Submenu dropdown layout in Bootstrap

Question

I'm new to using Bootstrap and JS isn't my strongest language so I'm struggling to achieve what I'm looking for.

I have a menu for a site being generated with php like so:

<?php
$products_menu = '';
$sql1 = "SELECT * FROM headings";
$stmt1 = DB::run($sql1);
while($row = $stmt1->fetch(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC)){
    $heading_id = $row['id'];
    $heading = $row['heading'];

    $products_menu .= '<li class="dropdown-item d-block">';
    $products_menu .= '<a class="submenu-item" href="store#'.$heading_id.'">'.$heading.'</a>';
    $products_menu .= '<ul class="dropdown-submenu">';

    $params = [$heading_id];
    $sql = "SELECT categories.category,categories.url FROM categories INNER JOIN category_headings on categories.id=category_headings.category WHERE category_headings.heading=?";
    $stmt = DB::run($sql,$params);
    while($row = $stmt->fetch(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC)){
        $category = $row['category'];
        $url = $row['url'];

        $products_menu .= '<li class="d-block"><a href="category/'.$url.'">'.$category.'</a></li>';
    }
    $products_menu .= '</ul>';
    $products_menu .= '</li>';
}
?>

<nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg">
    <button class="navbar-toggler" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbarSupportedContent" aria-controls="navbarSupportedContent" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation">
        <img src="media/icons/menu.png" alt="Lifting365 Menu" class="icon">
    </button>
    <div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarSupportedContent">
        <ul class="navbar-nav mr-auto">
            <li class="nav-item text-center"><a class="nav-link nav" href="">Home</a></li>
            <li class="nav-item text-center dropdown">
                <a class="nav-link nav dropdown-toggle" href="#" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-expanded="false">Products</a>
                <ul class="dropdown-menu">
                    <?php echo $products_menu; ?>
                </ul>
            </li>
            <li class="nav-item text-center"><a class="nav-link nav" href="blog">Blog</a></li>
            <li class="nav-item text-center"><a class="nav-link nav" href="about">About</a></li>
            <li class="nav-item text-center"><a class="nav-link nav" href="contact">Contact</a></li>
        </ul>
    </div>
</nav>

I want the first dropdown menu to be positioned outside of the parent header.

Then each item in the first dropdown should also be clickable to bring you to that heading on the store page.

Hovering on the first dropdown menu items should show its submenu to the side.

Edit

I didn't want to post the whole HTML being generated as its huge so I cut out an example of the first few headings and just the first few categories from each one

<div class="page-header header-bottom">
    <div class="container">
        <div class="row">

            <div class="col-lg-4 col-md-5 col-sm-5 col-xs-5">
                <a href="/"><img src="media/logo.png" alt="Logo" class="logo"></a>
            </div>

            <div class="col-lg-4 col-md-5 col-sm-5 col-xs-5">
                <form class="form-inline search">
                    <div class="input-group">
                        <input class="form-control" type="text" placeholder="Search" aria-label="Search">
                            <div class="input-group-append">
                            <button class="btn btn-default bg-orange" type="submit">
                            <img src="media/icons/search.png" alt="search icon" class="icon">
                            </button>
                        </div>
                    </div>
                </form>         
            </div>

