Article Objective
At the end of this technical article, first, the reader will learn how to create multiple categories of to-do lists with a delete (‘X’) button. Secondly, the reader will learn how to get the inputs to show in each to-do list. Then finally, the reader will learn how to use the delete (‘X’) button to delete an individual to-do list.
Article outline
- Introduction
- Step 1: Creating a simple heading and adding background image (HTML & CSS)
- Step 2: Creating a section that will contain the to-do lists (HTML)
- Step 3: Styling the section and each of the to-do lists (CSS)
- Step 4: Declaring all the variables (JavaScript)
- Step 5: Getting user inputs to display in each to-do list category (JavaScript)
- Step 6: Activating the delete button and adding a prompt to it (JavaScript)
- Conclusion
Introduction
A to-do list is simply a written list of tasks or errands that one needs or intends to carry out over a given time or in a certain place. Generally speaking, we humans are prone to forgetfulness, especially when we have a lot of things to do day in, day out—which is where a to-do list can really help us. A to-do list is a productivity tool that can help us to list out tasks we intend to accomplish and then cross-check to see if we’ve accomplished them. It also serves as a memory aid to help us remember what we need to do at a given time or even place.
In this article, we are going to create multi-category to-do lists with JavaScript, whose user interface will be designed using plain HTML and CSS. These multi-category to-do lists are going to contain a to-do list for home, a to-do list for the workplace, and a to-do list for the grocery store. Each of these to-do lists is going to work independently of each other; that is, what the user enters into any of the categories won’t show in the other categories. With this, a user can enter a specific to-do in each of the to-do list categories.
Let us get started creating these multi-category to-do lists.
Step 1: Creating a simple heading and adding background image (HTML & CSS)
The first thing we have to do is to open up our code editor (VS Code used here) and create three separate files and then link the CSS and JS files in the HTML.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Multi-category To-do Lists</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" href="/style.css">
<script defer src="/main.js"></script>
</head>
Then we can proceed to create a simple heading indicating what we are doing.
<body>
<h3 class="heading">Multi-category To-do Lists</h3>
</body>
Let's add some CSS styling:
*{
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
list-style: none;
box-sizing: border-box;
}
.heading
{
width: 100vw;
text-align: center;
font-size: 24px;
background-color: #fa8072;
color: white;
height: 30px;
}
After applying these styles, it should now look like this:
Let’s proceed to set a background colour in the body of our to-do lists project.
body
{
background-color: #1f1f39;
}
Step 2: Creating a section that will contain the to-do lists (HTML)
Here, we are going to create a section that is going to contain three categories of to-do lists, which are to-do list for home, to-do list for workplace, and to-do list for grocery store.
We are going to create three containers inside this section, and these containers are going to have the following class names: home, workplace, and grocery store.
Inside each of these containers, we are going to have a heading (to indicate the different to-do lists), input (for text), a button (add), and an empty unordered list in which each entered to-do list will be stored. In order to style them, we are going to give all of the aforementioned a class name.
<section>
<div class="home">
<h5>To-do list for Home</h5>
<input type="text" placeholder=" Enter your to-do" class="textfield1">
<p class="error-msg" style="display: none; color: white">Enter a to-do in the input field to start a list</p>
<button class="btn1" id="btn1">Add</button>
<ul class="tdlist1">
<!-- <li class="list">Make some sandwiches<button class="deletebtn1" >X</button></li> -->
</ul>
</div>
<div class="workplace">
<h5>To-do list for Workplace</h5>
<input type="text" placeholder=" Enter your to-do" class="textfield2">
<p class="error_msg" style="display: none; color: white">Enter a to-do in the input field to start a list</p>
<button class="btn2" id="btn2">Add</button>
<ul class="tdlist2">
<!-- <li class="list">Submit a report to boss<button class="deletebtn2" >X</button></li> -->
</ul>
</div>
<div class="grocerystore">
<h5>To-do list for Grocery Store</h5>
<input type="text" placeholder=" Enter your to-do" class="textfield3">
<p class="errorMsg" style="display: none; color: white">Enter a to-do in the input field to start a list</p>
<button class="btn3" id="btn3">Add</button>
<ul class="tdlist3">
<!-- <li class="list">Buy some fresh apples<button class="deletebtn3" >X</button></li> -->
</ul>
</div>
</section>
As you can see, the unordered list in each of the to-do list containers has a list that contains a to-do entry and a button (to delete an entry) but which have all been commented out. There are two reasons for doing this. The first reason is because we want the to-do list entry to come from a user. Secondly, it is only to show the selectors (class names) given to the list and the button, which we are going to make use of in CSS and JavaScript.
