Tabs

Tabs consist of two or more tab items created for navigating between different sections of content.

Guidelines

When to use tabs

Each tab will display different sections within the same context. For example, tabs can display different sections of an article, different topics or different edit views.

Use Tabs to navigate between different sections of content on the page. For filtering information on the screen or switching between views, use a ToggleButtonGroup instead.

Specifications

The Tabs component always contains two or more Tab items.

Tabs include the following elements:

1. Selected tab
   Within the tabs component, only one tab item can be selected at a time.
2. Unselected tabs
   The remaining tab items will remain unselected. Users can choose these tabs by clicking on them or navigating to them via the keyboard’s arrow keys.
3. Arrow button
   When tabs become scrollable, one or two icon-only buttons will appear. The number of buttons to scroll tabs will vary based on the tabs' scroll position. Users can utilize these buttons to navigate through the scrollable tabs.

Component limitations

Each Tabs component will contain a minimum of 2 tab items. There is no maximum limit to the number of tab items per Tabs.

The maximum width for each tab item is @size-1600 (equivalent to 256px in the default Codex theme), with an ellipsis appearing if the text exceeds this length.

When there is not enough space to display all tabs, scrolling will be activated. When the scroll is enabled, the positions of the tabs will be indicated by arrow buttons:

1. Initial position: Due to the tabs being in the first position, only the end arrow button will be visible at the end to scroll the tabs.
2. Middle position: Both the start and end arrow buttons will be visible.
3. End position: As scrolling reaches the end, only the start arrow will be visible in order to scroll the tabs from the end to the beginning.

Refer to the Tabs component in Codex Figma.

Types

Depending on the tabs' style and where they are employed, there are two types of tabs:

Quiet tabs

These tabs feature a transparent background with a Gray400 underline to delineate the tabs base. The selected tab is highlighted in blue with a blue line underneath. These tabs are intended for use on open white backgrounds, and it is not recommended to use them within boxes or modules.

Framed tabs

These tabs have a Gray100 background in light mode, with the selected tab appearing in white. They are designed to be used within boxes or modules, where the gray background serves as a head for the box. It is not recommended to use framed tabs outside of a box context; in such cases, use the quiet tabs instead.

Interaction states

The Tabs component itself does not have distinct states. Instead, individual states will be attributed to each Tab item.

Best practices

Consider the following recommendations when using Tabs.

Do:

• Use Tabs to navigate between various sections of related content.

Don't:

• Use Tabs to structure content meant to be consumed sequentially, like the sections within an article page.

Do:

• Use Tabs to navigate between different sections of content on the page.

Don't:

• Use Tabs to filter information on the screen or switch between views.

Content

Tabs allow a reader to access contained, structured content blocks that make pages easier to read. To make the UI effective and consistent, keep tab names short and descriptive.

Do:

• Limit tab names to one or two words. Concise & Clear

Don't:

• Mix verbs and nouns for the labels. Consistent & Clear

Keyboard navigation

Key	Function
Tab	It moves the focus to the next interactive element in tab order.
Shift + Tab	It moves the focus to the previous interactive element.
Left arrow / Right arrow	When focusing on a Tab item, the arrow keys navigate between the rest of Tab items.

Demos

Basic Example

Two stylistic variants are available, quiet (the default) and framed.

Sand cat

The sand cat (Felis margarita), also known as the sand dune cat, is a small wild cat that inhabits sandy and stony deserts far from water sources. With its sandy to light grey fur, it is well camouflaged in a desert environment.

View source for Sand cat

The '''sand cat''' (''Felis margarita''), also known as the '''sand dune cat''', is a small wild [[Felis|cat]] that inhabits sandy and stony [[deserts]] far from water sources. With its sandy to light grey fur, it is well camouflaged in a desert environment.