            <div class="col-lg-4 col-md-2 col-sm-2 col-xs-2">

                <nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg">
                    <button class="navbar-toggler" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbarSupportedContent" aria-controls="navbarSupportedContent" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation">
                        <img src="media/icons/menu.png" alt="Menu" class="icon">
                    </button>
                    <div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarSupportedContent">
                        <ul class="navbar-nav mr-auto">
                            <li class="nav-item text-center"><a class="nav-link nav" href="">Home</a></li>
                            <li class="nav-item text-center dropdown">
                                <a class="nav-link nav dropdown-toggle" href="#" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-expanded="false">Products</a>
                                <ul class="dropdown-menu">
                                    <li class="dropdown-item d-block">
                                        <a class="submenu-item" href="store#1">Lifters &amp; Accessories</a>
                                        <ul class="dropdown-submenu">
                                            <li class="d-block"><a href="category/Hooks-Weld-On-Hooks">Hooks - Weld On Hooks</a></li>
                                            <li class="d-block"><a href="category/Manhole-Cover-Lifters">Manhole Cover Lifters</a></li>
                                            <li class="d-block"><a href="category/Salt-Spreaders">Salt Spreaders</a></li>
                                            <li class="d-block"><a href="category/ID-Tags">ID Tags</a></li>
                                        </ul>
                                    </li>
                                    <li class="dropdown-item d-block">
                                        <a class="submenu-item" href="store#2">Lifting &amp; Measurement Attachments</a>
                                        <ul class="dropdown-submenu">
                                            <li class="d-block"><a href="category/Big-Bag-Lifters">Big Bag Lifters</a></li>
                                            <li class="d-block"><a href="category/Crane-Slung-Safety-Cages">Crane Slung Safety Cages</a></li>
                                            <li class="d-block"><a href="category/Gas-Bottle-Handlers">Gas Bottle Handlers</a></li>
                                            <li class="d-block"><a href="category/Weighers-Crane-Weighers">Weighers - Crane Weighers</a></li>
                                        </ul>
                                    </li>
                                    <li class="dropdown-item d-block">
                                        <a class="submenu-item" href="store#3">Forklift &amp; Crane Attachments</a>
                                        <ul class="dropdown-submenu">
                                            <li class="d-block"><a href="category/Forklift-Magnetic-Sweepers">Forklift Magnetic Sweepers</a></li>
                                            <li class="d-block"><a href="category/Wheelie-Bin-Tippers">Wheelie Bin Tippers</a></li>
                                            <li class="d-block"><a href="category/Forklift-Safety-Cages">Forklift Safety Cages</a></li>
                                            <li class="d-block"><a href="category/Fork-Extensions">Fork Extensions</a></li>
                                            <li class="d-block"><a href="category/Forklift-Base-Emptying-Stillages">Forklift Base Emptying Stillages</a></li>
                                        </ul>
                                    </li>
                                    <li class="dropdown-item d-block">
                                        <a class="submenu-item" href="store#4">Forklift Hooks &amp; Jibs</a>
                                        <ul class="dropdown-submenu">
                                            <li class="d-block"><a href="category/Forklift-Mounted-Hook-Fixed">Forklift Mounted Hook - Fixed</a></li>
                                            <li class="d-block"><a href="category/Forklift-Mounted-Hook-Adjustable">Forklift Mounted Hook - Adjustable</a></li>
                                            <li class="d-block"><a href="category/Crane-Spreader-Beams">Crane Spreader Beams</a></li>
                                            <li class="d-block"><a href="category/Forklift-Jibs">Forklift Jibs</a></li>
                                        </ul>
                                    </li>
                                </ul>
                            </li>
                            <li class="nav-item text-center"><a class="nav-link nav" href="blog">Blog</a></li>
                            <li class="nav-item text-center"><a class="nav-link nav" href="page/About">About Us</a></li>
                            <li class="nav-item text-center"><a class="nav-link nav" href="contact">Contact Us</a></li>
                        </ul>
                    </div>
                </nav>
            </div>
        </div>
    </div>
</div>

Answer 1

I have put this together with Bootstrap 4 and some custom CSS:

.navbar-nav a {
  color: #fff !important;
}
.navbar-nav a:hover {
  color: #ddd !important;
}
.navbar-nav .submenu.level-2 {
  padding-left: 1.5rem;
}
.navbar-nav .dropdown-toggle::after {
  display: none;
}

@media (min-width: 768px) {
  .navbar-nav .dropdown .submenu {
    position: absolute;
    top: 100%;
    display: none;
  }
  .navbar-nav .dropdown .submenu li {
    display: block;
  }
  .navbar-nav .dropdown .submenu li a {
    display: block;
    white-space: nowrap;
    text-decoration: none;
  }
  .navbar-nav .dropdown .submenu.level-1 {
    right: 0;
    left: auto;
  }
  .navbar-nav .dropdown .submenu.level-2 {
    padding-left: 0;
    top: 0;
    right: 100%;
    left: auto;
  }
  .navbar-nav .dropdown:hover .submenu.level-1 {
    display: block;
  }
  .navbar-nav .dropdown:hover .submenu.level-1 li {
    position: relative;
  }
  .navbar-nav .dropdown:hover .submenu.level-1 li:hover .submenu.level-2 {
    display: block;
  }
  .navbar-nav .dropdown-toggle::after {
    display: inline-block;
  }
}

