Header

Choose Alternate Versions

Component Notes for Latest Version

Overview

The standard campus header should appear at the top of every page of a campus website.
The header is placed in the header slot of the ilw-page component.

The header contains five content slots:

• The site name identifies the site. For multipage sites, this may also link to the front page of the site.
• The parent unit identifies the campus unit which manages the site or contains the unit represented by the site. This should link to the site for the parent unit.
• The navigation slot contains the main navigation component for the site.
• The search slot contains a basic search engine.
• The eyebrow slot contains links which are displayed in the top-right corner of the header.

Attributes

• menu: If set to none, the menu will not appear. This will hide the menu button, the navigation slot, search slot, and eyebrow slot on both mobile and desktop versions.
• source: The UTM source set for the header going back to the Illinois web site. Defaults to Illinois_App.

Site Name

For a single page site, the site name can be an h1 or a div as required:

<ilw-header slot="header">
  <div slot="site-name">Single-Page Website</div>
</ilw-header>

On sites with more than one page, the site name should link to the site homepage. If you use an h1 for the site name for accessiblity, it should contain the link.

<ilw-header slot="header">
  <a slot="site-name" href="/">Website with Multiple Pages</a>
</ilw-header>

<ilw-header slot="header">
  <h1 slot="site-name"><a href="/">Website with Multiple Pages</a></h1>
</ilw-header>

Parent unit

If the website represents a department within another unit, the parent unit slot can be used to link to an additional website for the parent unit:

<ilw-header slot="header">
  <a slot="parent-unit" href="http://parent.example.com/">Parent Unit</a>
  <a slot="site-name" href="/">Website with Parent Unit</a>
</ilw-header>

Navigation

The main navigation is a multi-level list of links that should not change within the site.

<ilw-header slot="header">
  <ilw-header-menu slot="navigation">
    <ul>
      <li><a href="/about">About</a></li>
      <li><a href="/academics">Academics</a></li>
      <li><a href="/research">Research</a></li>
      <li><a href="/alumni">Alumni</a></li>
    </ul>
  </ilw-header-menu>
</ilw-header>

For information, see the full documentation for the ilw-header-menu.

Search

A simple search form can be added to the header via the search slot.

<ilw-header slot="header">
  <form method="get" action="/search" slot="search" role="search">
    <input type="search" name="query" aria-labelledby="search-button">
    <button type="submit" id="search-button">Search</button>
  </form>
</ilw-header>

The following aspects of the markup are required:

• The form or div element must contain the search role
• The form or div element must contain the search slot
• The input type must be search
• The input must use the submit button for its accessible label.
• The submit button must contain an id linking it to the input.

A customized search form might include additional hidden inputs:

<ilw-header slot="header">
  <form method="post" action="/search.php" slot="search" role="search">
    <input type="hidden" name="api-key" value="67890">
    <input type="search" name="q" aria-labelledby="search-button">
    <button type="submit" id="search-button" name="search" value="1">Search</button>
  </form>
</ilw-header>

External References

The Magnifying-Glass Icon in Search Design: Pros and Cons, Neilsen Norman Group, February 23, 2014

Using aria-labelledby

Links

The top-right section can be used for utility navigation:

<ilw-header slot="header">
  <nav slot="links" aria-label="Utility">
    <ul>
      <li><a href="/apply">Apply</a></li>
      <li><a href="/visit">Visit</a></li>
      <li><a href="/donate">Donate</a></li>
    </ul>
  </nav>
</ilw-header>

• Link labels must be short. One-word labels are prefered.
• Limit links to 3 or fewer.
• Only one level of links is allowed. Additional levels of lists may not be displayed.
• The nav element must have an accessible name (e.g. "Utility").

Form login and logout

Either the links slot or the search slot may contain login information for applications. If this is the case, you can use the following format

• A <div> or <form> with an appropriate aria-label attribute
• An optional <span> that has a the user that is logged in
• An <a> or <button> that goes to the application's login or logout area. This may be a submit form.
• If this is a form, you may include additional hidden form elements

Dark Mode

The Illinois Toolkit supports an optional Dark Mode control in the ilw-header web component.

Dark Mode is opt-in. Applications must explicitly enable the Dark Mode checkbox.

Dark Mode supports both the user's system/browser color preference and an explicit
user preference selected through the Dark Mode checkbox. The system/browser preference
is detected using the CSS prefers-color-scheme media feature.

Enabling Dark Mode

Add the dark-mode-visible attribute to the ilw-header component:

<ilw-header dark-mode-visible></ilw-header>

The corresponding TypeScript property is:

@property({ type: Boolean })
darkModeVisible = false;

NOTE: Set the data-dark-mode-supported attribute to true on html element to opt-in
the dark mode feature in the sites.

The default value is false, so existing applications will not display the Dark Mode checkbox unless they explicitly enable it.

Property

The Lit property:

darkModeVisible

maps to the HTML attribute:

dark-mode-visible

Because this is a Boolean property, the following enables it:

<ilw-header dark-mode-visible></ilw-header>

The following leaves it disabled:

<ilw-header></ilw-header>

How Dark Mode Works

Dark Mode has two sources of theme preference:

• System/browser preference using prefers-color-scheme
• Explicit user preference using the Dark Mode checkbox

The system preference is used when the user has not made an explicit Dark Mode selection.

Once the user selects a preference using the Dark Mode checkbox, that preference is saved and takes precedence over the system preference.

Preference priority

This is detected with:

@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
    /* Dark Mode colors */
}

The corresponding light preference can be detected with:

@media (prefers-color-scheme: light) {
    /* Light Mode colors */
}

The application does not need to use JavaScript to detect the system preference for CSS-based Dark Mode styling.

