pure javascript to check if something has hover (without setting on mouseover/out)
JavascriptJqueryHoverJavascript Problem Overview
I have seen this jQuery syntax:
if($(element).is(':hover')) { do something}
Since I am not using jQuery, I am looking for the best way to do this in pure javascript.
I know I could keep a global variable and set/unset it using mouseover and mouseout, but I'm wondering if there is some way to inspect the element's native properties via the DOM instead? Maybe something like this:
if(element.style.className.hovered === true) {do something}
Also, it must be cross browser compatible.
Javascript Solutions
Solution 1 - Javascript
Simply using element.matches(':hover') seems to work well for me, you can use a comprehensive polyfill for older browsers too: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Element/matches
Solution 2 - Javascript
You can use querySelector for IE>=8:
const isHover = e => e.parentElement.querySelector(':hover') === e;
const myDiv = document.getElementById('mydiv');
document.addEventListener('mousemove', function checkHover() {
const hovered = isHover(myDiv);
if (hovered !== checkHover.hovered) {
console.log(hovered ? 'hovered' : 'not hovered');
checkHover.hovered = hovered;
}
});
.whyToCheckMe {position: absolute;left: 100px;top: 50px;}
<div id="mydiv">HoverMe
<div class="whyToCheckMe">Do I need to be checked too?</div>
</div>
to fallback I think it is ok @Kolink answer.
Solution 3 - Javascript
First you need to keep track of which elements are being hovered on. Here's one way of doing it:
(function() {
var matchfunc = null, prefixes = ["","ms","moz","webkit","o"], i, m;
for(i=0; i<prefixes.length; i++) {
m = prefixes[i]+(prefixes[i] ? "Matches" : "matches");
if( document.documentElement[m]) {matchfunc = m; break;}
m += "Selector";
if( document.documentElement[m]) {matchfunc = m; break;}
}
if( matchfunc) window.isHover = function(elem) {return elem[matchfunc](":hover");};
else {
window.onmouseover = function(e) {
e = e || window.event;
var t = e.srcElement || e.target;
while(t) {
t.hovering = true;
t = t.parentNode;
}
};
window.onmouseout = function(e) {
e = e || window.event;
var t = e.srcElement || e.target;
while(t) {
t.hovering = false;
t = t.parentNode;
}
};
window.isHover = function(elem) {return elem.hovering;};
}
})();
Solution 4 - Javascript
it occurred to me that one way to check if an element is being hovered over is to set an unused property in css :hover and then check if that property exists in javascript. its not a proper solution to the problem since it is not making use of a dom-native hover property, but it is the closest and most minimal solution i can think of.
<html>
<head>
<style type="text/css">
#hover_el
{
border: 0px solid blue;
height: 100px;
width: 100px;
background-color: blue;
}
#hover_el:hover
{
border: 0px dashed blue;
}
</style>
<script type='text/javascript'>
window.onload = function() {check_for_hover()};
function check_for_hover() {
var hover_element = document.getElementById('hover_el');
var hover_status = (getStyle(hover_element, 'border-style') === 'dashed') ? true : false;
document.getElementById('display').innerHTML = 'you are' + (hover_status ? '' : ' not') + ' hovering';
setTimeout(check_for_hover, 1000);
};
function getStyle(oElm, strCssRule) {
var strValue = "";
if(document.defaultView && document.defaultView.getComputedStyle) {
strValue = document.defaultView.getComputedStyle(oElm, "").getPropertyValue(strCssRule);
}
else if(oElm.currentStyle) {
strCssRule = strCssRule.replace(/\-(\w)/g, function (strMatch, p1) {
return p1.toUpperCase();
});
strValue = oElm.currentStyle[strCssRule];
}
return strValue;
};
</script>
</head>
<body>
<div id='hover_el'>hover here</div>
<div id='display'></div>
</body>
</html>
(function getStyle thanks to https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4172871/javascript-get-styles)
if anyone can think of a better css property to use as a flag than solid/dashed please let me know. preferably the property would be one which is rarely used and cannot be inherited.