How can I combine flexbox and vertical scroll in a full-height app?

html

responsive-design

flexbox

css

byAnton Shumikhin·Oct 10, 2024

Get a full-height layout coupled with a vertical scroll in flexbox using:

body {
  margin: 0; /* Default margin, who? */
  height: 100vh; /* Fill the viewport */
  display: flex; /* Unleash the power of flexbox */
  flex-direction: column; /* Stack 'em up */
}

.container {
  flex: 1; /* Grab the available space */
  overflow-y: auto; /* The secret sauce for scrolling */
}

Include this in your HTML:

<div class="container">
  Scrollable utopia lives here
</div>

This makes the .container expand to fill the screen, leaving aside any fixed headers or footers. It takes up the scrolling baton if the content exceeds the viewport height 👏.

Flexbox: the star of structure and spacing

Flexbox masters in structuring layouts and managing the space between elements. When we say flex: 1;, we mean that an element should swallow up as much space as it can. Confused why flex: none;? That's for elements that need to sit still like a well-trained puppy—headers or footers.

🚀 Pro tip: Short on content? No worries. min-height: 100% to the rescue, preserving full height. Got loads of content? Let height: 0 work out a flex gym for your overflowing content.

💡 Activate a scrollbar with overflow-y: auto;, not sacrificing the dynamic flex-item size.

Addressing minimum dimensions

No one wants a squished content view. Try min-height: 100px; instead of a rigid height. This approach marries flexibility with scrolling, only triggered when the content behaves like a naughty child escaping its boundaries.

.container {
  flex: 1 1 auto;
  min-height: 100px; /* Under this, we scroll! */
  overflow-y: auto;
}

Leaving outdated practices

Beware of long-forgotten flexbox fossils like display: box;. Stick to the flexbox latest to maintain modern, standard properties. It's like wearing this season's trends to stay fab 💅.

For the love of interactive components

The flexbox love affair doesn't end at static layouts, it goes hand-in-hand with interactive components too. Picture a chat app where messages need to stack from the bottom. Flex-direction: column-reverse; to the talking bot 🤖.

Embracing responsiveness

Flexbox adapts like a chameleon when it comes to responsiveness. Use media queries to twirl the flex properties like a ballerina 🩰. Keep your design fluid and resilient.

Catering for irregular content

If your content refuses to stick to a uniform size, flexbox can still make sense of the chaos. Use flex-wrap: wrap; to keep order and space things out evenly.

explain-codes / Html / How can I combine flexbox and vertical scroll in a full-height app?

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