# Popover (Dropdown Menu)
Popovers (`Popover`) are dropdown menus activated by a button. Use popovers to create dropdown menus ranging from simple lists to complex nested menus.
Common uses:
- "More actions" dropdown menus
- Navigation menus
- Settings menus
- Context menus (right-click menus)
::: warning
This component has severe usability issues and cannot be used as-is:
- I can't operate the popup with a keyboard. Remove barrier for people not using a mouse (A11y)
- Switching to submenus is error-prone. When moving cursor into freshly opened submenu, it should not close if the cursor crosses another menu item
- Large menus disappear. When menus get big, they need to scroll.
- Submenus open without a delay, and they don't close unless I click somewhere outside them, which goes against established expectations.
Common Ui libraries in the Vue ecosystem such as vuetify or shadcn-vue all implement these features. It may be prudent to use their components.
**Quick mitigation tactics:**
- Place complex interfaces into nested [`Modal`](./modal)s
- Place long lists into [a native `` element](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Element/select)s.
:::
| Prop | Data type | Required? | Description |
| ------ | --------- | --------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| `open` | Boolean | No | Controls whether the popover is open. Defaults to `false`. |
[[toc]]
```vue-html
```
Destructure the function `toggleOpen` and let
a [default dropdown button: `OptionsButton`](./button/options.md) trigger it. This way, the state of the component is encapsulated.
## Bind to `isOpen`
If you want to process or influence the expansion of the menu in the containing component, you can bind it to a `ref`.
Use [Vue event handling](https://vuejs.org/guide/essentials/event-handling.html) to map the button to a boolean value.
```vue{7}
```
## Customize the dropdown button
```vue
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```
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## Items
Popovers contain a list of menu items. Items can contain different information based on their type.
::: info
Lists of items must be nested inside a `` tag directly under the `` tag.
:::
### Popover item
The popover item (`PopoverItem`) is a simple button that uses [Vue event handling](https://vuejs.org/guide/essentials/event-handling.html). Each item contains a [slot](https://vuejs.org/guide/components/slots.html) which you can use to add a menu label and icon.
```vue{10-13}
```
### Checkbox
The checkbox (`PopoverCheckbox`) is an item that acts as a selectable box. Use [`v-model`](https://vuejs.org/api/built-in-directives.html#v-model) to bind the checkbox to a boolean value. Each checkbox contains a [slot](https://vuejs.org/guide/components/slots.html) which you can use to add a menu label.
```vue{11-16}
Bandcamp
Creative commons
```
Bandcamp
Creative commons
### Radio
The radio (`PopoverRadio`) is an item that acts as a radio selector.
| Prop | Data type | Required? | Description |
| ------------ | --------------- | --------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `modelValue` | String | Yes | The current value of the radio. Use [`v-model`](https://vuejs.org/api/built-in-directives.html#v-model) to bind this to a value. |
| `choices` | Array\ | Yes | A list of choices. |
```vue
```
### Separator
Use a standard horizontal rule (`
Bandcamp
Creative commons
```
Bandcamp
Creative commons
## Submenus
To create more complex menus, you can use submenus (`PopoverSubmenu`). Submenus are menu items which contain other menu items.
```vue{10-18}
Bandcamp
```
Bandcamp
## Extra items
You can add extra items to the right hand side of a popover item by nesting them in a `` tag. Use this to add additional menus or buttons to menu items.
```vue{18-29,34-37}
Bandcamp
{{ bcPrivacy }}
Share by link
```
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Share by link
## Links
You can use `PopoverItem`s as Links by providing a `to` prop with the route object or and external Url (`http...`). Read more on the [Link component](./link) page.
## Menu
Here is an example of a completed menu containing all supported features.
```vue
{{ language }}
Bandcamp
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Creative Commons
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Share by link
```
{{ language }}
Bandcamp
{{ bcPrivacy }}
Creative Commons
{{ ccPrivacy }}
Share by link