link not functioning on <li> on click event

Question

I am creating a search + dropdown with Javascript and for some reason when clicking the <li> element is not triggering a link like it is supposed to. After going back to the sample I found on codepen it has the same issue: search-box-with-suggestions

I'm using some filter logic and jQuery.append()to add in list items as links.

I would greatly appreciate any help! I also tried used the onclick() event to no avail.

Here is a bit of my code:

// Search Bar Filter Logic
function searchPlayers() {
  var input, filter, ul, li, a, i;
  input = document.getElementById("searchBarInput");
  filter = input.value.toUpperCase();
  div = document.getElementById("dropdownItems");
  li = div.getElementsByTagName("li");

  // remove all current items
  for (i = li.length - 1; i > -1; i--) {
    div.removeChild(li[i]);
  }

  // check for min length
  if (filter.length < 3) {
    $('#dropdownItems').append("<li><a>Please input at least 3 characters.</a></li>");
  } else {
    // Here I add filtered items to the drop dwon
    $('#dropdownItems').append("<li><a href='playerPage.html?playerID=" + "playerID" + "'>" + "Player Name" + " - " + "Player Position" + "</a></li>");
  }
}  

// Search Bar focus lost
$(document).on("focusout", "#searchBarInput input", function() {
  var div = document.getElementById("dropdownItems");
  var li = div.getElementsByTagName("li");

  // remove all current items
  for (i = li.length - 1; i > -1; i--) {
    div.removeChild(li[i]);
  }
});

/* * Copyright (c) 2012 Thibaut Courouble
 * Licensed under the MIT License
   ================================================== */
a {
    color: #1e7ad3;
    text-decoration: none;
	font-size: 12px;
}

a:hover { text-decoration: underline }

input {
    font-size: 13px;
    color: #555860;
}
.search {
    position: relative;
    margin: 0 auto;
}
   
.search input {
    height: 26px;
    width: 100%;
    padding: 0 12px 0 25px;
    background: white url("https://cssdeck.com/uploads/media/items/5/5JuDgOa.png") 8px 6px no-repeat;
    border-width: 1px;
    border-style: solid;
    border-color: #a8acbc #babdcc #c0c3d2;
    border-radius: 13px;
    -webkit-box-sizing: border-box;
    -moz-box-sizing: border-box;
    -ms-box-sizing: border-box;
    -o-box-sizing: border-box;
    box-sizing: border-box;
    -webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 1px #e5e7ed, 0 1px 0 #fcfcfc;
    -moz-box-shadow: inset 0 1px #e5e7ed, 0 1px 0 #fcfcfc;
    -ms-box-shadow: inset 0 1px #e5e7ed, 0 1px 0 #fcfcfc;
    -o-box-shadow: inset 0 1px #e5e7ed, 0 1px 0 #fcfcfc;
    box-shadow: inset 0 1px #e5e7ed, 0 1px 0 #fcfcfc;
}

.search input:focus {
    outline: none;
    border-color: #66b1ee;
    -webkit-box-shadow: 0 0 2px rgba(85, 168, 236, 0.9);
    -moz-box-shadow: 0 0 2px rgba(85, 168, 236, 0.9);
    -ms-box-shadow: 0 0 2px rgba(85, 168, 236, 0.9);
    -o-box-shadow: 0 0 2px rgba(85, 168, 236, 0.9);
    box-shadow: 0 0 2px rgba(85, 168, 236, 0.9);
}

.search input:focus + .results { display: block }

.search .results {
    display: none;
    position: absolute;
    top: 35px;
    left: 0;
    right: 0;
    z-index: 10;
    padding: 0;
    margin: 0;
    border-width: 1px;
    border-style: solid;
    border-color: #cbcfe2 #c8cee7 #c4c7d7;
    border-radius: 3px;
    background-color: #fdfdfd;
    background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, color-stop(0%, #fdfdfd), color-stop(100%, #eceef4));
    background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, #fdfdfd, #eceef4);
    background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #fdfdfd, #eceef4);
    background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(top, #fdfdfd, #eceef4);
    background-image: -o-linear-gradient(top, #fdfdfd, #eceef4);
    background-image: linear-gradient(top, #fdfdfd, #eceef4);
    -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
    -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
    -ms-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
    -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
    box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
}

.search .results li {
	display: block;
}

.search .results li:first-child { margin-top: -1px }

.search .results li:first-child:before, .search .results li:first-child:after {
    display: block;
    content: '';
    width: 0;
    height: 0;
    position: absolute;
    left: 50%;
    margin-left: -5px;
    border: 5px outset transparent;
}

.search .results li:first-child:before {
    border-bottom: 5px solid #c4c7d7;
    top: -11px;
}

.search .results li:first-child:after {
    border-bottom: 5px solid #fdfdfd;
    top: -10px;
}

.search .results li:first-child:hover:before, .search .results li:first-child:hover:after { display: none }