Step 3: Styling the section and each of the to-do lists (CSS)
The section is the first thing we start with, and the major styling includes width: 90%; margin: auto; display: grid; and grid-template-columns; which makes the to-do lists responsive. Then we style the elements inside the first to-do list container and then style the heading—making the font bigger and giving it a standout color. Thereafter, we style the input field and the add button to make them eye-pleasing. Finally, we style the empty unordered list and also style the appearance of the list so that each to-do list entry will have that same appearance.
section
{
max-width: 1200px;
height: fit-content;
margin: auto;
padding: 10px;
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(min(100%, 350px), 1fr));
gap: 50px;
margin-top: 100px;
}
.home
{
width: 350px;
height: fit-content;
border: 2px groove;
text-align: center;
border-radius: 5px;
box-shadow: 0px 5px 5px #fa8072;
}
h5
{
font-size: 20px;
padding-top: 5px;
padding-bottom: 10px;
color: rgb(16, 255, 8);
}
.textfield1
{
width: 250px;
height: 30px;
border-radius: 5px;
}
.btn1
{
width: 50px;
height: 30px;
background-color: aqua;
font-weight: bolder;
border-radius: 5px;
}
.tdlist1
{
width: 50%;
padding: 10px;
color: aliceblue;
}
.list
{
background: linear-gradient(to left, #4221fa, #4b4f8f);
margin: 10px;
padding: 5px;
border-left: solid 4px rgb(21, 255, 0);
font-size: 18px;
border-radius: 5px;
display: flex;
justify-content: space-between;
width: 305px;
text-align: left;
}
.deletebtn1
{
color: red;
width: 20px;
font-size: 20px;
background: transparent;
border: 0;
}
For the other two categories of to-do lists to have the same appearance as the first, we are going to apply the same styling to them. Though we are making use of the same styling, for the sake of easy differentiation, we need to add a figure to the selectors (i.e., class names) used. The list class inside the empty unordered list is the only class name that we are not going to repeat and which is going to be used for the three categories of to-do lists.
Styling for the second to-do list category:
.workplace
{
width: 350px;
height: fit-content;
border: 2px groove;
text-align: center;
border-radius: 5px;
box-shadow: 0px 5px 5px #fa8072;
}
.textfield2
{
width: 250px;
height: 30px;
border-radius: 5px;
}
.btn2
{
width: 50px;
height: 30px;
background-color: aqua;
font-weight: bolder;
border-radius: 5px;
}
.tdlist2
{
width: 50%;
padding: 10px;
color: aliceblue;
}
.deletebtn2
{
color: red;
width: 20px;
font-size: 20px;
background: transparent;
border: 0;
}
Styling for the third to-do list category:
.grocerystore
{
width: 350px;
height: fit-content;
border: 2px groove;
text-align: center;
border-radius: 5px;
box-shadow: 0px 5px 5px #fa8072;
}
.textfield3
{
width: 250px;
height: 30px;
border-radius: 5px;
}
.btn3
{
width: 50px;
height: 30px;
background-color: aqua;
font-weight: bolder;
border-radius: 5px;
}
.tdlist3
{
width: 50%;
padding: 10px;
color: aliceblue;
}
.deletebtn3
{
color: red;
width: 20px;
font-size: 20px;
background: transparent;
border: 0;
}
@media (max-width: 1280px) {
.home {
margin: auto;
}
.workplace {
margin: auto;
}
.grocerystore {
margin: auto;
}
}
After applying all of these styles, we are going to have multi-category to-do lists that look like the following. This is a mobile (tablet) view.
Step 4: Declaring all the variables (JavaScript)
We are done with designing the interface of our multi-category to-do lists, but they won’t work without JavaScript. So, the first thing we have to do is declare all the variables (that point to the selectors) in JavaScript.
const listItems1 = document.querySelector('.tdlist1')
const input1 = document.querySelector('.textfield1')
const btn1 = document.querySelector('.btn1')
const listItems2 = document.querySelector('.tdlist2')
const input2 = document.querySelector('.textfield2')
const btn2 = document.querySelector('.btn2')
const listItems3 = document.querySelector('.tdlist3')
const input3 = document.querySelector('.textfield3')
const btn3 = document.querySelector('.btn3')
With this, we can have access to the input field, the add button, and the empty unordered list all inside their respective HTML containers.
