Update 2009-01-30, if you are interested in testing version 2 of this plugin: jquery.biggerlink 2
A jQuery plugin to make it really easy to enable the specified element/s to behave as a proxy for their first contained link.
Uses additional css classes to provide the means for the specified element to visually reflect focus and hover states of it's contained link/s.
More to read in my blog post: Bigger link: easier clicking with jQuery
Requires jQuery version 1.2.1
Tested successfully in:
Some issues in:
Here are some typical configurations.
Normally this plugin will need very little configuration - although you do need to point it at the element/s on which you wish it to act.
HTML of an element which contains a link whose behaviour you wish the element to inherit. In this case the <li> elements.
<ul class="links">
<li><a href="http://www.fusion.com.au/">Fusion</a></li>
<li><a href="http://jquery.com/">jQuery</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.google.com.au/">Google</a></li>
</ul>JavaScript in the document head
<script type="text/javascript"src="jquery-1.2.1.pack.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="jquery.biggerlink.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
$('.links li').biggerlink();
</script>
HTML as above. (Note the added title attributes will be applied to the <li> elements by the plugin).
<ul class="links">
<li><a href="http://www.fusion.com.au/" title="Fusion web site in a new window">Fusion</a></li>
<li><a href="http://jquery.com/" title="The write less, do more, JavaScript library">jQuery</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.google.com.au/" title="More about everything in a new window">Google</a></li>
</ul>
JavaScript. Setting follow to false ensures the link will not be followed by the browser as it would by default; Thus not interferring with the action os JavaScript pop-ups applied to the same link.
<script type="text/javascript"src="jquery-1.2.1.pack.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="jquery.popwindow.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="jquery.biggerlink.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
$('.links li').popwindow().biggerlink({follow:false});
</script>By default the plugin applies classes to the target elements:
hoverclass - class added to the parent element when hovering over it with you cursor or focusing a link it contains. By default this class is hover.
clickableclass - class added to each selected element which contains at least one link. By default this class is hot. Particularly useful if you wish to make the element appear 'clickable' when the link behaviours are assigned to it.
HTML. Nothing new here:
<ul class="links">
<li><a href="http://www.fusion.com.au/">Fusion</a></li>
<li><a href="http://jquery.com/">jQuery</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.google.com.au/">Google</a></li>
</ul>JavaScript. If by chance these classes conflict with other classes in your document they may be customised:
<script type="text/javascript"src="jquery-1.2.1.pack.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript" src="jquery.biggerlink.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
$('.links li').biggerlink({clickableclass:'yum',hoverclass:'roll'});
</script>The plugin will use the URL of the first link within the selected element. If there is a second link with a different URL it’s action will be overridden - using the URL of the first link instead.
View the source of this page to view the CSS, HTML and JavaScript.
Download version 1.0: jquery.biggerlink.js
Download version 1.0 compressed: jquery.biggerlink.pack.js
Plugin by Oliver Boermans. Made easy by jQuery.
This code is the product of a few Friday afternoons. During this time my employer, Fusion, allows me and my fellow Fusionites to work on the internal projects that interest us most.
I’m sharing biggerlink in the hope that it can be further polished by people smarter than me; And to, in a small way, give back to others who have contributed to making jQuery brilliant.
Also thanks to David Hellsing for the time saving use of Tripoli for the generic CSS styling of this page.