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Introduction to SmartMenus

SmartMenus is one of the most advanced, highly cross-browser and simple-to-use DHTML menu / JavaScript menu (i.e. website menu) scripts available worldwide.

With version 6 of the SmartMenus script the menus are now created from a standard list-based markup in the page source which makes them accessible not only to JavaScript capable modern desktop browsers but also to all other web browsers (like search engines, small-screen device browsers, text-mode browsers) and assistive technology (like screen readers).

SmartMenus 6 is built on (as much as possible) standards-compliant JavaScript/W3C DOM code and the menu styles are completely CSS driven.

Some key features

  • Accessible to all web browsers and assistive technology
  • List-based (search engine friendly) markup - can be easily generated from any kind of database
  • Section 508 compliant
  • Completely CSS driven
  • Controllable delay (timeout) before showing/hiding any sub menu
  • Allows the creation of unlimited number of menu trees on the same page
  • Unlimited number of sub menu levels supported
  • Horizontal or vertical main menu items arrangement
  • Absolute/relative/fixed positioning for the main menus supported
  • Right-to-left and bottom-to-top display of the sub menus is possible
  • Full support for RTL text/pages (e.g. Hebrew, Arabic)
  • Full window size detection in all supported browsers - the menus will always be kept inside the window's boundaries
  • Option for automatically adjustable width for the sub menus is available (including min/max settings)
  • Tab key navigation friendly (advanced keyboard navigation support available too)
  • Fully customizable menu styles
  • Exceptional cross-browser support
  • Compact and optimized code

The project

Historically the SmartMenus script was one of the first few DHTML menu scripts available on the Internet - version 1.0 was released back on August 2, 2001.

Since its debut in 2001 after intensive research and development (including 2 complete rewrites of the code) the script has become one of the leading and most reliable solutions of its kind. It has been the choice of some of the world's most trusted and respected corporations and financial institutions like:

IBM, Sony, Nordea, United Overseas Bank, Financial Times, Renault, Generali, Tata, Marvell, Lufthansa Technik