Sand cat: Revision history

Revisions

• Revision 3
• Revision 2
• Revision 1

NPM

<template>
	<cdx-tabs :framed="framed">
		<cdx-tab
			v-for="( tab, index ) in tabsData"
			:key="index"
			:name="tab.name"
			:label="tab.label"
		>
			<!-- Tab content -->
			<h2>{{ tab.heading }}</h2>

			<template v-if="tab.name === 'read'">
				<p>
					The <b>sand cat</b> (<i>Felis margarita</i>), also known as
					the <b>sand dune cat</b>, is a small wild
					<a href="#" title="Felis">cat</a> that inhabits
					sandy and stony <a href="#" title="Desert">deserts</a>
					far from water sources. With its sandy to light grey fur, it
					is well camouflaged in a desert environment.
				</p>
			</template>
			<template v-if="tab.name === 'source'">
				<code>
					The '''sand cat''' (''Felis margarita''), also known as the
					'''sand dune cat''', is a small wild [[Felis|cat]] that
					inhabits sandy and stony [[deserts]] far from water sources.
					With its sandy to light grey fur, it is well camouflaged in
					a desert environment.
				</code>
			</template>
			<template v-if="tab.name === 'history'">
				<h3>Revisions</h3>
				<ul>
					<li>Revision 3</li>
					<li>Revision 2</li>
					<li>Revision 1</li>
				</ul>
			</template>
		</cdx-tab>
	</cdx-tabs>
</template>

<script>
import { CdxTabs, CdxTab } from '@wikimedia/codex';
import { defineComponent } from 'vue';

export default defineComponent( {
	name: 'BasicTabs',
	components: {
		CdxTabs,
		CdxTab
	},
	props: {
		framed: {
			type: Boolean,
			default: false
		}
	},
	data() {
		return {
			tabsData: [ {
				name: 'read',
				label: 'Read',
				heading: 'Sand cat'
			}, {
				name: 'source',
				label: 'View source',
				heading: 'View source for Sand cat'
			}, {
				name: 'history',
				label: 'View history',
				heading: 'Sand cat: Revision history'
			} ]
		};
	}
} );
</script>

MediaWiki

<template>
	<cdx-tabs :framed="framed">
		<cdx-tab
			v-for="( tab, index ) in tabsData"
			:key="index"
			:name="tab.name"
			:label="tab.label"
		>
			<!-- Tab content -->
			<h2>{{ tab.heading }}</h2>

			<template v-if="tab.name === 'read'">
				<p>
					The <b>sand cat</b> (<i>Felis margarita</i>), also known as
					the <b>sand dune cat</b>, is a small wild
					<a href="#" title="Felis">cat</a> that inhabits
					sandy and stony <a href="#" title="Desert">deserts</a>
					far from water sources. With its sandy to light grey fur, it
					is well camouflaged in a desert environment.
				</p>
			</template>
			<template v-if="tab.name === 'source'">
				<code>
					The '''sand cat''' (''Felis margarita''), also known as the
					'''sand dune cat''', is a small wild [[Felis|cat]] that
					inhabits sandy and stony [[deserts]] far from water sources.
					With its sandy to light grey fur, it is well camouflaged in
					a desert environment.
				</code>
			</template>
			<template v-if="tab.name === 'history'">
				<h3>Revisions</h3>
				<ul>
					<li>Revision 3</li>
					<li>Revision 2</li>
					<li>Revision 1</li>
				</ul>
			</template>
		</cdx-tab>
	</cdx-tabs>
</template>

<script>
const { CdxTabs, CdxTab } = require( '@wikimedia/codex' );
const { defineComponent } = require( 'vue' );

module.exports = defineComponent( {
	name: 'BasicTabs',
	components: {
		CdxTabs,
		CdxTab
	},
	props: {
		framed: {
			type: Boolean,
			default: false
		}
	},
	data() {
		return {
			tabsData: [ {
				name: 'read',
				label: 'Read',
				heading: 'Sand cat'
			}, {
				name: 'source',
				label: 'View source',
				heading: 'View source for Sand cat'
			}, {
				name: 'history',
				label: 'View history',
				heading: 'Sand cat: Revision history'
			} ]
		};
	}
} );
</script>

Name	Value
Props
framed
View
Reading direction	Left to right (LTR) Right to left (RTL)

Header row scroll

When the width of the header row exceeds the width of its container, arrow buttons will appear to enable scrolling through tab names.

