Contrasting flexbox overflow handling in React versus React Native

As a beginner in React Native, I have a query about achieving a flex layout with two child containers. The goal is to ensure that if one child's content overflows, the other child shrinks accordingly.

In standard HTML/CSS, I was able to achieve this:

No content overflow

With content overflow

However, when replicating the same setup in React Native, the shrinking behavior did not work as expected:

No shrinking on content overflow

I would appreciate any insights on why there is a difference between the HTML/CSS and React Native implementations, and how I can correct it in React Native.

Below is the code snippet using plain HTML/CSS:

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
    <meta charset="UTF-8">
    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
    <title>Document</title>
    <style>
         .container{ 
            width: 300px;
            height: 600px;
            display: flex;
            align-items: center;
            flex-direction: column;
            border: 2px solid black;
            padding: 30px;
        }

        .flexChild{
            padding: 15px;
            flex: 1;
            display: flex;
            justify-content: center;
            align-items: center;
            border: 1px solid black;

        }

        .child1Content {
            border: 3px solid purple;
            height: 100px; /* CHANGE TO 400px FOR OVERFLOW */
            width: 300px;
        }

        .child2Content {
            border: 3px solid purple;
            height: 100px;
            width: 300px;
        }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="container">
    <div class="flexChild">
        <div class="child1Content"></div>
    </div>
    <div class="flexChild">
        <div class="child2Content"></div>
    </div>
    </div>
</body>
</html>

And here's my attempt in React Native:

import { SafeAreaView, StyleSheet, View } from 'react-native';

const App = () => {
  return (
    <SafeAreaView style={styles.container}>
      <View style={styles.flexChild}>
          <View style={styles.child1Content}>
          </View>
      </View>
      <View style={styles.flexChild}>
          <View style={styles.child2Content}>
          </View>
      </View>
    </SafeAreaView>
  );
};

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: { 
    alignSelf: 'center',
    marginTop: 100,
    width: 300,
    height: 600,
    display: 'flex',
    alignItems: 'center',
    flexDirection: 'column',
    paddingTop: 30,
    borderWidth: 2,
    borderStyle: 'solid',
    borderColor: 'black',
  },
  flexChild: {
    padding: 15,
    flex: 1,
    display: 'flex',
    justifyContent: 'center',
    alignItems: 'center',
    borderWidth: 1,
    borderStyle: 'solid',
    borderColor: 'black',

  },
  child1Content:{
    borderWidth: 3,
    borderStyle: 'solid',
    borderColor: 'purple',
    height: 100, // CHANGE TO 400px FOR OVERFLOW
    width: 300,
  },
  child2Content:{
    borderWidth: 3,
    borderStyle: 'solid',
    borderColor: '' // Update color if needed
    width: 300,
  }
});

export default App;

Answer №1

In React Native, the approach to styling differs from web development in several ways, sometimes even varying between different platforms.

One notable difference is that a specified height value takes precedence over flex: 1. Additionally, when setting the flex property of two sibling views to flex: 1, they will be forced to the same size. Using flexGrow: 1 instead factors in the inner content dimensions when determining view sizes.

Other modifications include:

  • removal of unnecessary styles, as display: 'flex' and flexDirection: 'column' are default settings in React Native
  • incorporation of alignSelf: 'stretch' for horizontal expansion of views
  • replacement of borders with backgroundColor for enhanced visibility

To facilitate experimentation, I have placed the code in a snack.

import { SafeAreaView, StyleSheet, View } from 'react-native';

const App = () => {
  return (
    <SafeAreaView style={styles.container}>
      <View style={[styles.flexChild, styles.flexChild1]}>
        <View style={styles.child1Content}/>
      </View>
      <View style={styles.flexChild}>
        <View style={styles.child2Content} />
      </View>
    </SafeAreaView>
  );
};

const styles = StyleSheet.create({
  container: {
    flex: 1,
    backgroundColor: 'black',
    padding: 15,
  },
  flexChild: {
    flexGrow: 1,
    justifyContent: 'center',
    alignItems: 'center',
    backgroundColor: 'yellow',
    padding: 15,
  },
  flexChild1: {
    backgroundColor: 'orange',
  },
  child1Content: {
    alignSelf: 'stretch', 
    backgroundColor: 'purple',
    height: 400, // CHANGE TO 400px FOR OVERFLOW
  },
  child2Content: {
    alignSelf: 'stretch',
    height: 100,
    backgroundColor: 'indigo',
  },
});

export default App;

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