Morningstar Design System

Tooltips

  • HTML/CSS Available
  • Web Component Unavailable
  • Last Updated

    2.0.0

Tooltips provide a short description of a page element or control.

Variations

Default

Use to provide a short description of an object without a label.

Default 
<div class="mds-tooltip__wrapper">
    <button class="mds-button mds-button--icon-only" type="button" aria-describedby="tooltip1">
        <svg class="mds-icon mds-button__icon mds-button__icon--right">
            <use xlink:href="/icons/mds.svg#person-padless">
                <title>My Account</title>
            </use>
        </svg>
    </button>
    <div id="tooltip1" class="mds-tooltip mds-tooltip--default mds-tooltip--width-m mds-tooltip--right-center mds-tooltip--sticky" role="tooltip" aria-hidden="false" aria-labelledby="tooltiptext1">
        <div class="mds-tooltip__text " id="tooltiptext1"> My Account </div>
    </div>
</div>
  • Triggered by hovering over an object.
  • Use to describe the action of an icon-only button.
  • Use to reveal the full text of truncated data.
  • Use to reveal the purpose of a menu that has a dynamic title.
Lists & Screens menu inside Direct Cloud.

Prompt

Use to temporarily direct attention to an object or functionality.

Prompt 
<div class="mds-tooltip__wrapper">
    <button class="mds-button mds-button--icon-only mds-tooltip__target mds-tooltip__target--block" type="button" aria-describedby="tooltip2">
        <svg class="mds-icon mds-button__icon mds-button__icon--right">
            <use xlink:href="/icons/mds.svg#plus">
                <title>Add list</title>
            </use>
        </svg>
    </button>
    <div id="tooltip2" class="mds-tooltip mds-tooltip--prompt mds-tooltip--width-l mds-tooltip--sticky mds-tooltip--closable mds-tooltip--right-center" role="tooltip" aria-hidden="false" aria-labelledby="tooltiptext2">
        <div class="mds-tooltip__text " id="tooltiptext2"> Your list is empty. Add some investments to get started. </div>
        <div class=" mds-tooltip__close-button">
            <button class="mds-button mds-button--small mds-button--icon-only">
                <svg class="mds-icon mds-button__icon">
                    <use xlink:href="/icons/mds.svg#remove--s">
                        <title>Close</title>
                    </use>
                </svg>
            </button>
        </div>
    </div>
</div>
  • Dismissable by clicking close icon, remove--s.

Error

Use to direct attention to an error.

Error 
<div class="mds-tooltip__wrapper">
    <button class="mds-button mds-button--primary" type="button" disabled aria-describedby="tooltip3"> Submit </button>
    <div id="tooltip3" class="mds-tooltip mds-tooltip--error mds-tooltip--width-l mds-tooltip--sticky mds-tooltip--right-center" role="tooltip" aria-hidden="false" aria-labelledby="tooltiptext3">
        <div class="mds-tooltip__text " id="tooltiptext3"> There is a problem. Please correct all errors before submitting. </div>
    </div>
</div>
  • Dismissable by correcting error.
  • Not commonly used. For inline errors, please see errors in Forms.

Tooltip Positioning

There are 12 possible positions. Choose one that keeps the tooltip’s content in the viewport. For all positioning options see CSS Class References.

Center Positioning 
<div class="mds-tooltip__wrapper">
    <button class="mds-button " type="button" aria-describedby="tooltip4"> Right Center </button>
    <div id="tooltip4" class="mds-tooltip mds-tooltip--default mds-tooltip--width-m mds-tooltip--right-center" role="tooltip" aria-hidden="true" aria-labelledby="tooltiptext4">
        <div class="mds-tooltip__text " id="tooltiptext4"> Right Center </div>
    </div>
</div>
Offset Positioning 
<div class="mds-tooltip__wrapper">
    <button class="mds-button " type="button" aria-describedby="tooltip5"> Right Bottom </button>
    <div id="tooltip5" class="mds-tooltip mds-tooltip--default mds-tooltip--width-m mds-tooltip--right-bottom" role="tooltip" aria-hidden="true" aria-labelledby="tooltiptext4">
        <div class="mds-tooltip__text " id="tooltiptext4"> Right Bottom </div>
    </div>
</div>

Sizing

Sizing affects the text size and internal spacing. The default size is medium, and you can use a modifier class to make the tooltip smaller (mds-tooltip--small) or larger (mds-tooltip--large).

Small
Medium (Default)
Large 
<div class="mds-tooltip__wrapper">
    <button class="mds-button mds-button--icon-only" type="button" aria-describedby="small-tooltip">
        <svg class="mds-icon mds-button__icon mds-button__icon--right">
            <use xlink:href="/icons/mds.svg#person-padless">
                <title>User Account</title>
            </use>
        </svg>
    </button>
    <div id="small-tooltip" class="mds-tooltip mds-tooltip--default mds-tooltip--small mds-tooltip--width-m mds-tooltip--right-center mds-tooltip--sticky" role="tooltip" aria-hidden="false" aria-labelledby="false">
        <div class="mds-tooltip__text " id="false"> My Account </div>
    </div>
</div>
  • Prompt and error tooltips are only available in a single size.
Do use tooltips which are the same size as, or smaller than, the <a class="mds-link" href="/components/buttons.html">Button</a> they are attached to.
Do use tooltips which are the same size as, or smaller than, the Button they are attached to.
Don‘t use tooltips which are bigger than the <a class="mds-link" href="/components/buttons.html">Button</a> they are attached to.
Don‘t use tooltips which are bigger than the Button they are attached to.

