Split Buttons

This pattern shows how to build an adaptive and accessible split button component.

Full article · Video on YouTube · Source on Github

<div class="gui-split-button">
  <button>View Cart</button>
  <span class="gui-popup-button" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false" title="Open for more actions">
    <svg aria-hidden="true" viewBox="0 0 20 20">
      <path d="M5.293 7.293a1 1 0 011.414 0L10 10.586l3.293-3.293a1 1 0 111.414 1.414l-4 4a1 1 0 01-1.414 0l-4-4a1 1 0 010-1.414z" />
    </svg>
    <ul class="gui-popup">
      <li><button>
        <svg aria-hidden="true" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
          <path d="M3 3h2l.4 2M7 13h10l4-8H5.4M7 13L5.4 5M7 13l-2.293 2.293c-.63.63-.184 1.707.707 1.707H17m0 0a2 2 0 100 4 2 2 0 000-4zm-8 2a2 2 0 11-4 0 2 2 0 014 0z" />
        </svg>
        Checkout
      </button></li>
      <li><button>
        <svg aria-hidden="true" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
          <path d="M16 11V7a4 4 0 00-8 0v4M5 9h14l1 12H4L5 9z" />
        </svg>
        Quick Pay
      </button></li>
      <li><button>
        <svg aria-hidden="true" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
          <path d="M5 5a2 2 0 012-2h10a2 2 0 012 2v16l-7-3.5L5 21V5z" />
        </svg>
        Save for later
      </button></li>
    </ul>
  </span>
</div>

<div class="gui-split-button">
  <button>Send</button>
  <span class="gui-popup-button" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false" title="Open for more actions">
    <svg aria-hidden="true" viewBox="0 0 20 20">
      <path d="M5.293 7.293a1 1 0 011.414 0L10 10.586l3.293-3.293a1 1 0 111.414 1.414l-4 4a1 1 0 01-1.414 0l-4-4a1 1 0 010-1.414z" />
    </svg>
    <ul class="gui-popup">
      <li><button>
        <svg aria-hidden="true" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
          <path d="M8 7V3m8 4V3m-9 8h10M5 21h14a2 2 0 002-2V7a2 2 0 00-2-2H5a2 2 0 00-2 2v12a2 2 0 002 2z" />
        </svg>
        Schedule for later
      </button></li>
      <li><button>
        <svg aria-hidden="true" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
          <path d="M19 7l-.867 12.142A2 2 0 0116.138 21H7.862a2 2 0 01-1.995-1.858L5 7m5 4v6m4-6v6m1-10V4a1 1 0 00-1-1h-4a1 1 0 00-1 1v3M4 7h16" />
        </svg>
        Delete
      </button></li>
      <li><button>
        <svg aria-hidden="true" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
          <path d="M5 5a2 2 0 012-2h10a2 2 0 012 2v16l-7-3.5L5 21V5z" />
        </svg>
        Save draft
      </button></li>
    </ul>
  </span>
</div>

<div class="gui-split-button">
  <button>Squash</button>
  <span class="gui-popup-button" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false" title="Open for more actions">
    <svg aria-hidden="true" viewBox="0 0 20 20">
      <path d="M5.293 7.293a1 1 0 011.414 0L10 10.586l3.293-3.293a1 1 0 111.414 1.414l-4 4a1 1 0 01-1.414 0l-4-4a1 1 0 010-1.414z" />
    </svg>
    <ul class="gui-popup">
      <li><button>
        Create a merge commit
      </button></li>
      <li><button>
        Rebase
      </button></li>
    </ul>
  </span>
</div>

        .gui-split-button {
  --theme:        hsl(220 75% 50%);
  --theme-hover:  hsl(220 75% 45%);
  --theme-active: hsl(220 75% 40%);
  --theme-text:   hsl(220 75% 25%);
  --theme-border: hsl(220 50% 75%);
  --ontheme:      hsl(220 90% 98%);
  --popupbg:      hsl(220 0% 100%);

  --border: 1px solid var(--theme-border);
  --radius: 6px;
  --in-speed: 500ms;
  --out-speed: 100ms;

  display: inline-flex;
  border-radius: var(--radius);
  background: var(--theme);
  color: var(--ontheme);
  fill: var(--ontheme);

  touch-action: manipulation;
  user-select: none;
  -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent;

  @media (--dark) {
    --theme:        hsl(220 50% 60%);
    --theme-hover:  hsl(220 50% 65%);
    --theme-active: hsl(220 75% 70%);
    --theme-text:   hsl(220 10% 85%);
    --theme-border: hsl(220 20% 70%);
    --ontheme:      hsl(220 90% 5%);
    --popupbg:      hsl(220 10% 30%);
  }

  & button {
    cursor: pointer;
    appearance: none;
    background: none;
    border: none;

    display: inline-flex;
    align-items: center;
    gap: 1ch;
    white-space: nowrap;

    font-family: inherit;
    font-size: inherit;
    font-weight: 500;

    padding-block: 1.25ch;
    padding-inline: 2.5ch;

    color: var(--ontheme);
    outline-color: var(--theme);
    outline-offset: -5px;