Explicit User Preference

When the user interacts with the Dark Mode checkbox in ilw-header, the selected preference is saved in the ilw-dark-mode cookie.

The cookie contains either:

ilw-dark-mode=true

or:

ilw-dark-mode=false

The saved preference takes precedence over the system/browser preference.

For example, if the user's operating system is configured for Dark Mode but the user has explicitly selected Light Mode in the Illinois Toolkit checkbox, Light Mode remains active.

Theme Attribute

An explicit user preference is represented on the <html> element using the data-theme attribute.

Dark Mode:

<html data-theme="dark">

Light Mode:

<html data-theme="light">

When there is no saved user preference, the application does not need to set data-theme. This allows the CSS prefers-color-scheme media query to determine the default appearance.

ilw-header

When darkModeVisible is enabled, ilw-header:

1. Displays the Dark Mode checkbox.
2. Checks for a saved ilw-dark-mode preference.
3. Applies the saved preference when one exists.
4. Updates the ilw-dark-mode cookie when the user changes the checkbox.
5. Updates the explicit data-theme attribute when the user makes a selection.
6. Dispatches the ilw-dark-mode-changed event.

If there is no saved preference, ilw-header does not need to override the system preference.

Example:

<ilw-header dark-mode-visible></ilw-header>

ilw-page

ilw-page provides the page-level Dark Mode CSS.

The CSS supports both system preference and explicit theme selection.

System Preference

@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
    :root {
        --ilw-color--background: #191919;
        --ilw-color--text: #f4f4f4;
    }
}

Explicit Dark Mode

[data-theme="dark"] {
    --ilw-color--background: #191919;
    --ilw-color--text: #f4f4f4;
}

Explicit Light Mode

[data-theme="light"] {
    --ilw-color--background: var(--ilw-color--white--background);
    --ilw-color--text: var(--ilw-color--white--text);
}

Explicit data-theme values override the system preference.

Color Variables

Dark Mode uses the Illinois Toolkit's semantic color variables.

Examples include:

• --ilw-color--background
• --ilw-color--text
• --ilw-color--border
• --ilw-color--link
• --ilw-color--heading
• --ilw-color--control
• --ilw-color--table-background

Dark Mode layers on top of the Toolkit's existing semantic color system rather than replacing the existing blue, orange, gray, and gradient themes.

Custom Event

When the user changes the Dark Mode checkbox, ilw-header dispatches:

ilw-dark-mode-changed

Applications or components that need to respond to a Dark Mode change can listen for this event.

The event allows ilw-header and ilw-page to remain loosely coupled.

Cookie

The Dark Mode preference is stored in:

ilw-dark-mode

Possible values are:

true
false

The cookie represents an explicit user preference.

If the cookie does not exist, the system/browser preference can determine the default theme through prefers-color-scheme.

Application Setup

An application using the Dark Mode checkbox should:

1. Enable the checkbox

<ilw-header dark-mode-visible></ilw-header>

2. Set data-dark-mode-supported to true too opt-in Dark Mode on html element.

<html data-dark-mode-supported='true'>

3. Include the Dark Mode CSS

The Dark Mode CSS is maintained with ilw-page.

4. Allow the system preference to provide the default

When there is no saved preference, CSS uses:

@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark)

to detect the user's system/browser preference.

5. Allow ilw-header to manage explicit user preferences

The header manages:

• The Dark Mode checkbox
• The ilw-dark-mode cookie
• The explicit data-theme value
• The ilw-dark-mode-changed event

Example

<ilw-page>
    <ilw-header dark-mode-visible data-dark-mode-supported="true"></ilw-header>

    <main>
        <h1>Example Page</h1>
        <p>This page supports Dark Mode.</p>
    </main>
</ilw-page>

User Has No Saved Preference

If the user has no ilw-dark-mode cookie, the page follows the system/browser preference.

System set to Light:

Light Mode

System set to Dark:

Dark Mode

User Explicitly Selects Dark Mode

The user checks the Dark Mode checkbox.

The application saves:

ilw-dark-mode=true

and applies:

<html data-theme="dark">

User Explicitly Selects Light Mode

The user unchecks the Dark Mode checkbox.

The application saves:

ilw-dark-mode=false

and applies:

<html data-theme="light">

The explicit selection remains in effect even if the system/browser preference changes.

Backward Compatibility

Dark Mode is disabled by default:

darkModeVisible = false;

Existing applications using ilw-header without the dark-mode-visible attribute will continue to behave as before.

Applications that want to provide the Dark Mode checkbox can enable it with:

<ilw-header dark-mode-visible></ilw-header>

Testing

Dark Mode should be tested using combinations of system preference and saved user preference.

No Cookie + System Light

Expected:

Light Mode

No Cookie + System Dark

Expected:

Dark Mode

Cookie = true + System Light

Expected:

Dark Mode

The explicit user preference overrides the system preference.

Cookie = false + System Dark

Expected:

Light Mode

The explicit user preference overrides the system preference.

User Checks Dark Mode

Expected:

ilw-dark-mode=true
data-theme="dark"

User Unchecks Dark Mode

Expected:

ilw-dark-mode=false
data-theme="light"

Summary

To enable the Dark Mode checkbox:

<ilw-header dark-mode-visible></ilw-header>

When no explicit user preference exists, the system/browser preference is used. When the user makes an explicit selection, that preference takes precedence and is persisted through the ilw-dark-mode cookie.

Production Files

• JavaScript: https://cdn.toolkit.illinois.edu/ilw-header/1/ilw-header.js
• CSS: https://cdn.toolkit.illinois.edu/ilw-header/1/ilw-header.css
• View usage and accessibility notes