JavaScript How to Dynamically Move Div by Clicking and Dragging

StoneAgeCoder picture StoneAgeCoder · Jun 5, 2014 · Viewed 72.3k times · Source

Okay it would seem like it should be simple. I need to take an already existing div and move it according to mouse position within the window. I have searched everywhere and it has led me to over-complicated ways of doing the same thing and involves the use of j-query. I need to strictly use javascript for what I am trying to do.

Method :

var mousePosition;
var div;

(function createDiv(){

    div = document.createElement("div");
    div.style.position = "absolute";
    div.style.left = "0px";
    div.style.top = "0px";
    div.style.width = "100px";
    div.style.height = "100px";
    div.style.background = "red";
    div.style.color = "blue";

    div.addEventListener('mousedown', handleKeyPressed, true);

    document.body.appendChild(div);


})();

function handleKeyPressed(event) {

    event.preventDefault();

    mousePosition = {

        x : event.clientX,
        y : event.clientY

    };

    div.style.left = mousePosition.x;
    div.style.top = mousePosition.y;

    //alert("whoa!");

}

Answer

adeneo picture adeneo · Jun 5, 2014

I think you're looking for something more like this

var mousePosition;
var offset = [0,0];
var div;
var isDown = false;

div = document.createElement("div");
div.style.position = "absolute";
div.style.left = "0px";
div.style.top = "0px";
div.style.width = "100px";
div.style.height = "100px";
div.style.background = "red";
div.style.color = "blue";

document.body.appendChild(div);

div.addEventListener('mousedown', function(e) {
    isDown = true;
    offset = [
        div.offsetLeft - e.clientX,
        div.offsetTop - e.clientY
    ];
}, true);

document.addEventListener('mouseup', function() {
    isDown = false;
}, true);

document.addEventListener('mousemove', function(event) {
    event.preventDefault();
    if (isDown) {
        mousePosition = {

            x : event.clientX,
            y : event.clientY

        };
        div.style.left = (mousePosition.x + offset[0]) + 'px';
        div.style.top  = (mousePosition.y + offset[1]) + 'px';
    }
}, true);

FIDDLE