    &:is(:hover, :focus-visible) {
      background: var(--theme-hover);
      color: var(--ontheme);

      & > svg {
        stroke: currentColor;
        fill: none;
      }
    }

    &:active {
      background: var(--theme-active);
    }
  }

  & > button {
    border-radius: var(--radius) 0 0 var(--radius);

    @supports (border-start-start-radius: 1px) {
      border-end-start-radius: var(--radius);
      border-start-start-radius: var(--radius);
    }
  }

  @media (--light) {
    & > button,
    & button:is(:focus-visible, :hover) {
      text-shadow: 0 1px 0 var(--theme-active);
    }
    & > .gui-popup-button > svg,
    & button:is(:focus-visible, :hover) > svg {
      filter: drop-shadow(0 1px 0 var(--theme-active));
    }
  }
  
  & svg {
    inline-size: 2ch;
    box-sizing: content-box;
    stroke-linecap: round;
    stroke-linejoin: round;
    stroke-width: 2px;
  }
}

.gui-popup-button {
  inline-size: 4ch;
  cursor: pointer;
  position: relative;
  display: inline-flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: center;
  border-inline-start: var(--border);
  border-radius: 0 var(--radius) var(--radius) 0;

  @supports (border-start-start-radius: 1px) {
    border-inline-start: var(--border);
    border-start-end-radius: var(--radius);
    border-end-end-radius: var(--radius);
  }

  &:is(:hover,:focus-within) {
    background: var(--theme-hover);
  }

  /* fixes iOS trying to be helpful */
  &:focus {
    outline: none;
  }

  &:active {
    background: var(--theme-active);
  }
  
  &:focus-within {
    & > svg {
      transition-duration: var(--in-speed);
      transform: rotateZ(.5turn);
    }
    & > .gui-popup {
      transition-duration: var(--in-speed);
      opacity: 1;
      transform: translateY(0);
      pointer-events: auto;
    }
  }

  @media (--motionOK) {
    & > svg {
      transition: transform var(--out-speed) ease;
    }
    & > .gui-popup {
      transform: translateY(5px);

      transition: 
        opacity var(--out-speed) ease,
        transform var(--out-speed) ease;
    }
  }
}

.gui-popup {
  --shadow: 220 70% 15%;
  --shadow-strength: 1%;

  opacity: 0;
  pointer-events: none;

  position: absolute;
  inset-block-end: 80%;
  inset-inline-start: -1.5ch;
  
  list-style-type: none;
  background: var(--popupbg);
  color: var(--theme-text);
  padding-inline: 0;
  padding-block: .5ch;
  border-radius: var(--radius);
  overflow: hidden;
  display: flex;
  flex-direction: column;
  font-size: .9em;
  transition: opacity var(--out-speed) ease;

  box-shadow:
    0 -2px 5px 0 hsl(var(--shadow) / calc(var(--shadow-strength) + 5%)),
    0 1px 1px -2px hsl(var(--shadow) / calc(var(--shadow-strength) + 10%)),
    0 2px 2px -2px hsl(var(--shadow) / calc(var(--shadow-strength) + 12%)),
    0 5px 5px -2px hsl(var(--shadow) / calc(var(--shadow-strength) + 13%)),
    0 9px 9px -2px hsl(var(--shadow) / calc(var(--shadow-strength) + 14%)),
    0 16px 16px -2px hsl(var(--shadow) / calc(var(--shadow-strength) + 20%))
  ;

  /* fixes iOS trying to be helpful */
  &:focus {outline: none}

  @media (--dark) {
    --shadow-strength: 5%;
    --shadow: 220 3% 2%;

    & button:not(:focus-visible, :hover) {
      text-shadow: 0 1px 0 var(--ontheme);
    }

    & button:not(:focus-visible, :hover) > svg {
      filter: drop-shadow(0 1px 0 var(--ontheme));
    }
  }

  @media (width <= 400px) {
    inset-inline-start: -200%;
  }

  & svg {
    fill: var(--popupbg);
    stroke: var(--theme);

    @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
      stroke: var(--theme-border);
    }
  }

  & button {
    color: var(--theme-text);
    width: 100%;
  }
}
        

        import $ from 'blingblingjs'
import {rovingIndex} from 'roving-ux'

const splitButtons = $('.gui-split-button')
const popupButtons = $('.gui-popup-button')

// popup activating roving index for it's buttons
popupButtons.forEach(element => 
  rovingIndex({
    element,
    target: 'button',
  }))

// support escape key
popupButtons.on('keyup', e => {
  if (e.code === 'Escape')
    e.target.blur()
})

popupButtons.on('focusin', e => {
  e.currentTarget.setAttribute('aria-expanded', true)
})

popupButtons.on('focusout', e => {
  e.currentTarget.setAttribute('aria-expanded', false)
})

// respond to any button interaction
splitButtons.on('click', event => {
  if (event.target.nodeName !== 'BUTTON') return
  console.info(event.target.innerText)
})