.search .results li:last-child { margin-bottom: -1px }

.search .results a {
    display: block;
    position: relative;
    margin: 0 -1px;
    padding: 6px 40px 6px 10px;
    color: #808394;
	text-color: #808394;
    font-weight: 500;
    text-shadow: 0 1px #fff;
    border: 1px solid transparent;
    border-radius: 3px;
}

.search .results a span { font-weight: 200 }

.search .results a:before {
    content: '';
    width: 18px;
    height: 18px;
    position: absolute;
    top: 50%;
    right: 10px;
    margin-top: -9px;
    background: url("https://cssdeck.com/uploads/media/items/7/7BNkBjd.png") 0 0 no-repeat;
}

.search .results a:hover {
    text-decoration: none;
    color: #fff;
    text-shadow: 0 -1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3);
    border-color: #2380dd #2179d5 #1a60aa;
    background-color: #338cdf;
    background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, color-stop(0%, #59aaf4), color-stop(100%, #338cdf));
    background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, #59aaf4, #338cdf);
    background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #59aaf4, #338cdf);
    background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(top, #59aaf4, #338cdf);
    background-image: -o-linear-gradient(top, #59aaf4, #338cdf);
    background-image: linear-gradient(top, #59aaf4, #338cdf);
    -webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 1px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2), 0 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);
    -moz-box-shadow: inset 0 1px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2), 0 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);
    -ms-box-shadow: inset 0 1px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2), 0 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);
    -o-box-shadow: inset 0 1px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2), 0 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);
    box-shadow: inset 0 1px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2), 0 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);
}

:-moz-placeholder {
    color: #a7aabc;
    font-weight: 200;
}

::-webkit-input-placeholder {
    color: #a7aabc;
    font-weight: 200;
}

.lt-ie9 .search input { line-height: 26px }

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>

<head>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.w3schools.com/w3css/4/w3.css">
  <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
</head>

<body>


  <!-- Page Content -->
  <header class="w3-display-container w3-content w3-wide" style="max-width:1500px;" id="home">
    <img class="w3-image w3-black" src="http://www.sportssabermetrics.net/html/images/header_image.jpg" alt="Header Image" width="100%">
    <div class="w3-display-middle w3-center" style="width:60%;">
      <!-- Search Bar -->
      <section class="main">
        <div id="myDropdown" style="margin: auto; font-size: 14px;">
          <form class="search" method="post"><input type="text" id="searchBarInput" placeholder="Search for NFL Player" onkeyup="searchPlayers()" />
            <ul id="dropdownItems" class="results">
            </ul>
        </div>
      </section>
    </div>
  </header>

</body>

Answer 1

The link is only visible while the input field has :focus (i.e. when the user has clicked inside the input field). You need to tweak the css selector that is showing the results list to include :hover on the results list (so after the list is populated the user moves the mouse over the list the list is still visible when the user clicks off the input and onto the result) :

.search input:focus + .results,
.search .results:hover { display: block }

// Search Bar Filter Logic
function searchPlayers() {
  var input, filter, ul, li, a, i;
  input = document.getElementById("searchBarInput");
  filter = input.value.toUpperCase();
  div = document.getElementById("dropdownItems");
  li = div.getElementsByTagName("li");

  // remove all current items
  for (i = li.length - 1; i > -1; i--) {
    div.removeChild(li[i]);
  }

  // check for min length
  if (filter.length < 3) {
    $('#dropdownItems').append("<li><a>Please input at least 3 characters.</a></li>");
  } else {
    // Here I add filtered items to the drop dwon
    $('#dropdownItems').append("<li><a href='playerPage.html?playerID=" + "playerID" + "'>" + "Player Name" + " - " + "Player Position" + "</a></li>");
  }
}  

// Search Bar focus lost
$(document).on("focusout", "#searchBarInput input", function() {
  var div = document.getElementById("dropdownItems");
  var li = div.getElementsByTagName("li");

  // remove all current items
  for (i = li.length - 1; i > -1; i--) {
    div.removeChild(li[i]);
  }
});

/* * Copyright (c) 2012 Thibaut Courouble
 * Licensed under the MIT License
   ================================================== */
a {
    color: #1e7ad3;
    text-decoration: none;
	font-size: 12px;
}

a:hover { text-decoration: underline }

input {
    font-size: 13px;
    color: #555860;
}
.search {
    position: relative;
    margin: 0 auto;
}
   
.search input {
    height: 26px;
    width: 100%;
    padding: 0 12px 0 25px;
    background: white url("https://cssdeck.com/uploads/media/items/5/5JuDgOa.png") 8px 6px no-repeat;
    border-width: 1px;
    border-style: solid;
    border-color: #a8acbc #babdcc #c0c3d2;
    border-radius: 13px;
    -webkit-box-sizing: border-box;
    -moz-box-sizing: border-box;
    -ms-box-sizing: border-box;
    -o-box-sizing: border-box;
    box-sizing: border-box;
    -webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 1px #e5e7ed, 0 1px 0 #fcfcfc;
    -moz-box-shadow: inset 0 1px #e5e7ed, 0 1px 0 #fcfcfc;
    -ms-box-shadow: inset 0 1px #e5e7ed, 0 1px 0 #fcfcfc;
    -o-box-shadow: inset 0 1px #e5e7ed, 0 1px 0 #fcfcfc;
    box-shadow: inset 0 1px #e5e7ed, 0 1px 0 #fcfcfc;
}

