jQuery UI Slider - Change background color ONLY between handlers/sliders/markers

Question

I am using jQuery UI Slider. I have multiple hanldes with range set to false. Is there a way to color the range between two handles/sliders/markers whatever you want to call them? I have not found a solution to this yet.

This is my code/initialization that I am using.

    var initialValues = [180, 435, 1080, 1320],
    updateValue = function (ui) {
    var hours = Math.floor(ui.value / 60);
    var minutes = ui.value - (hours * 60);

    if (hours.length == 1) hours = '0' + hours;
    if (minutes.length == 1) minutes = '0' + minutes;
    if (minutes == 0) minutes = '00';
    if (hours >= 12) {
        if (hours == 12) {
            hours = hours;
            minutes = minutes + " PM";
        } else {
            hours = hours - 12;
            minutes = minutes + " PM";
        }
    } else {
        hours = hours;
        minutes = minutes + " AM";
    }
    if (hours == 0) {
        hours = 12;
        minutes = minutes;
    }
    //console.log(ui.handle)
    $(ui.handle).attr('data-value', hours + ':' + minutes);
};

var timeLabels = ["12:00 a.m","1:00 a.m","2:00 a.m","3:00 a.m","4:00 a.m","5:00 a.m","6:00 a.m","7:00 a.m","8:00 a.m","9:00 a.m","10:00 a.m","11:00 a.m",
                  "12:00 p.m","1:00 p.m","2:00 p.m","3:00 p.m","4:00 p.m","5:00 p.m","6:00 p.m","7:00 p.m","8:00 p.m","9:00 p.m","10:00 p.m","11:00 p.m", "12:00 p.m"];
(function ($) {
    $.widget('my-namespace.customSlider', $.ui.slider, {
        options: {
            ticks: false
        },

        // Called when the slider is instantiated.
        _create: function() {

            // Call the orginal constructor, creating the slider normally.
            this._super();

            // If the "ticks" option is false or the "step" option is
            // less than 5, there's nothing to do.
            if ( !this.options.ticks || this.options.step < 5 ) {
                return;
            }

            // Setup some variables for rendering the tick marks below the slider.
            var cnt = this.options.min,
                background = this.element.css( "border-color" ),
                left;

            while ( cnt <= this.options.max ) {

                // Compute the "left" CSS property for the next tick mark.
                left = ( cnt / this.options.max * 100 ).toFixed( 2 ) + "%";

                // Creates the tick div, and adds it to the element. It adds the
                // "ui-slider-tick" class, which has common properties for each tick.
                // It also applies the computed CSS properties, "left" and "background".
                //console.log($("</div>"))
                $( "<div/>" ).addClass( "ui-slider-tick" )
                             .appendTo( this.element )
                             .css( { left: left, background: background } );

                cnt += this.options.step;

            }
            console.log(this.element[0].id)
            cnt = this.options.min
            var i = 0;
            while (cnt <= this.options.max) {
                //console.log(timeLabels[i])
                $($(".pct-slider#" + this.element[0].id).find('.ui-slider-tick')[cnt]).append("<div class='tick-labels'>" + timeLabels[i] + "</div>");
                cnt = cnt + 4;
                i++;
            }
            //$(".pct-slider#" + sliders[0]).find('.ui-slider-tick').find('.tick-labels').hide()
        },
        addValue: function( val ) {
            this.options.values.push(val);
            console.log(val)
            var time = convertToTime(val)
            console.log(time)
            this._refresh();
            $($(".ui-slider-handle").last()).attr('data-value', time)
        },
        removeValue: function( ) {
            if (this.options.values.length > 1) {
                this.options.values.pop( );
                this._refresh();
            }
        }
    });
})(jQuery);

var sliders =["mondaySlider", "tuesdaySlider","wednesdaySlider","thursdaySlider","fridaySlider","saturdaySlider","sundaySlider"];

$(".pct-slider#" + sliders[0])
.customSlider({
    min: 0,
    max: 1440,
    step: 15,
    range: false,
    ticks: true,
    values: initialValues,
    create: function (event, ui) {
        $.each( initialValues, function(i, v){
            updateValue({
                value: v,
                handle: $(".pct-slider#" + sliders[0]).find('.ui-slider-handle').eq(i) 
            });
        });
    },
    slide: function (event, ui) {
        var handleIndex = $('a', event.target).index(ui.handle),
            curr = ui.values[handleIndex],
            next = ui.values[handleIndex + 1] - 15,
            prev = ui.values[handleIndex - 1] + 15;

        if (curr > next || curr < prev) {
            return false;
        }

        updateValue(ui);
        //positionSelects();
    }
});

I was trying to append divs onto my handles, but when I append a div it makes my handle disappear. My thought was to append a div on two handles and color the background of that div. Not working out for me though.

Heres a fiddle of what my initial slider looks like : http://jsfiddle.net/5TTm4/3095/

I want to color between the sets of handles

Answer 1

You can add div inside your slider and resize them when you move the handles. With proper css it'll give the effect you're describing. You may need to tweak it a little bit, but this should give you some ideas:

HTML

//You add divs inside your slider, you need four, the last region will be 
/background of slider
<div class="pct-slider" id="mondaySlider">
     <div class="color-region"></div>
    <div class="color-region"></div>
    <div class="color-region"></div>
    <div class="color-region"></div>  
</div>

CSS

 //Make your divs relative and give them color    
.color-region
    {
        position: relative;
        height: 100%;
        float: left;
    }

.color-region:nth-child(1)
{
    background-color: blue;
}
.color-region:nth-child(1)
{
    background-color: blue;
}
.color-region:nth-child(2)
{
    background-color: red;
}
.color-region:nth-child(3)
{
    background-color: yellow;
}
.color-region:nth-child(4)
{
    background-color: green;
}

JS

function resize_colors() {
       //you start at 0 
       var cur_pos = 0;
        $(".ui-slider-handle").each(function (i) {
            //for each handle you check position and set width of corresponding color div
            $('.color-region').eq(i).css('width', $(this).position().left - cur_pos)
          //update cur_pos to calculate next color width  
          cur_pos = $(this).position().left;
        })
    }

You'll see it doesn't follow completely on slide event, part of this is because slide event is triggered when it moves only, so when you stop, there's a moment not updating. But maybe if you run resize color on some other event it will give a better result.

See fiddle:http://jsfiddle.net/t4veqohy/1/