Step 5: Getting user inputs to display in each to-do list category (JavaScript)
Now that we have declared all the variables, we need to get the user's input (i.e., to-do entry) to display in each to-do list category. Here is what we need to do in JavaScript:
btn1.addEventListener('click', function() {
var text = input1.value.trim()
if (text === '') {
document.querySelector('.error-msg').style.display = 'block'
} else {
document.querySelector('.error-msg').style.display = 'none'
var li = document.createElement('li')
li.classList.add('list')
li.textContent = text
console.log(input1)
}
var xbtn = document.createElement('button')
xbtn.classList.add('deletebtn1')
xbtn.textContent = 'X'
li.appendChild(xbtn)
listItems1.appendChild(li)
console.log(listItems1)
input1.value = ''
});
input1.addEventListener('input', function() {
if (input1.value.trim() !== '') {
document.querySelector('.error-msg').style.display = 'none'
}
});
Since we want each to-do list category to work independently, we have to copy the same lines of code for the other two to-do list categories, but we have to differentiate their variables, i.e., btn2, deletebtn2, btn3, deletebtn3, etc.
btn2.addEventListener('click', function() {
var text = input2.value.trim()
if (text === '') {
document.querySelector('.error_msg').style.display = 'block'
} else {
document.querySelector('.error_msg').style.display = 'none'
var li = document.createElement('li')
li.classList.add('list')
li.textContent = text
console.log(input2)
}
var xbtn = document.createElement('button')
xbtn.classList.add('deletebtn2')
xbtn.textContent = 'X'
li.appendChild(xbtn)
listItems2.appendChild(li)
console.log(listItems2)
input2.value = ''
});
input2.addEventListener('input', function() {
if (input2.value.trim() !== '') {
document.querySelector('.error_msg').style.display = 'none'
}
});
btn3.addEventListener('click', function() {
var text = input3.value.trim()
if (text === '') {
document.querySelector('.errorMsg').style.display = 'block'
} else {
document.querySelector('.errorMsg').style.display = 'none'
var li = document.createElement('li')
li.classList.add('list')
li.textContent = text
console.log(input3)
}
var xbtn = document.createElement('button')
xbtn.classList.add('deletebtn3')
xbtn.textContent = 'X'
li.appendChild(xbtn)
listItems3.appendChild(li)
console.log(listItems3)
input3.value = ''
});
input3.addEventListener('input', function() {
if (input3.value.trim() !== '') {
document.querySelector('.errorMsg').style.display = 'none'
}
});
After these JavaScript code snippets are implemented, our multi-category to-do lists work, and any to-do a user enters for one category will only appear there (unless the user types the same to-do in another category).
So, this is how it is going to look:
As you can see from here, each to-do list works independently and doesn’t interfere with the others. The next thing we want to do is to activate the delete button and add a prompt to it.
Step 6: Activating the delete button and adding a prompt to it (JavaScript)
Now that our tri-category to-do lists are working, we want to activate the delete button so that a user will be able to delete any to-do entry that has been accomplished. We want to also add a prompt to ask the user if they are sure of deleting a to-do entry.
Here is what we need to do in JavaScript:
listItems1.addEventListener('click', function(e)
{
if(e.target.classList.contains('deletebtn1'))
{
if(confirm("Are you sure you want to delete this to-do?"))
{
var li = e.target.parentElement
listItems1.removeChild(li)
}
}
});
listItems2.addEventListener('click', function(e)
{
if(e.target.classList.contains('deletebtn2'))
{
if(confirm("Are you sure you want to delete this to-do?"))
{
var li = e.target.parentElement
listItems2.removeChild(li)
}
}
});
listItems3.addEventListener('click', function(e)
{
if(e.target.classList.contains('deletebtn3'))
{
if(confirm("Are you sure you want to delete this to-do?"))
{
var li = e.target.parentElement
listItems3.removeChild(li)
}
}
});
So, we are going to insert these lines of code under the JavaScript code for each to-do list category as laid out in Step 5. After this is done, it will now be possible to delete any to-do entry in each of the to-do list categories.
We then need to enter to-dos again because the added JavaScript codes for the prompt automatically refresh the page.
The delete button on the first to-do entry was clicked on, and it displayed the prompt shown in the snapshot. After clicking OK, the first to-do entry (grill chicken for breakfast) in the to-do list for home is deleted, and we have the result below.
Below is all the code implementation for this project in my Codepen.
Conclusion
In this article, we focused on creating multi-category to-do lists that can be useful for managing to-dos for the home, the workplace, and the grocery store. The interface of the to-do lists was designed with plain HTML and CSS, and functionality was added to them using JavaScript. This project was developed for web development beginners who are looking for beginner-friendly web projects to learn JavaScript.
Top comments (0)