.search input:focus {
    outline: none;
    border-color: #66b1ee;
    -webkit-box-shadow: 0 0 2px rgba(85, 168, 236, 0.9);
    -moz-box-shadow: 0 0 2px rgba(85, 168, 236, 0.9);
    -ms-box-shadow: 0 0 2px rgba(85, 168, 236, 0.9);
    -o-box-shadow: 0 0 2px rgba(85, 168, 236, 0.9);
    box-shadow: 0 0 2px rgba(85, 168, 236, 0.9);
}

.search input:focus + .results,
.search .results:hover { display: block }

.search .results {
    display: none;
    position: absolute;
    top: 35px;
    left: 0;
    right: 0;
    z-index: 10;
    padding: 0;
    margin: 0;
    border-width: 1px;
    border-style: solid;
    border-color: #cbcfe2 #c8cee7 #c4c7d7;
    border-radius: 3px;
    background-color: #fdfdfd;
    background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, color-stop(0%, #fdfdfd), color-stop(100%, #eceef4));
    background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, #fdfdfd, #eceef4);
    background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #fdfdfd, #eceef4);
    background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(top, #fdfdfd, #eceef4);
    background-image: -o-linear-gradient(top, #fdfdfd, #eceef4);
    background-image: linear-gradient(top, #fdfdfd, #eceef4);
    -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
    -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
    -ms-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
    -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
    box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
}

.search .results li {
	display: block;
}

.search .results li:first-child { margin-top: -1px }

.search .results li:first-child:before, .search .results li:first-child:after {
    display: block;
    content: '';
    width: 0;
    height: 0;
    position: absolute;
    left: 50%;
    margin-left: -5px;
    border: 5px outset transparent;
}

.search .results li:first-child:before {
    border-bottom: 5px solid #c4c7d7;
    top: -11px;
}

.search .results li:first-child:after {
    border-bottom: 5px solid #fdfdfd;
    top: -10px;
}

.search .results li:first-child:hover:before, .search .results li:first-child:hover:after { display: none }

.search .results li:last-child { margin-bottom: -1px }

.search .results a {
    display: block;
    position: relative;
    margin: 0 -1px;
    padding: 6px 40px 6px 10px;
    color: #808394;
	text-color: #808394;
    font-weight: 500;
    text-shadow: 0 1px #fff;
    border: 1px solid transparent;
    border-radius: 3px;
}

.search .results a span { font-weight: 200 }

.search .results a:before {
    content: '';
    width: 18px;
    height: 18px;
    position: absolute;
    top: 50%;
    right: 10px;
    margin-top: -9px;
    background: url("https://cssdeck.com/uploads/media/items/7/7BNkBjd.png") 0 0 no-repeat;
}

.search .results a:hover {
    text-decoration: none;
    color: #fff;
    text-shadow: 0 -1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3);
    border-color: #2380dd #2179d5 #1a60aa;
    background-color: #338cdf;
    background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left top, left bottom, color-stop(0%, #59aaf4), color-stop(100%, #338cdf));
    background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, #59aaf4, #338cdf);
    background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(top, #59aaf4, #338cdf);
    background-image: -ms-linear-gradient(top, #59aaf4, #338cdf);
    background-image: -o-linear-gradient(top, #59aaf4, #338cdf);
    background-image: linear-gradient(top, #59aaf4, #338cdf);
    -webkit-box-shadow: inset 0 1px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2), 0 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);
    -moz-box-shadow: inset 0 1px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2), 0 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);
    -ms-box-shadow: inset 0 1px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2), 0 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);
    -o-box-shadow: inset 0 1px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2), 0 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);
    box-shadow: inset 0 1px rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2), 0 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);
}

:-moz-placeholder {
    color: #a7aabc;
    font-weight: 200;
}

::-webkit-input-placeholder {
    color: #a7aabc;
    font-weight: 200;
}

.lt-ie9 .search input { line-height: 26px }

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>

<head>
  <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://www.w3schools.com/w3css/4/w3.css">
  <script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.1/jquery.min.js"></script>
</head>

<body>


  <!-- Page Content -->
  <header class="w3-display-container w3-content w3-wide" style="max-width:1500px;" id="home">
    <img class="w3-image w3-black" src="http://www.sportssabermetrics.net/html/images/header_image.jpg" alt="Header Image" width="100%">
    <div class="w3-display-middle w3-center" style="width:60%;">
      <!-- Search Bar -->
      <section class="main">
        <div id="myDropdown" style="margin: auto; font-size: 14px;">
          <form class="search" method="post"><input type="text" id="searchBarInput" placeholder="Search for NFL Player" onkeyup="searchPlayers()" />
            <ul id="dropdownItems" class="results">
            </ul>
        </div>
      </section>
    </div>
  </header>

</body>