Guidelines

Use When

  • Providing a short description of a page element or control.

Don’t Use When

  • Providing a description longer than 10 words. Instead, use a Popover.

Visual Language

  • Consider applying a custom z-index value when you compose this component with other layered components, e.g., Dialogs, Modals, Popovers or Notifications to meet your product requirements.
Do center the tooltip’s tail on its associated object, even if the tooltip’s balloon is offset.
Do center the tooltip’s tail on its associated object, even if the tooltip’s balloon is offset.
Don‘t offset the tooltip’s tail or orient and/or move the tooltip locked with the cursor.
Don‘t offset the tooltip’s tail or orient and/or move the tooltip locked with the cursor.

Editorial

  • Keep it brief—aim for fewer than 10 words.
  • End full sentences with a period. Using “&” is OK. No “!”.
  • For brevity, don’t spell out numbers: Use 12, not twelve.

Accessibility

  • If the tooltip’s target element is an .mds-text__anchor, or an .mds-button, the tooltip should show on focus and hide on blur.
  • Use all standard MDS role=”” attributes on .mds-tooltip_target as appropriate.
  • Always use role=”tooltip” on the .mds-tooltip element.
  • Use aria-hidden="true" to prevent screenreaders from reading hidden tooltips. Change value to false when tooltip is visible.
  • Tooltip trigger element should have a aria-describedby attribute which references to the ID of the associated tooltip.
  • Add aria-labelledby to tooltip to associate full content of a tooltip.

Code Reference

CSS Class References

Class
 Applies to
 Outcome

mds-tooltip

<div>

This class initializes a <div> with the basic styles shared across all tooltips.

mds-tooltip__text

<div>

This class is always applied to a <div> and is the immediate child of mds-tooltip. It is needed to properly apply the MDS spacing system to the component.

mds-tooltip__wrapper

Any block, or inline-block element, most likely a <div>

This class should be on the immediate parent of the tooltip’s target element, and it must wrap the target and the tooltip itself. If the tooltip is triggered on hover, this is the element on which that hover is triggered.

mds-tooltip__target

Any inline, block, or inline-block element

This is used to enable showing/hiding the tooltip on keyboard focus of a focusable tooltip target element. For example, if the tooltip target is an <a> or <button>, focusing the element will show the tip.

mds-tooltip--default

mds-tooltip

Sets background color, drop shadow and text styling for a default tooltip.

mds-tooltip--small

mds-tooltip

Adjusts styling to render a small tooltip.

mds-tooltip--large

mds-tooltip

Adjusts styling to render a large tooltip.

mds-tooltip--prompt

mds-tooltip

Sets background color, drop shadow and text styling for a prompt tooltip.

mds-tooltip--error

mds-tooltip

Sets background color, drop shadow and text styling for an error tooltip.

mds-tooltip--closable

mds-tooltip--prompt

Gives a tooltip padding space to account for a close button.

mds-tooltip__close-button

<a>

This is the hook set onto an anchor inside of an .mds-tooltip that will leverage the js that triggers the tip to fade out.

mds-tooltip__target--help

Any block, inline-block, or inline element

Changes cursor to (?) symbol on hover indicating help information.

mds-tooltip--top-center

mds-tooltip

Aligns tooltip to the top center of the invoking element.

mds-tooltip--top-right

mds-tooltip

Aligns tooltip to the top right of the invoking element.

mds-tooltip--top-left

mds-tooltip

Aligns tooltip to the top left of the invoking element.

mds-tooltip--bottom-center

mds-tooltip

Aligns tooltip to the bottom center of the invoking element.

mds-tooltip--bottom-right

mds-tooltip

Aligns tooltip to the bottom right of the invoking element.

mds-tooltip--bottom-left

mds-tooltip

Aligns tooltip to the bottom left of the invoking element.

mds-tooltip--right-center

mds-tooltip

Aligns tooltip to the right center of the invoking element.

mds-tooltip--right-top

mds-tooltip

Aligns tooltip to the right top of the invoking element.

mds-tooltip--right-bottom

mds-tooltip

Aligns tooltip to the right bottom of the invoking element.

mds-tooltip--left-center

mds-tooltip

Aligns tooltip to the left center of the invoking element.

mds-tooltip--left-top

mds-tooltip

Aligns tooltip to the left top of the invoking element.

mds-tooltip--left-bottom

mds-tooltip

Aligns tooltip to the left bottom of the invoking element.

JavaScript Considerations

Engineers should use their own JavaScript libraries and implementations that most appropriately fit within the requirements for their applications and environments.

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