Do you know the difference between Modal and dialog ?
No ?! Let's find out
In user interface (UI) design, the terms "modal" and "dialog" are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings:
Modal:
- Definition: A modal is a UI element that creates a temporary, interruptive state in the application, requiring the user to interact with it before they can return to the underlying content or app.
- Key characteristic: Blocks interaction with the rest of the interface until it is closed or interacted with. It forces the user to focus on the modal content and take action (like confirming a decision or filling out a form).
-
Common use cases:
- Confirmation prompts (e.g., "Are you sure you want to delete this?")
- Alerts or error messages
- Authentication dialogs (e.g., login screens)
- Selecting options that are essential before proceeding (e.g., "Save changes?")
- Example: The "Save changes?" dialog in many applications, where you must click "Yes," "No," or "Cancel" before continuing with other tasks.
Dialog:
- Definition: A dialog is a broader term for any UI element that allows for user interaction, typically involving information exchange or decision-making. It may or may not be modal.
- Key characteristic: Does not necessarily block interaction with the rest of the interface. A dialog can be modal, but it can also be non-modal, meaning users can still interact with other parts of the app while the dialog is open.
-
Common use cases:
- Asking for user input (e.g., search or settings dialogs)
- Information display (e.g., error messages, alerts)
- Complex forms or multi-step processes
- Example: A dialog box in a word processor asking for specific parameters (e.g., font size or formatting) but still allowing you to interact with other elements in the app if it's a non-modal dialog.
Key Differences:
-
Interaction Blocking:
- A modal blocks interaction with the main interface until it is dismissed.
- A dialog may or may not block interaction; it depends on whether it's a modal or non-modal dialog.
-
Use Case:
- Modals are used for critical decisions, alerts, or actions where you need the user to focus on the modal content before continuing.
- Dialogs can be used for a variety of interactions, including informational, form submission, or selecting options, with or without blocking the main interface.
Introduction to the dialog
Element in HTML
The HTML dialog
element provides a simple and efficient way to create modals and dialog boxes. This element is quite flexible, allowing you to customize both the content and the style, while also offering accessibility benefits right out of the box. Let's explore how it works and how you can use it to create effective modals on your web pages.
Basic Structure
The dialog
element is very simple: it's just an HTML tag with an optional attribute and some associated JavaScript methods. Here's a basic usage example:
<dialog>
<!-- Dialog Content -->
</dialog>
By default, a dialog
is hidden. To display it, you can add the open
attribute, but it's recommended to use the JavaScript methods show()
and showModal()
to control opening the dialog:
<dialog open>
<span>You can see me now!</span>
</dialog>
However, it's not advisable to use the open
attribute directly, as it creates a non-modal dialog. Instead, you should use the JavaScript methods:
const dialog = document.querySelector("dialog");
dialog.show(); // Opens a non-modal dialog
dialog.showModal(); // Opens a modal dialog
The showModal()
method opens a modal dialog, while show()
opens a non-modal dialog (a type of popup).
Closing the Dialog
To close a dialog, you can use the close()
method. Additionally, if the dialog is modal, it can be closed by pressing the Esc key:
const dialog = document.querySelector("dialog");
dialog.close(); // Closes the dialog
Automatic Accessibility Features
One great advantage of the dialog
element is that it automatically handles accessibility features. It applies the correct aria
attributes and manages focus, making it much easier to create accessible applications.
Styling the dialog
Element
While the dialog
element comes with some default styles applied by the browser, it is very easy to customize. Here's an example of a styled dialog using some basic CSS properties:
dialog {
z-index: 10;
margin-top: 10px;
background: green;
border: none;
border-radius: 1rem;
}
Additionally, you can style the background of the modal by using the ::backdrop
pseudo-element. To modify the backdrop (the area behind the modal), you can apply the following CSS:
dialog::backdrop {
background-color: rgba(250, 100, 250, 0.25); /* Semi-transparent purple */
}
This makes it easy to create custom modals that fit your website's design.
Advanced Features of the dialog
Element
- Forms Inside the Dialog
You can use forms inside the dialog. If you set the method="dialog"
attribute on the form, the dialog will automatically close when the form is submitted, without actually submitting the form data to the server. The most interesting part is that, when reopening the dialog, the form data will still be there.
<dialog>
<form method="dialog">
<input type="text" />
<button type="submit">Submit</button>
</form>
</dialog>
- Cancel Buttons
You can add a cancel button in your form that closes the dialog without submitting the form, by using the formmethod="dialog"
attribute:
<dialog>
<form>
<input type="text" />
<button formmethod="dialog" type="submit">Cancel</button>
<button type="submit">Submit</button>
</form>
</dialog>
- Close on Click Outside
Although the dialog
element does not have this behavior natively, it's easy to add a click event listener to close the dialog when the user clicks outside of it. Here's a simple example to implement this:
dialog.addEventListener("click", e => {
const dialogDimensions = dialog.getBoundingClientRect();
if (
e.clientX < dialogDimensions.left ||
e.clientX > dialogDimensions.right ||
e.clientY < dialogDimensions.top ||
e.clientY > dialogDimensions.bottom
) {
dialog.close();
}
});
This solution allows the dialog to be closed when clicking outside the modal area, which is common behavior for many modals.
Conclusion
The HTML dialog
element provides a simple yet powerful way to implement modals and dialog boxes, with a strong focus on accessibility. It makes it easy to create custom modals without the need for external libraries or complex configuration. By using methods like show()
, showModal()
, and close()
, you can easily control the behavior of your dialog.
Additionally, the ability to style the dialog and its backdrop with CSS makes it even more customizable. With just a few extra features like closing the modal when clicking outside or integrating forms, the dialog
element becomes a highly flexible and useful tool for creating interactive elements on your site.
For more information and examples: https://blog.webdevsimplified.com/2023-04/html-dialog/
https://dev.to/iam_timsmith/dialogs-vs-modals-is-there-a-difference-210k
Top comments (12)
Thank you for sharing this!
It would be great if you could embed some interactive demos here or put an MDN link at the end of this article.
Hi,
Can you suggest a free "React multi-select Searchable hierarchy tree dropdown" component in React Web Dev.
For more details : thread link
I'll code one for you, for a fee. Reply if interested.
Sure,
Thank you very much brother 🤝🏻🙌🏻.
Much appreciated.
Ok, if you really are willing to pay for its development, it is $50 US/hour. The hours that I'll charge will include:
We first meet to gather requirements. Then I charge for the meeting. Upon payment, I develop to completion and then demo the product to you. If you're satisfied, I deliver the code to a private repository of yours once payment is fulfilled.
I will give you development time estimates after we define the component requirements.
Sorry,
You just said, for free,
So I agreed,
If you can suggest already available components from online is also fine for me, as per your experience.
Read carefully.
and when it comes to focus trap the attribute aria-modal="true " and role="modal " will be very helpful in term of drawers and popups #a11y
I gave the
<dialog>
element a fair shot, but it comes with problems. My main problems are:You know, they are both dialogs, just one is given a property of modal that states that input is restricted to that dialog. Anyone who has used multiple desktop GUI libraries would be able to explain that to you. The biggest difference between a window and a dialog is the purpose of each, all dialogs present controls to change application state that are not part of document that is in the main window of the application. The issue of confusion is one of continuous misuse of each and blurring the lines of each's dedicated use.
Modal -> use case -> authentication "dialog" 🙃
Thanks man.
Some comments may only be visible to logged-in visitors. Sign in to view all comments.