Responsive Adaptive Tabs Widget with jQuery and CSS3

A responsive, adaptive, sleek-looking jQuery & CSS3 tabs widget that animates to the height of its content when switched. Powered by CSS3 transitions and transforms.

How to use it:

1. Create a tabbed navigation from an Html unordered list.

<ul class="tabs">
  <li class="active">Home</li>
  <li>Gallery</li>
  <li>Author</li>
</ul>

2. Create tabbed content.

<ul class="tab__content">
  <li class="active">
    <div class="content__wrapper">
      Tab panel 1
    </div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div class="content__wrapper">
      Tab Panel 2
    </div>
  </li>
  <li>
    <div class="content__wrapper">
      Tab panel 3
    </div>
  </li>
</ul>

3. Add the core tabs styles into your CSS file.

.tabs {
  display: table;
  table-layout: fixed;
  width: 100%;
  -webkit-transform: translateY(5px);
  transform: translateY(5px);
}

.tabs > li {
  transition-duration: .25s;
  display: table-cell;
  list-style: none;
  text-align: center;
  padding: 20px 20px 25px 20px;
  position: relative;
  overflow: hidden;
  cursor: pointer;
  color: white;
}

.tabs > li:before {
  z-index: -1;
  position: absolute;
  content: "";
  width: 100%;
  height: 120%;
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
  background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.3);
  -webkit-transform: translateY(100%);
  transform: translateY(100%);
  transition-duration: .25s;
  border-radius: 5px 5px 0 0;
}

.tabs > li:hover:before {
  -webkit-transform: translateY(70%);
  transform: translateY(70%);
}

.tabs > li.active { color: #50555a; }

.tabs > li.active:before {
  transition-duration: .5s;
  background-color: white;
  -webkit-transform: translateY(0);
  transform: translateY(0);
}

.tab__content {
  background-color: white;
  position: relative;
  width: 100%;
  border-radius: 5px;
}

.tab__content > li {
  width: 100%;
  position: absolute;
  top: 0;
  left: 0;
  display: none;
  list-style: none;
}

.tab__content > li .content__wrapper {
  text-align: center;
  border-radius: 5px;
  width: 100%;
  padding: 45px 40px 40px 40px;
  background-color: white;
}

4. Load the latest version of jQuery library at the bottom of the web page.

<script src="//code.jquery.com/jquery-2.1.4.min.js"></script>

5. The jQuery script to enable the adaptive tabs widget.

$(document).ready(function(){
  
  var clickedTab = $(".tabs > .active");
  var tabWrapper = $(".tab__content");
  var activeTab = tabWrapper.find(".active");
  var activeTabHeight = activeTab.outerHeight();
  
  // Show tab on page load
  activeTab.show();
  
  // Set height of wrapper on page load
  tabWrapper.height(activeTabHeight);
  
  $(".tabs > li").on("click", function() {
    
    // Remove class from active tab
    $(".tabs > li").removeClass("active");
    
    // Add class active to clicked tab
    $(this).addClass("active");
    
    // Update clickedTab variable
    clickedTab = $(".tabs .active");
    
    // fade out active tab
    activeTab.fadeOut(250, function() {
      
      // Remove active class all tabs
      $(".tab__content > li").removeClass("active");
      
      // Get index of clicked tab
      var clickedTabIndex = clickedTab.index();

      // Add class active to corresponding tab
      $(".tab__content > li").eq(clickedTabIndex).addClass("active");
      
      // update new active tab
      activeTab = $(".tab__content > .active");
      
      // Update variable
      activeTabHeight = activeTab.outerHeight();
      
      // Animate height of wrapper to new tab height
      tabWrapper.stop().delay(50).animate({
        height: activeTabHeight
      }, 500, function() {
        
        // Fade in active tab
        activeTab.delay(50).fadeIn(250);
        
      });
    });
  });
  
  
});

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This awesome jQuery plugin is developed by Lewitje. For more Advanced Usages, please check the demo page or visit the official website.