<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/4.3.1/css/bootstrap.min.css">
  <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.4.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
  <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/popper.js/1.14.7/umd/popper.min.js"></script>
  <script src="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/4.3.1/js/bootstrap.min.js"></script>
  
  <nav class="navbar navbar-expand-md bg-dark navbar-dark">
  <a class="navbar-brand" href="#">Logo</a>

  <button class="navbar-toggler" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#collapsibleNavbar">
    <span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span>
  </button>

  <div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="collapsibleNavbar">
    <ul class="navbar-nav ml-auto">
      <li class="nav-item">
        <a class="nav-link" href="#">Home</a>
      </li>
      <li class="nav-item">
        <a class="nav-link" href="#">Career</a>
      </li>
      <li class="nav-item dropdown">
        <a class="nav-link dropdown-toggle" href="#">Info</a>
        <ul class="list-unstyled bg-dark text-light submenu level-1">
          <li><a class="nav-link" href="#">About</a>
            <ul class="list-unstyled bg-dark text-light submenu level-2">
              <li><a class="nav-link" href="#">Mission</a></li>
              <li><a class="nav-link" href="#">Vision</a></li>
            </ul>
          </li>
          <li><a class="nav-link" href="#">Clients</a></li>
          <li><a class="nav-link" href="#">Contact Us</a></li>
        </ul>
      </li>
    </ul>
  </div>
</nav>

Here is a jsFiddle with SCSS instead of plain CSS.

I don't know how close it is to the result you are looking for, but I hope it helps.

Answer 2

As per my understanding, you are looking for nested submenu. If, yes below is the solution for same.

.dropdown-submenu {
  position: relative;
}

.dropdown-submenu:hover>.dropdown-menu {
  top: 0;
  left: -10rem;
  /* 10rem is the min-width of dropdown-menu */
  margin-top: -6px;
  display:block
}
.dropdown:hover>.dropdown-menu{
display:block
}

/* rotate caret on hover */

.dropdown-menu>li>a:hover:after {
  text-decoration: underline;
  transform: rotate(-90deg);
}

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>

<head>
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/4.3.1/css/bootstrap.min.css">
  <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.4.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
  <script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/popper.js/1.14.7/umd/popper.min.js"></script>
  <script src="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/4.3.1/js/bootstrap.min.js"></script>

</head>

<body>
  <nav class="navbar navbar-expand-md navbar-light bg-light">
    <a class="navbar-brand pb-2" href="#">Navbar</a>
    <button class="navbar-toggler" type="button" data-toggle="collapse" data-target="#navbarNavDropdown" aria-controls="navbarNavDropdown" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Toggle navigation">
    <span class="navbar-toggler-icon"></span>
  </button>
    <div class="collapse navbar-collapse" id="navbarNavDropdown">
      <ul class="navbar-nav ml-auto">
        <li class="nav-item active">
          <a class="nav-link" href="#">Home <span class="sr-only">(current)</span></a>
        </li>
        <li class="nav-item dropdown">
          <a class="nav-link dropdown-toggle" href="http://example.com" id="navbarDropdownMenuLink" data-toggle="dropdown" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false">
          Dropdown
        </a>
          <ul class="dropdown-menu dropdown-menu-right" aria-labelledby="navbarDropdownMenuLink">
            <li><a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Action</a></li>
            <li><a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Another action</a></li>
            <li class="dropdown-submenu"><a class="dropdown-item dropdown-toggle" href="#">Submenu wider text</a>
              <ul class="dropdown-menu">
                <li><a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Submenu</a></li>
                <li><a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Submenu0</a></li>
                <li class="dropdown-submenu"><a class="dropdown-item dropdown-toggle" href="#">Submenu 1</a>
                  <ul class="dropdown-menu">
                    <li><a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Subsubmenu1</a></li>
                    <li><a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Subsubmenu1</a></li>
                  </ul>
                </li>
                <li class="dropdown-submenu"><a class="dropdown-item dropdown-toggle" href="#">Submenu 2</a>
                  <ul class="dropdown-menu">
                    <li><a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Subsubmenu2</a></li>
                    <li><a class="dropdown-item" href="#">Subsubmenu2</a></li>
                  </ul>
                </li>
              </ul>
            </li>
          </ul>
        </li>
      </ul>
    </div>
  </nav>
</body>

</html>

Source Skelly Codeply