Tips for avoiding width miscalculations due to the appearance or disappearance of a vertical scrollbar

Question

Tips for avoiding width miscalculations due to the appearance or disappearance of a vertical scrollbar

I recently created a website featuring a tree explorer in a sidebar. However, I encountered an issue with the width calculation of the explorer when toggling the subtrees. This problem specifically arises on Chrome version 111.0.5563.64 for Ubuntu Desktop and can be replicated using the following code snippet.

var [leftEl, rightEl] = (
  document.getElementById("grid")
).children;

var tree = `\
node /1
  node /1/1
  node /1/2
  node /1/3
    node /1/3/1
    node /1/3/2
    node /1/3/3
node /2
  node /2/1
  node /2/2
  node /2/3
`;

// Event listeners and other code omitted for brevity

#grid {
  height: 100px;
  display: grid;
  grid-template: 1fr / auto 1fr;
}

// CSS styling properties continued...

<div id="grid">
  <div>
    <!-- Example -- >
    <ul>
      <li class="leaf">
        <div class="highlighted">node /1</div>
      </li>
      // More HTML code here...
    </ul>
  </div>
  <div></div>
</div>

The layout consists of two div elements placed side by side in a grid arrangement.

https://i.sstatic.net/CmRVi.png

The yellow div element represents the tree explorer positioned on the left. This particular div needs to be vertically scrollable, as its content may vary in length while maintaining a fixed height.

On the other hand, the blue div on the right adjusts its width dynamically using the fr unit. Its content updates based on hover interactions within the tree explorer section.

The width miscalculation issue occurs when the scrollbar of the explorer appears or disappears. The bug's replication process involves:

Expanding "node /1"

https://i.sstatic.net/srBdZ.png
- The yellow div's scrollbar becomes visible
- A green border indicates text overflow

In trying to resolve this bug, my hypothesis is that the computation sequence relating to container widths might be affected. As per my assumptions, the final state of the scrollbar plays a crucial role at certain stages of calculation. Hence, actions need to be taken to ensure proper consistency during these processes.

During specific steps, the configuration of the scrollbar causes inconsistencies in computations leading to the bug.
For other scenarios, where scrollbar status remains stable, computation alignments are correct, thus avoiding issues.

To address this challenge, I implemented a temporary solution involving a click event listener to trigger an immediate update of the blue div. Although effective, this approach introduces visual glitches and unnecessary reflows, potentially impacting overall performance. Therefore, I am seeking alternative solutions, preferably in pure CSS or HTML, to rectify this bug more efficiently.

javascript css grid scrollbar width

Answer 1

Answer №1

There seems to be an issue with the div surrounding the p tags. To resolve this, you can do the following:

1: wrap.style.width = "0px"

Add this JavaScript code inside case 2, and then add:

2: wrap.style.width = ""

to case 0 in order to fix the border on state 4. However, it may still not display correctly on state 2.

To address this, include:

3: overflow-y: scroll;

for #grid div:first-child and:

4: overflow: hidden;

for #grid to hide the horizontal scrollbar while making the vertical scrollbar visible on the first state. Then, add:

5: gridEl.style.overflow = "visible"

in your JS code to make it visible again.

Furthermore, by adding:

6: #wrap {
      display: none;
   }

In your CSS, you can eliminate the initial scrollbar. Followed by including:

7: wrap.style.display = "block"

In your JS which will allow it to be displayed after that. The changes mentioned above have been incorporated into your code below:

... (Code has been truncated for brevity)

Answer 2

There seems to be an issue with the div surrounding the p tags. To resolve this, you can do the following:

1: wrap.style.width = "0px"

Add this JavaScript code inside case 2, and then add:

2: wrap.style.width = ""

to case 0 in order to fix the border on state 4. However, it may still not display correctly on state 2.

To address this, include:

3: overflow-y: scroll;

for #grid div:first-child and:

4: overflow: hidden;

for #grid to hide the horizontal scrollbar while making the vertical scrollbar visible on the first state. Then, add:

5: gridEl.style.overflow = "visible"

in your JS code to make it visible again.

