The right way to Implement Clean Scrolling With CSS & JavaScript

1. Start With the HTML Markup

For demonstration functions, we’ll outline a header wrapped inside a container and 4 sections. Inside it, we’ll specify a navigation menu and an introductory textual content. 

Every part can have an id whose worth will match the href worth of a menu hyperlink. This affiliation (what we check with as a fragment identifier) will permit us to leap to particular elements of our web page.

Right here’s the HTML:

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<div class="container">

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  ...

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  <header class="page-header">

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    <nav>

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      <ul>

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        <li>

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          <a href="#...">...</a>

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        </li>

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        <!-- extra hyperlinks -->

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      </ul>

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    </nav>

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    <div class="header-text">...</div>

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  </header>

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</div>

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<part class="part" id="">...</part>

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<part class="part" id="">...</part>

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<part class="part" id="">...</part>

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<part class="part" id="">...</part>

2. Outline the Kinds

The CSS half might be fairly simple, nothing extraordinary.

First, we’ll use CSS Grid to format the web page header. The menu will cowl one-fourth of the out there width, whereas the textual content the remaining three-fourths (the responsive stuff isn’t actually necessary right here):

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.page-header {

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  show: grid;

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  grid-column-gap: 30px;

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  grid-template-columns: 1fr 3fr;

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  padding: 40px 0;

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  border-top: 1px stable;

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  border-bottom: 1px stable;

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  margin-bottom: 150px;

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}

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.header-text {

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  font-weight: daring;

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}

Arising subsequent, we’ll apply some types to the sections. Most significantly, we’ll make sure that they are going to be tall sufficient, so there’s enough scrolling contained in the web page for the impact:

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/*CUSTOM VARIABLES HERE*/

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.part {

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  padding: 150px 0;

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}

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.part:nth-of-type(1),

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.part:nth-of-type(3) {

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  background: var(--beige);

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}

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.section-text {

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  margin: 50px 0;

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  max-width: 800px;

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}

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.section-btn {

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  show: inline-block;

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  colour: var(--beige);

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  background: var(--black);

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  min-width: 200px;

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  peak: 50px;

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  padding: 9px 40px;

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  text-align: heart;

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}

That’s all we’d like to this point! If we now click on on a particular hyperlink, we’ll instantly leap to the related web page part. 

Try our preliminary demo:

Fundamental HTML stuff, proper? Let’s now take it a step additional and discover ways to navigate to the sections easily.

The best and quickest method for making use of easy scrolling inside a web page is by way of the next rule:

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html { 

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  scroll-behavior: easy; 

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}

Let’s clarify.

There is a comparatively new CSS property known as scroll-behavior. This property accepts two values: auto (default) and easy. As quickly as we give scroll-behavior: easy to the html ingredient, the magic will occur, and we’ll be capable of navigate to the goal part easily.

Be aware: if you happen to set scroll-behavior: easy to the physique ingredient, easy scrolling will not work.

As a further notice, take into account that on the time of this writing, there isn’t any pace choice outlined within the specification for manipulating the animation pace.

This is the related demo:

Answer Evaluation

It is an amazing and promising CSS characteristic, and its browser help regularly grows. That mentioned, even Safari, which lacked help in its earlier variations, has began supporting it. 

We’ll proceed with the standard jQuery method. That mentioned, to create easy scrolling with jQuery, we’ll benefit from its animate() methodology. 

Every time we click on on a navigation hyperlink, we’ll do the next issues:

1. Cancel its default habits to leap to the corresponding part.
2. Seize its href attribute worth. 
3. Easily navigate to the related part by animating the scrollTop property. Be aware that the animate() methodology permits us to regulate the animation pace. In our case, the animation will final 800ms.

Right here’s the jQuery code:

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$(".page-header ul a").on("click on", perform (e) {

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  // 1

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  e.preventDefault();

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  // 2

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  const href = $(this).attr("href");

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  // 3

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  $("html, physique").animate({ scrollTop: $(href).offset().prime }, 800);

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});

And the associated demo:

Answer Evaluation

The key draw back of this methodology is that you must load an additional JavaScript library. Quite the opposite, it is a dependable answer that can work nicely on completely different screens/gadgets, and you’ll customise the scrolling pace. Go together with it provided that your challenge already makes use of or wants jQuery.

At this level, we’ll throw away jQuery and focus on two pure JavaScript options. Fortunately sufficient, it’s a lot less complicated than you may count on. 