Content for tab1

This is the content for the First Tab

Content for tab2

This is the content for the Second Tab with a really really really really long name

Content for tab3

This is the content for the Third Tab

Content for tab4

This is the content for the Fourth Tab

Content for tab5

This is the content for the Fifth Tab

Content for tab6

This is the content for the Sixth Tab

NPM

<template>
	<cdx-tabs :framed="framed">
		<cdx-tab
			v-for="( tab, index ) in tabsData"
			:key="index"
			:name="tab.name"
			:label="tab.label"
			:disabled="tab.disabled"
		>
			<h2>Content for {{ tab.name }}</h2>
			<p>
				This is the content for the {{ tab.label }}
			</p>
		</cdx-tab>
	</cdx-tabs>
</template>

<script>
import { CdxTabs, CdxTab } from '@wikimedia/codex';
import { defineComponent } from 'vue';

const tabsData = [ {
	name: 'tab1',
	label: 'First Tab'
}, {
	name: 'tab2',
	label: 'Second Tab with a really really really really long name'
}, {
	name: 'tab3',
	label: 'Third Tab'
}, {
	name: 'tab4',
	label: 'Fourth Tab',
	disabled: true
}, {
	name: 'tab5',
	label: 'Fifth Tab'
}, {
	name: 'tab6',
	label: 'Sixth Tab'
} ];

export default defineComponent( {
	name: 'ManyTabs',
	components: {
		CdxTabs,
		CdxTab
	},
	props: {
		framed: {
			type: Boolean,
			default: false
		}
	},
	data() {
		return {
			tabsData
		};
	}
} );
</script>

MediaWiki

<template>
	<cdx-tabs :framed="framed">
		<cdx-tab
			v-for="( tab, index ) in tabsData"
			:key="index"
			:name="tab.name"
			:label="tab.label"
			:disabled="tab.disabled"
		>
			<h2>Content for {{ tab.name }}</h2>
			<p>
				This is the content for the {{ tab.label }}
			</p>
		</cdx-tab>
	</cdx-tabs>
</template>

<script>
const { CdxTabs, CdxTab } = require( '@wikimedia/codex' );
const { defineComponent } = require( 'vue' );

const tabsData = [ {
	name: 'tab1',
	label: 'First Tab'
}, {
	name: 'tab2',
	label: 'Second Tab with a really really really really long name'
}, {
	name: 'tab3',
	label: 'Third Tab'
}, {
	name: 'tab4',
	label: 'Fourth Tab',
	disabled: true
}, {
	name: 'tab5',
	label: 'Fifth Tab'
}, {
	name: 'tab6',
	label: 'Sixth Tab'
} ];

module.exports = defineComponent( {
	name: 'ManyTabs',
	components: {
		CdxTabs,
		CdxTab
	},
	props: {
		framed: {
			type: Boolean,
			default: false
		}
	},
	data() {
		return {
			tabsData
		};
	}
} );
</script>

Name	Value
Props
framed
View
Reading direction	Left to right (LTR) Right to left (RTL)

Dynamic replacement of slot content

The Tabs component will re-render if the provided slot content changes. Clicking the button below will replace the initial tabs with a new set; the header row will update to match.

Content for tab1

This is the content for the First Tab

Content for tab2

This is the content for the Second Tab

Content for tab3

This is the content for the Third Tab

NPM

<template>
	<cdx-tabs v-model:active="currentTab">
		<cdx-tab
			v-for="( tab, index ) in tabsData"
			:key="index"
			:name="tab.name"
			:label="tab.label"
		>
			<h2>Content for {{ tab.name }}</h2>
			<p>
				This is the content for the {{ tab.label }}
			</p>
		</cdx-tab>
	</cdx-tabs>

