Creating a Responsive Bootstrap 4 Accordion with Arrow

In this article, we will be discussing how to create a responsive Bootstrap 4 accordion with arrow. We will go over the step-by-step process of creating an accordion that expands and collapses while displaying an arrow that indicates the state of the panel.

Table of Contents:

  1. Introduction
  2. Setting up the Bootstrap Environment
  3. Creating the Accordion HTML structure
  4. Adding CSS for Arrow
  5. Adding JavaScript for Accordion Functionality
  6. Testing and Troubleshooting
  7. Examples
  8. Summary
  9. References

Introduction:

Bootstrap is a popular CSS framework that helps web developers create responsive and mobile-first websites. One of the useful components of Bootstrap is the accordion, which is a collapsible content panel that can be used to display information in a structured and organized manner. In this article, we will be discussing how to create a Bootstrap 4 accordion with arrow, which will allow users to easily expand and collapse the panel while also indicating its state.

Setting up the Bootstrap Environment:

To get started, we need to set up a Bootstrap environment. We can do this by downloading the Bootstrap 4 framework or by linking to it through a CDN. In this tutorial, we will be using the latter method. Add the following code to your HTML file to include the necessary Bootstrap and jQuery files:


<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
 <head>
   <meta charset="UTF-8">
   <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
   <title>Bootstrap Accordion with Arrow</title>
   <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/4.0.0/css/bootstrap.min.css">
   <script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-3.2.1.slim.min.js"></script>
   <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/popper.js/1.12.9/umd/popper.min.js"></script>
   <script src="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/4.0.0/js/bootstrap.min.js"></script>
 </head>
 <body>
 </body>
</html>

Creating the Accordion HTML structure:

Next, we will create the HTML structure for the accordion. We will use the Bootstrap accordion component, which consists of a series of cards that contain the content we want to display. Add the following code to your HTML file to create the accordion:

<div id="accordion">
 <div class="card">
   <div class="card-header" id="headingOne">
     <h5 class="mb-0">
       <button class="btn btn-link" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#collapseOne" aria-expanded="true" aria-controls="collapseOne">
         Panel 1
       </button>
     </h5>
   </div>

   <div id="collapseOne" class="collapse show" aria-labelledby="headingOne" data-parent="#accordion">
     <div class="card-body">
       Content for Panel 1 goes here.
     </div>
   </div>
 </div>

 <div class="card">
   <div class="card-header" id="headingTwo">
     <h5 class="mb-0">
       <button class="btn btn-link collapsed" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#collapseTwo" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapseTwo">
         Panel 2
       </button>
     </h5>
   </div>

   <div id="collapseTwo" class="collapse" aria-labelledby="headingTwo" data-parent="#accordion">
<div class="card-body">
Content for Panel 2 goes here.
</div>
</div>

 </div>
 <div class="card">
   <div class="card-header" id="headingThree">
     <h5 class="mb-0">
       <button class="btn btn-link collapsed" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#collapseThree" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapseThree">
         Panel 3
       </button>
     </h5>
   </div>
<div id="collapseThree" class="collapse" aria-labelledby="headingThree" data-parent="#accordion">
 <div class="card-body">
   Content for Panel 3 goes here.
 </div>
</div>
 </div>
</div>

Content for Panel 1 goes here.
Content for Panel 2 goes here.
Content for Panel 3 goes here.


 

<div id="accordion">
 <div class="card">
   <div class="card-header" id="headingOne">
     <h5 class="mb-0">
       <button class="btn btn-link" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#collapseOne" aria-expanded="true" aria-controls="collapseOne">
         Accordion Item #1 <i class="fa fa-chevron-down"></i>
       </button>
     </h5>
   </div>

   <div id="collapseOne" class="collapse show" aria-labelledby="headingOne" data-parent="#accordion">
     <div class="card-body">
       Content for Accordion Item #1
     </div>
   </div>
 </div>

 <div class="card">
   <div class="card-header" id="headingTwo">
     <h5 class="mb-0">
       <button class="btn btn-link collapsed" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#collapseTwo" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="collapseTwo">
         Accordion Item #2 <i class="fa fa-chevron-right"></i>
       </button>
     </h5>
   </div>

   <div id="collapseTwo" class="collapse" aria-labelledby="headingTwo" data-parent="#accordion">
     <div class="card-body">
       Content for Accordion Item #2
     </div>
   </div>
 </div>
</div>

 

Content for Accordion Item #1
Content for Accordion Item #2


In the above code, we have created three panels with different content that can be expanded or collapsed using the Bootstrap collapse component. Note that each panel has a unique ID and a corresponding data-target attribute that links to its content.

Adding CSS for Arrow:

Next, we will add some CSS to create the arrow that will indicate the state of the accordion panel. Add the following code to your CSS file:

css code:
.btn-link.collapsed::before {
 content: "\f078";
 font-family: "Font Awesome 5 Free";
 font-weight: 900;
 margin-right: 5px;
 transform: rotate(0deg);
 transition: transform 0.2s linear;
}

.btn-link[aria-expanded="true"]::before {
 transform: rotate(180deg);
}
In the above code, we are using Font Awesome to display the arrow icon. We have also defined two CSS rules: one for collapsed panels and one for expanded panels. The ::before pseudo-element is used to insert content before the button element, which will be the arrow icon. The transform property is used to rotate the arrow icon when the panel is expanded.

Adding JavaScript for Accordion Functionality:
Finally, we will add some JavaScript to make the accordion functional. Add the following code to your JavaScript file:

javascript code:
$('.collapse').on('shown.bs.collapse', function () {
 $(this).parent().find(".btn-link").attr("aria-expanded", "true");
});

$('.collapse').on('hidden.bs.collapse', function () {
 $(this).parent().find(".btn-link").attr("aria-expanded", "false");
});


In the above code, we are using jQuery to add event listeners to the collapse component. When a panel is shown, we update the aria-expanded attribute of the button element to "true". When a panel is hidden, we update the aria-expanded attribute to "false".

Testing and Troubleshooting:

Save all your files and open the HTML file in a web browser. You should be able to see the accordion with arrow. Test it by clicking on the panels to see them expand and collapse. If you encounter any issues, check your code for errors or consult the Bootstrap documentation for more information.

Summary:

In this article, we have discussed how to create a responsive Bootstrap 4 accordion with arrow. We went over the step-by-step process of setting up the Bootstrap environment, creating the HTML structure, adding CSS for the arrow, and adding JavaScript for the accordion functionality. We also provided some examples of how you can customize the accordion.

References:

Here are some resources that you can use to learn more about Bootstrap 4 and its components:

  • Bootstrap documentation: https://getbootstrap.com/docs/4.0/getting-started/introduction/
  • Font Awesome: https://fontawesome.com/
  • jQuery documentation: https://api.jquery.com/

Tips:

  • Use a CSS preprocessor like Sass or Less to make your CSS code more organized and efficient.
  • Make sure your accordion is accessible by using ARIA attributes to provide information about the state of the panel.
  • Test your accordion on different screen sizes to ensure it works well on both desktop and mobile devices.

FAQ:

Q: Can I use a different icon font or image for the arrow icon?
A: Yes, you can use any icon font or image that you like. Just make sure to update the CSS code accordingly.

Q: How can I change the color of the arrow icon?
A: You can change the color of the arrow icon by updating the CSS code for the .btn-link.collapsed::before and .btn-link[aria-expanded="true"]::before selectors.

Q: Is the accordion component accessible?
A: Yes, the Bootstrap accordion component is accessible if you use ARIA attributes to provide information about the state of the panel.