Utilizing the scroll() Technique

First, we’ll use the scroll() methodology. The logic for this method is just like the earlier jQuery implementation. 

Inside this methodology, we’ll decide the scrolling habits by way of the habits configuration property. This property is the JavaScript illustration of the scroll-behavior CSS property and may obtain the auto (default), easy and on the spot (see upcoming part 7) values. Once more right here, all we have now to do is ready the worth of the habits property to easy.

Right here’s the required code:

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const hyperlinks = doc.querySelectorAll(".page-header ul a");

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for (const hyperlink of hyperlinks) {

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  hyperlink.addEventListener("click on", clickHandler);

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}

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perform clickHandler(e) {

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  e.preventDefault();

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  const href = this.getAttribute("href");

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  const offsetTop = doc.querySelector(href).offsetTop;

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  scroll({

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    prime: offsetTop,

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    habits: "easy"

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  });

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}

Right here’s the related demo:

Utilizing the scrollIntoView() Technique

Past the aforementioned scroll strategies that are connected to the window object (i.e. window.scroll()), there’s additionally the scrollIntoView() methodology which applies to DOM components. This could settle for as nicely the acquainted habits property with the worth set to easy.

Right here’s the code wanted for this implementation:

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const hyperlinks = doc.querySelectorAll(".page-header ul a");

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for (const hyperlink of hyperlinks) {

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  hyperlink.addEventListener("click on", clickHandler);

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}

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perform clickHandler(e) {

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  e.preventDefault();

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  const href = this.getAttribute("href");

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  doc.querySelector(href).scrollIntoView({

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    habits: "easy"

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  });

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}

The associated demo:

Options Evaluation

The native JavaScript model of easy scrolling requires extra code in comparison with the native CSS property. Just like the CSS answer, its help is rising on a regular basis. Quite the opposite, there is not any straightforward technique to management the scrolling pace except we write our code.

6. Polyfills Please?

As already mentioned, native easy scrolling with CSS or JavaScript is growing, but generally you may need to lengthen the help in older browsers.

In such a case, you should use a polyfill like the favored Clean Scroll with over 3.5k GitHub stars.

To incorporate it in your tasks, seize it from a CDN, then insert it as a script tag earlier than your JavaScript code.

In our case, as quickly as we load it in considered one of our JavaScript demos, the scrolling animation will work in browsers like Safari 14 and gadgets like iPad Mini 4. However, if we add it in our CSS demo, the scrolling animation will not work on unsupported browsers/gadgets.

Right here’s considered one of our aforementioned JavaScript demos with the polyfill embedded:

7. Forestall Clean Scrolling in HTML

Clean scrolling is a good characteristic for enhancing the consumer expertise, however generally you may need to forestall it for some components.

Let’s assume that in our demo there’s additionally a back-to-top button. By default, we’ll allow easy scrolling by way of CSS, however then we’ll override that habits for that button solely.

Technique #1

To attain this, upon button click on, we’ll first override the web page’s scroll habits by setting scroll-behavior: auto, after which after navigating to the highest of the web page, we’ll set it again to easy.

Right here’s the required code:

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//we have now set scroll-behavior: easy in CSS

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const root = doc.documentElement;

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const again = doc.querySelector(".again");

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again.addEventListener("click on", perform (e) {

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  e.preventDefault();

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  root.model.scrollBehavior = "auto";

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  scroll({

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    prime: doc.physique.offsetTop

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  });

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  root.model.scrollBehavior = "";

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});

And the related demo:

Technique #2

We are able to additionally forestall easy scrolling in HTML by passing habits: on the spot to the scroll() methodology. On the time of writing, this worth isn’t documented within the MDN docs, but it seems as an choice within the editor’s spec. Based on my assessments, it really works no less than on the most recent variations of Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.

Right here’s the earlier instance with this modification:

Conclusion

That’s it, of us! At present we coated some choices for attaining easy scrolling with CSS and JavaScript (together with jQuery). We additionally examined forestall easy scrolling set in CSS via JavaScript.

I hope you discovered this train helpful and have enhanced your front-end information just a little bit. You probably have ever constructed one thing comparable prior to now, please share it with us by way of social media.

Problem: earlier than closing, I’ve a small problem for you! Your job is to increase considered one of our JavaScript demos by together with a “again to prime” button. The ultimate performance ought to work like this demo. Do you settle for the problem? If that’s the case, I’d be glad to see your answer!

As at all times, thanks quite a bit for studying!