	<cdx-button @click="swapTabs">
		Swap out tabs
	</cdx-button>
</template>

<script>
import { CdxTabs, CdxTab, CdxButton } from '@wikimedia/codex';
import { defineComponent } from 'vue';

const firstSetOfTabs = [ {
	name: 'tab1',
	label: 'First Tab'
}, {
	name: 'tab2',
	label: 'Second Tab'
}, {
	name: 'tab3',
	label: 'Third Tab'
} ];

const secondSetOfTabs = [ {
	name: 'tab4',
	label: 'Fourth Tab'
}, {
	name: 'tab5',
	label: 'Fifth Tab'
}, {
	name: 'tab6',
	label: 'Sixth Tab'
} ];

export default defineComponent( {
	name: 'DynamicallyGeneratedTabs',
	components: {
		CdxTabs,
		CdxTab,
		CdxButton
	},
	data() {
		return {
			tabsData: firstSetOfTabs,
			currentTab: 'tab1'
		};
	},

	methods: {
		swapTabs() {
			if ( this.tabsData[ 0 ].name === 'tab1' ) {
				this.tabsData = secondSetOfTabs;
			} else {
				this.tabsData = firstSetOfTabs;
			}

			this.currentTab = this.tabsData[ 0 ].name;
		}
	}
} );
</script>

MediaWiki

<template>
	<cdx-tabs v-model:active="currentTab">
		<cdx-tab
			v-for="( tab, index ) in tabsData"
			:key="index"
			:name="tab.name"
			:label="tab.label"
		>
			<h2>Content for {{ tab.name }}</h2>
			<p>
				This is the content for the {{ tab.label }}
			</p>
		</cdx-tab>
	</cdx-tabs>

	<cdx-button @click="swapTabs">
		Swap out tabs
	</cdx-button>
</template>

<script>
const { CdxTabs, CdxTab, CdxButton } = require( '@wikimedia/codex' );
const { defineComponent } = require( 'vue' );

const firstSetOfTabs = [ {
	name: 'tab1',
	label: 'First Tab'
}, {
	name: 'tab2',
	label: 'Second Tab'
}, {
	name: 'tab3',
	label: 'Third Tab'
} ];

const secondSetOfTabs = [ {
	name: 'tab4',
	label: 'Fourth Tab'
}, {
	name: 'tab5',
	label: 'Fifth Tab'
}, {
	name: 'tab6',
	label: 'Sixth Tab'
} ];

module.exports = defineComponent( {
	name: 'DynamicallyGeneratedTabs',
	components: {
		CdxTabs,
		CdxTab,
		CdxButton
	},
	data() {
		return {
			tabsData: firstSetOfTabs,
			currentTab: 'tab1'
		};
	},

	methods: {
		swapTabs() {
			if ( this.tabsData[ 0 ].name === 'tab1' ) {
				this.tabsData = secondSetOfTabs;
			} else {
				this.tabsData = firstSetOfTabs;
			}

			this.currentTab = this.tabsData[ 0 ].name;
		}
	}
} );
</script>

Vue usage

One or more Tab components must be provided in the default slot of the Tabs component. Each child Tab component must have a name property. By default, the first tab will be active when the component renders.

Optional 2-way binding of active tab

Optionally, the active tab can be bound in the parent scope using v-model:active. This is useful in situations where the Tabs need the ability to render with a Tab other than the first in the active state and is recommended if tabs are meant to respond to URL params. The value of v-model:active should correspond to the name property of the active tab.

Props

Prop name	Description	Type	Default
active	The name of the currently active Tab in the layout. This prop is optional; if it is provided, it should be bound using a v-model:active directive in the parent component. Two-way binding the active tab is only necessary if some tab other than the first should be active as soon as the component renders (such as in cases where the active tab is bound to URL params). If this prop is not provided, then the first tab will be active by default. Regardless, the active tab can be changed normally by user interaction (clicking on tab headings) or by using the exposed methods "select", "next", and "prev".	string	null
framed	Whether or not the component should be displayed in a framed visual style.	boolean	false

Methods

Method name	Description	Signature
select	Programmatically select a tab based on its "name" prop	Params: tabName string - The name of the tab to select setFocus boolean - Whether or not to also set focus to the new tab Returns: void
next	Set the next tab to active, if one exists	Params: setFocus boolean - Returns: void
prev	Set the previous tab to active, if one exists	Params: setFocus boolean - Returns: void

Events

Event name	Properties	Description
update:active	active string - The name of the current active tab	Emitted whenever the active tab changes, assuming that an active prop has been provided in the parent.

Slots

Name	Description	Bindings
default	One or more Tab components must be provided here

CSS-only version

Markup structure

The non-JS version of the Tabs component should be seen as a navigational tool. It relies on HTML form submission to trigger a change in the current active tab. When the user clicks on a tab button (or hits Enter while tab button is focused), the browser will load a new page.

