html - How to make text float over column when moused over? -

i want make text float on column edge when mouse-over it, ide does:

here's i've got far.

i can float on edge if change element positioning absolute doesn't "take space".

also, wouldn't mind having border around floated bit either.

anyone have ideas how accomplish this?

i have had go @ , have come solution not require mark changes @ all, have done testing , seems work in chrome 26, safari 5.1.7, firefox 20, ie10, ie10 in ie9 mode , ie10 in ie8 mode, looks same in of these browsers , browser modes, starts break when using ie10 in ie7 mode.

it looks this:

basically i've done setting float:left on li , width:auto on li:hover, ensures text floats on column edge.

then add border, i'm rendering pseudo-element directly after li, inherits width of preceding li. i've set borders, margins, heights , line-heights position pseudo-element on top of preceding li. i've set margin-left 150px ensure shows behind li's exceed width of column.

to add space @ right have changed white-space: no-wrap white-space: pre, preserve added white space inside li (if added, not requirement, did add make little prettier).

here's jsfiddle.

here's html:

<div>   <ul>     <li>some long text </li>     <li>some text doesn't fit column width </li>     <li>yeah dude, sample text </li>     <li>woot woot! double rainbows </li>   </ul> </div> 

and here's css:

li {   white-space: pre;   overflow-x: hidden;   background-color: #f2f2f2;   line-height: 21px;   width: 150px;   float: left;   clear: both; } li:hover:after {   content:'';   height: 19px;   margin: -21px 0px 0px 150px;   border-width: 1px 1px 1px 0px;   border-style: solid;   display: block; } li:hover {   width: auto; } div {   width:155px;   border-right: 3px solid;   background-color: #f2f2f2; } ul:before, ul:after {   content:' ';   display: table; } ul {   list-style: none;   padding: 5px 0 5px 5px;   margin: 0; } ul:after {   clear: both; } body {   margin: 0;   padding: 0; } 

update

i have included micro clearfix hack on div, adjusts height based on contents instead of having fixed height.

update 2

the problem scrolling width of containing element changing when setting width:auto on child elements, since scroll bar on right, keeps moving around. i've tried using wrapper div, seems impossible float stuff on top of scroll bar, anywhere inside element creates scroll bar. way can scroll setting overflow:hidden on ul , using jquery scrollto plugin scroll , down inside ul.

example jsfiddle scrolling