Button shine/glow with CSS3

Question

I have a navigation menu that I'm trying to recreate using only CSS3 and HTML. The design calls for a shine/glow on the currently selected menu button as per the "home" button on the attached pic. Is that effect possible using just code or will I need to use the glow image?!

Notice the shine and white line is most visible towards the center of the button and then fades towards the edges.

Answer 1

CSS3's radial gradients let you achieve a similar effect, although using a CSS background image may be easier for pixel-perfect adjustments. Specifically, CSS3's gradients are linear, even the radial ones.

I've constructed a small example using Firefox's radial gradients (support for Webkit will require quite different code): http://jsfiddle.net/rxMf6/

HTML:

<div class="highlighted-button">
    <div class="highlight"></div>
    Button
</div>

CSS:

.highlighted-button {
    background: #000;
    color: #fff;
    font: bold 0.8em Arial, sans-serif;
    padding-bottom: 0.9em;
    text-align: center;
    text-transform: uppercase;
    width: 8em;
}

.highlight {
    background: -moz-radial-gradient(center top, ellipse farthest-side,
                                     #fff 0%, #000 100%);
    height: 0.5em;
    margin-bottom: 0.4em;
}

Answer 2

yes,that's shine is possible in css3.You adjust gradient as per your requirement.you us filter for IE. i hope this example help's you.

.menu {
    float: left;
    margin: 10px 10px 10px 0;
    background: #000;
    width: 700px;
}
.menu ul {
    margin: 15px 0 15px 5px;
}
.menu ul li {
    display: inline;
    list-style: none;
    font-size: 12px;
    font-family: arial;
    color: #fff;
    font-weight: normal;
}
.menu ul li:before {
    display: inline;
    content: "/";
}
.menu ul li:first-child:before {
    content: " ";
    height:45px;
}
.menu ul li a {
    margin: 0 15px 0 15px;
    color: #fff;
    text-decoration: none;
    padding:17px 30px 16px 30px;;
}
.menu ul li a:hover {
    border-top:1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.4);
    text-decoration: underline;
    color: #fff;
    padding:17px 30px 16px 30px;
    background: -moz-radial-gradient(center -5px 45deg, ellipse farthest-corner, rgb(255, 255, 255)0%, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2)70%) repeat #000;
    background: -webkit-gradient(radial, 50% 0, 0, 50% 0,50, from(rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.9)), to(#000));

}



    <nav>
                <div class="menu">
                    <ul>
                        <li><a href="#">HOME</a></li>
                        <li><a href="#">WHAT IS THIS?</a></li>
                        <li><a href="#">SWEAR DICTIONARY</a></li>
                    </ul>
                </div>
    </nav>