Furthermore, by adding:

6: #wrap {
      display: none;
   }

In your CSS, you can eliminate the initial scrollbar. Followed by including:

7: wrap.style.display = "block"

In your JS which will allow it to be displayed after that. The changes mentioned above have been incorporated into your code below:

... (Code has been truncated for brevity)

Answer 3

Answer №2

Melik's answer provided me with a fascinating solution:

19 | When I clicked on <div id="leftEl"></div>, Melik's code executed:
20 |   if (target !== this) if (target.tagName === "DIV") {
   …
28 |     After some calculations, the scrollbar style was adjusted based on content height and container height:
29 |       this.style.overflowY = "scroll";
30 |     } else {
31 |       this.style.overflowY = "hidden";
32 |     }
33 |   }
34 | });

The trick was to anticipate and set the scrollbar state before the next layout calculation, allowing for smoother computation. Surprisingly, it was discovered that the `scrollHeight` property was already up-to-date at that point, as evidenced by the console log. This revelation eliminated the need for a timer in the initial implementation.

A snippet of HTML and JavaScript showcased how the grid elements were interacted with using event listeners:

A CSS styling block detailed the appearance and behavior of the grid and list elements:

An example structure within the grid was presented, along with its visual representation:

Despite the refined solution, an accuracy issue persisted. Occasionally, even when the difference between `scrollHeight` and `offsetHeight` equaled 1, the scrollbar handle was absent. In essence, the scrollbar visually indicated full occupancy but behaved as if the content height was less than or equal to the container height (quite puzzling).

Diving into floating-point computations confirmed that the discrepancy between content height and container height fell within the range of 0 to 1. Armed with this insight, attempts to replicate the bug proved fruitless. Consequently, as a last resort, hiding the scrollbar under such conditions resulted in the desired outcome.

19 | Refinements were made to the click event handler logic: 
20 |   if (target !== this) if (target.tagName === "DIV") {
   …
28 |     By fetching computed styles, the actual height of the element was determined:
29 |     var style = getComputedStyle(this);
30 |     var height = parseFloat(style.height);
31 |     If the calculated difference was marginal (< 1), the scrollbar was concealed:
32 |     this.style.overflowY = "hidden";
33 |     Otherwise, the scrollbar remained visible:
34 |     this.style.overflowY = "scroll";
35 |   }
36 | });

The alternative approach, while not ideal, circumvented dependency on the task queue. Nonetheless, thoughts lingered on potential CSS or HTML solutions for a more elegant fix.

With lingering uncertainties, the decision was made to reserve judgment until further exploration, warranting further consideration for optimal resolution.

Answer 4

Melik's answer provided me with a fascinating solution:

19 | When I clicked on <div id="leftEl"></div>, Melik's code executed:
20 |   if (target !== this) if (target.tagName === "DIV") {
   …
28 |     After some calculations, the scrollbar style was adjusted based on content height and container height:
29 |       this.style.overflowY = "scroll";
30 |     } else {
31 |       this.style.overflowY = "hidden";
32 |     }
33 |   }
34 | });

The trick was to anticipate and set the scrollbar state before the next layout calculation, allowing for smoother computation. Surprisingly, it was discovered that the `scrollHeight` property was already up-to-date at that point, as evidenced by the console log. This revelation eliminated the need for a timer in the initial implementation.

A snippet of HTML and JavaScript showcased how the grid elements were interacted with using event listeners:

A CSS styling block detailed the appearance and behavior of the grid and list elements:

An example structure within the grid was presented, along with its visual representation:

Despite the refined solution, an accuracy issue persisted. Occasionally, even when the difference between `scrollHeight` and `offsetHeight` equaled 1, the scrollbar handle was absent. In essence, the scrollbar visually indicated full occupancy but behaved as if the content height was less than or equal to the container height (quite puzzling).

Diving into floating-point computations confirmed that the discrepancy between content height and container height fell within the range of 0 to 1. Armed with this insight, attempts to replicate the bug proved fruitless. Consequently, as a last resort, hiding the scrollbar under such conditions resulted in the desired outcome.

19 | Refinements were made to the click event handler logic: 
20 |   if (target !== this) if (target.tagName === "DIV") {
   …
28 |     By fetching computed styles, the actual height of the element was determined:
29 |     var style = getComputedStyle(this);
30 |     var height = parseFloat(style.height);
31 |     If the calculated difference was marginal (< 1), the scrollbar was concealed:
32 |     this.style.overflowY = "hidden";
33 |     Otherwise, the scrollbar remained visible:
34 |     this.style.overflowY = "scroll";
35 |   }
36 | });

The alternative approach, while not ideal, circumvented dependency on the task queue. Nonetheless, thoughts lingered on potential CSS or HTML solutions for a more elegant fix.

With lingering uncertainties, the decision was made to reserve judgment until further exploration, warranting further consideration for optimal resolution.

Tips for avoiding width miscalculations due to the appearance or disappearance of a vertical scrollbar

Answer №1

Answer №2

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