border-bottom: 1px solid #fff;}
ul.nav li a:hover {background: #ccc; border: 1px solid #999;}
ul.nav > li {display: inline-block; position: relative; border: 1px solid #fff;}
ul.nav > li ul {display: none; position: absolute; left: -1px; width: 150px; border: 1px solid #666; border-top-color: #fff; margin-top: 1px;}
ul.nav > li:hover ul {display: block;}
ul.nav > li ul li {display: block;} /* Vertical Menu */
ul.nav > li ul li {display: inline-block;} /* Horizontal Menu */

Fiddle:
http://jsfiddle.net/vMuxA/ (Vertical Menu)
http://jsfiddle.net/vMuxA/1/ (Horizontal Menu)

Answer 4

Try clearing your floats on the parent elements.