multiselect blog post demo

HTML

<link rel="stylesheet" href="http://erichynds.com/examples/jquery-ui-multiselect-widget/jquery.multiselect.css">
<select multiple>
<optgroup label="Group1">
<option value="1">Option 1</option>
<option value="2">Option 2</option>
<option value="3">Option 3</option>
</optgroup>
<optgroup label="Group2">
<option value="4">Option 4</option>
<option value="5">Option 5</option>
<option value="6">Option 6</option>
</optgroup>
<optgroup label="Group3">
<option value="7">Option 7</option>
<option value="8">Option 8</option>
<option value="9">Option 9</option>
<option value="10">Option 10</option>
</optgroup>
</select>

CSS

body {
    font-size: 13px;
}

.hidden {
    display: none;
}

.ui-multiselect { padding:2px 0 2px 4px; text-align:left }
.ui-multiselect span.ui-icon { float:right }
.ui-multiselect-single .ui-multiselect-checkboxes input { position:absolute !important; top: auto !important; left:-9999px; }
.ui-multiselect-single .ui-multiselect-checkboxes label { padding:5px !important }

.ui-multiselect-header { margin-bottom:3px; padding:3px 0 3px 4px }
.ui-multiselect-header ul { font-size:0.9em }
.ui-multiselect-header ul li { float:left; padding:0 10px 0 0 }
.ui-multiselect-header a { text-decoration:none }
.ui-multiselect-header a:hover { text-decoration:underline }
.ui-multiselect-header span.ui-icon { float:left }
.ui-multiselect-header li.ui-multiselect-close { float:right; text-align:right; padding-right:0 }

.ui-multiselect-menu { display:none; padding:3px; position:absolute; z-index:10000; text-align: left }
.ui-multiselect-checkboxes { position:relative /* fixes bug in IE6/7 */; overflow-y:scroll }
.ui-multiselect-checkboxes label { cursor:default; display:block; border:1px solid transparent; padding:3px 1px }
.ui-multiselect-checkboxes label input { position:relative; top:1px }
.ui-multiselect-checkboxes li { clear:both; font-size:0.9em; padding-right:3px }
.ui-multiselect-checkboxes li.ui-multiselect-optgroup-label { text-align:center; font-weight:bold; border-bottom:1px solid }
.ui-multiselect-checkboxes li.ui-multiselect-optgroup-label a { display:block; padding:3px; margin:1px 0; text-decoration:none }

/* remove label borders in IE6 because IE6 does not support transparency */
* html .ui-multiselect-checkboxes label { border:none }

JavaScript

/* jshint forin:true, noarg:true, noempty:true, eqeqeq:true, boss:true, undef:true, curly:true, browser:true, jquery:true */
/*
 * jQuery MultiSelect UI Widget 1.14pre
 * Copyright (c) 2012 Eric Hynds
 *
 * http://www.erichynds.com/jquery/jquery-ui-multiselect-widget/
 *
 * Depends:
 *   - jQuery 1.4.2+
 *   - jQuery UI 1.8 widget factory
 *
 * Optional:
 *   - jQuery UI effects
 *   - jQuery UI position utility
 *
 * Dual licensed under the MIT and GPL licenses:
 *   http://www.opensource.org/licenses/mit-license.php
 *   http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html
 *
 */
(function($, undefined) {
    
    var multiselectID = 0;
    var $doc = $(document);
    
    $.widget("ech.multiselect", {
        
        // default options
        options: {
            header: true,
            height: 175,
            minWidth: 150,
            classes: '',
            checkAllText: 'Check all',
            uncheckAllText: 'Uncheck all',
            noneSelectedText: 'Select options',
            selectedText: '# selected',
            selectedList: 0,
            show: null,
            hide: null,
            autoOpen: false,
            multiple: true,
            position: {},
            appendTo: "body"
        },
        
        _create: function() {
            var el = this.element.hide();
            var o = this.options;
            
            this.speed = $.fx.speeds._default; // default speed for effects
            this._isOpen = false; // assume no
            
            // create a unique namespace for events that the widget
            // factory cannot unbind automatically. Use eventNamespace if on
            // jQuery UI 1.9+, and otherwise fallback to a custom string.
            this._namespaceID = this.eventNamespace || ('multiselect' + multiselectID);
            
            var button = (this.button = $('<button type="button"><span class="ui-icon ui-icon-triangle-1-s"></span></button>'))
            .addClass('ui-multiselect ui-widget...