how to create a pricetag like border around list items

Question

How do you create borders around list items with a custom border on the left side of the item?

like this:

http://www.dar-ling.com.php53-12.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/wp-content/themes/darling/img/filters.png

I have considered using css 3 angles....but I can't achieve an inner circle or hole...with borders...and it's likely more tedious than using images somehow.

I am now considering doing this with background images...and have turned off the border on the left side and am trying to get a graphic to position itself on the left edge of the item but no luck. My items all have varying lengths and they are floated left items in a horizontal slider to make it even more complicated.

I also need different hover and active styles as shown in the graphic.

And finally I need to provide a round styled circle or elipse that can hold a number associated with the qty of items in the category and have that attached to the upper right of the styled list item box.

This is my progress so far:

HTML:

<div class="filters">
                <div class="filters-inner">
                      <ul id="filters-slider" class="filters-list">
                    <li><a href="#">Darling</a></li>
                    <li><a href="#">Online Audience</a></li>
                    <li><a href="#">Digital Strategy</a></li>
                    <li><a href="#">Creative</a></li>
                    <li><a href="#">Mobile</a></li>
                    <li><a href="#">eCommerce</a></li>
                    <li><a href="#">Social Media</a></li>
                    <li><a href="#">Search</a></li>
                    <li><a href="#">Advertising</a></li>
                    <li><a href="#">Ramblings</a></li>
                    <li><a href="#">Ideas</a></li>
                    <li><a href="#">Newy New</a></li>
                    <li><a href="#">Freshy Fresh</a></li>
                    <li><a href="#">Search</a></li>
                    <li><a href="#">Advertising</a></li>
                    <li><a href="#">Ramblings</a></li>
                    <li><a href="#">Ideas</a></li>
                    <li><a href="#">Newy New</a></li>
                    <li><a href="#">Freshy Fresh</a></li>

                </ul>
          </div>
</div>

CSS:

.filters {
background-color: #fff;
padding-top: 3px;
padding-bottom: 5px;
width: 1145px;
height: 45px;
float: left;
-webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1), 0 -1px 10px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
  -moz-box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1), 0 -1px 10px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
  box-shadow: inset 0 1px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1), 0 -1px 10px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);

}
 .filters-inner {
width: 1140px;
margin-right: auto;
margin-left: auto;
font-size: 11px;
overflow: hidden;
color: #999;
    -webkit-border-radius: 0;
      -moz-border-radius: 0;
      border-radius: 0;

 }
ul.filters-list {
text-align: center;
white-space: nowrap;
display: inline-block;
padding-top: 10px;
}
ul.filters-list li {
float: left;
list-style-type: none;
padding-top: 2px;
padding-right: 20px;
padding-bottom: 2px;
padding-left:20px;
background-color: #fff;
margin-right: 10px;
margin-left: 10px;
border-top-width: 1px;
border-right-width: 1px;
border-bottom-width: 1px;
border-left-width: 1px;
border-top-style: solid;
border-right-style: solid;
border-bottom-style: solid;
border-left-style: none;
border-top-color: #CCC;
border-right-color: #CCC;
border-bottom-color: #CCC;
border-left-color: #CCC;
background-image: transparent url(http://www.dar-ling.com.php53-12.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/wp-content/themes/darling/img/leftside_tag_up.png);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: left center;
}
ul.filters-list li:hover {
background-color: #ECECEC;
background: transparent url(http://www.dar-ling.com.php53-12.dfw1-1.websitetestlink.com/wp-content/themes/darling/img/leftside_tag_hover.png) no-repeat left center;
}ul.filters-list li a {
color: #666666;
font-weight: bold;
}
ul.filters-list li a:hover {
text-decoration: none;
}

div.sample {
padding-top: 200px;
}

​

Does anyone know how to do this correctly?

Answer 1

Here's a solution that works with a background image sprite. In a nutshell, I'm using the tag for the entire "price tag" shape (easier for the user to click on), and a background sprint for the hover/active state. I'm also wrapping the "quantity" number in a span tag.

Solution Example: http://jsfiddle.net/alexroper/zhrwA/34/

Here is the HTML for the "price tag" list:

<ul id="filters-slider" class="filters-list">
  <li><a href="#">Darling</a> <span class="tag-qty">103</span></li>
  <li class="active"><a href="#">Online Audience</a> <span class="tag-qty">9</span</li>
  <li><a href="#">Digital Strategy</a> <span class="tag-qty">20</span></li>
</ul>

Here are the styles that build that "price tag" :

ul.filters-list {
  text-align: center;
  white-space: nowrap;
  display: inline-block;
  padding-top: 10px;
}
ul.filters-list > li {
  color: #666666;
  font-weight: bold;
  float: left;
  list-style-type: none;
  line-height: 26px;
  margin-right: 10px;
  margin-left: 10px;
  position: relative;
}
ul.filters-list > li > a {
  color: #666666;
  padding: 0 18px 0 24px;
  background: url('https://www.dropbox.com/s/n8e74eikwf82vks/tag_sprite.png?raw=1') 0 0 no-repeat;
  border-right: 1px solid #ccc;
  display: block;
}
ul.filters-list > li > a:hover,
ul.filters-list > li.active > a {
  text-decoration:none;
  background-position: 0 -30px;
}

And these styles create the "quantity" number:

.filters-list .tag-qty {
  position: absolute;
  top: -8px;
  right: -9px;
  border: 1px solid #bbb;
  line-height: 16px;
  display: inline-block;
  padding: 0 5px;
  background: #fff;
  -webkit-border-radius: 9px;
          border-radius: 9px;
     -moz-background-clip: padding; 
  -webkit-background-clip: padding-box; 
          background-clip: padding-box;
  -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 3px 0px #ccc;
          box-shadow: 0px 0px 3px 0px #ccc;
}
.filters-list .active .tag-qty {
  background:#ebebeb;
}