how to set cursor style to pointer for links without hrefs

142
votes

I have a lot of <a> html tags without the href attribute for making onclick javascript calls. These links do not have a pointer style of cursor. They have text style cursor.

How can I set the cursor style to pointer for links without using the href attribute?

I know I can add href="#". I have this in a lot of places in the html document, and would like to know how to make cursor style pointer for links without using the href attribute.

7
javascripthtmlcsshyperlinkcursor
Bye the way, when you say link, do you mean like "<a id="do_some_javascript">test</a>"? Or is it just a span or div tag that does some javascript? – Alxandr

7 Answers

224
votes

in your css file add this....

a:hover {
 cursor:pointer;
}

if you don't have a css file, add this to the HEAD of your HTML page

<style type="text/css">
 a:hover {
  cursor:pointer;
 }
</style>

also you can use the href="" attribute by returning false at the end of your javascript.

<a href="" onclick="doSomething(); return false;">a link</a>

this is good for many reasons. SEO or if people don't have javascript, the href="" will work. e.g.

<a href="nojavascriptpage.html" onclick="doSomething(); return false;">a link</a>

@see http://www.alistapart.com/articles/behavioralseparation

Edit: Worth noting @BalusC's answer where he mentions :hover is not necessary for the OP's use case. Although other style can be add with the :hover selector.

7
votes

style="cursor: pointer;"

5
votes

This is how change the cursor from an arrow to a hand when you hover over a given object (myObject).

myObject.style.cursor = 'pointer';
3
votes

Use CSS cursor: pointer if I remember correctly.

Either in your CSS file:

.link_cursor
{
    cursor: pointer;
}

Then just add the following HTML to any elements you want to have the link cursor: class="link_cursor" (the preferred method.)

Or use inline CSS:

<a style="cursor: pointer;">
3
votes

Give them all a common class (for instance link). Then add in css-file:

.link { cursor: pointer; }

Or as @mxmissile suggested, do it inline with style="cursor: pointer;"

3
votes

create a class with the following CSS and add it to your tags with onclick events:

cursor:pointer;
-2
votes

This worked for me:

<a onClick={this.openPopupbox} style={{cursor: 'pointer'}}>