Basic setup:

• The outermost element should be a <div> element with the class "cdx-tabs".
• The cdx-tabs__header element should be a <form> with the following attributes:
  • method="get": we will send the form with a GET request
  • action="myURL": The value of action should be whatever URL the form data will be sent to; in this example it's simply the same URL as the page, but appended with a different URL query parameter based on the user's tab selection. In a real-world use-case, this might be a URL that can accept query parameters (say for performing a different kind of search based on which tab the user selects).
• Within the tablist element, every tab label is represented by a <button> element (this is the same as in the Vue version). However, since we are submitting the data as a form, each tab button must contain a name and a value attribute. In a real application, this might correspond to key-value pairs used for a given query parameter.
• The tab corresponding to the current view should contain the aria-selected="true" attribute. All other tabs should have aria-selected="false". If you are using a server-side templating language like Mustache, this should be set there.
• Each tab should also have an aria-controls attribute with a value of the ID of the corresponding tabpanel.
• Don't mess with <button> tabindex – since the CSS-only version of this component has no way to bind left and right arrow keys to handler methods, the user is going to need to rely on the mouse or the tab key to navigate between tabs.
• To disable a tab, simply add a disabled attribute to that tab's <button> in the tablist.

The tabs below have long labels, making the tab list too long for its container. When this happens, you can horizontally scroll to reach the rest of the tabs list.

WARNING

Keyboard navigation between tabs can only be done via the Tab key. Arrow keys will not work here.

Tab 1 content

Tab 2 content

Tab 3 content

Tab 4 content

	<!-- Wrapper div. -->
	<div class="cdx-tabs">
		<!-- Header with tab buttons -->
		<form class="cdx-tabs__header" method="get" action="">
			<!-- List of tabs. -->
			<div class="cdx-tabs__list" tabindex="-1" role="tablist">
				<!-- Tab list item. -->
				<button
					id="form-tabs-1-label"
					class="cdx-tabs__list__item"
					role="tab"
					aria-selected="false"
					aria-controls="form-tabs-1"
					value="form-tabs-1"
					name="tab"
				>
					Tab number one
				</button>
				<button
					id="form-tabs-2-label"
					class="cdx-tabs__list__item"
					role="tab"
					aria-selected="false"
					aria-controls="form-tabs-2"
					value="form-tabs-2"
					name="tab"
				>
					Tab number two with a longer label
				</button>
				<button
					id="form-tabs-3-label"
					class="cdx-tabs__list__item"
					role="tab"
					aria-selected="false"
					aria-controls="form-tabs-3"
					value="form-tabs-3"
					name="tab"
					disabled
				>
					Tab number three
				</button>
				<button
					id="form-tabs-4-label"
					class="cdx-tabs__list__item"
					role="tab"
					aria-selected="false"
					aria-controls="form-tabs-4"
					value="form-tabs-4"
					name="tab"
				>
					Tab number four
				</button>
			</div>
		</form>
		<!-- Tabs. -->
		<div class="cdx-tabs__content">
			<!-- <section> element for each tab, with any content inside. -->
			<section
				id="form-tabs-1"
				aria-hidden="true"
				aria-labelledby="form-tabs-1-label"
				class="cdx-tab"
				role="tabpanel"
				tabindex="-1"
			>
				Tab 1 content
			</section>
			<section
				id="form-tabs-2"
				aria-hidden="true"
				aria-labelledby="form-tabs-2-label"
				class="cdx-tab"
				role="tabpanel"
				tabindex="-1"
			>
				Tab 2 content
			</section>
			<section
				id="form-tabs-3"
				aria-hidden="true"
				aria-labelledby="form-tabs-3-label"
				class="cdx-tab"
				role="tabpanel"
				tabindex="-1"
			>
				Tab 3 content
			</section>
			<section
				id="form-tabs-4"
				aria-hidden="true"
				aria-labelledby="form-tabs-4-label"
				class="cdx-tab"
				role="tabpanel"
				tabindex="-1"
			>
				Tab 4 content
			</section>
		</div>
	</div>