User:Windinthew/Multi-column lists

These are unordered lists. There are further considerations with ordered lists not explored here.

Multiple lists side-by-side formatted in a table

NVDA reads as two downwards-ordered lists (and does not mention "table"), but David B did not point to this solution and suggested it was better not to put a list inside a table.

1 2

3 4 5

Multiple div-separated lists floated side-by-side

• Aloe
• Bergamot
• Calendula
• Damiana
• Elderflower

• Feverfew
• Ginger
• Hops
• Iris
• Juniper

• Kava kava
• Lavender
• Marjoram
• Nutmeg
• Oregano
• Pennyroyal

/* position list chunks side by side */
div.wrapper
{
  float: left;
  width: 10em;
}

/* clear float after lists */
br
{
  clear: left;
}

/* anchor styling */
ol li a
{
  display: block;
  width: 7em;
  text-decoration: none;
}
ol li a:hover
{
  color: #FFF; /* white */
  background-color: #A52A2A; /* brown */
}

A single list wrapped with margin-left and negative margin-top

• Aloe
• Bergamot
• Calendula
• Damiana
• Elderflower
• Feverfew
• Ginger
• Hops
• Iris
• Juniper
• Kava Kava
• Lavender
• Marjoram
• Nutmeg
• Oregano
• Penny Royal

/* separate the list from surrounding elements */
ol
{
  margin: 0 0 1em 2em;
  padding: 0;
}

ol li
{
  /* Stipulate the height of each item so that 
  vertical return = items * height */

  line-height: 1.2em;

  /* Clear the default margins & padding 
  so we can style the list from scratch */

  margin: 0;
  padding: 0;
}

/* If li position is left static, Internet 
Explorer disables hyperlinks in the list 
in all but the final column.

This rule will be processed only by 
Internet Explorer because only IE believes 
that there’s a level above HTML: */

* html ol li
{
	position: relative;
}

/* horizontal position of each column */

ol li.column1 { margin-left: 0em; }
ol li.column2 { margin-left: 10em; }
ol li.column3 { margin-left: 20em; }

/* Bring the first item of each column 
back up to the level of item 1.
Vertical return = items * height.
Here, 5 items * 1.2em line-height = 6em */

li.reset
{
  margin-top: -6em;
}

A single list styled into multiple columns

Recommended by David B but he says not supported by IE until IE10

• apple
• carpet
• geography
• mountain
• nowhere
• postage
• ragged
• toast